The color of wine goes so much further than simply red, pink, or white. The wine’s color tells an entire story on its own and will give you the first hints of what a wine will taste like. Just by the color, you can tell what has likely occurred in the vineyard, cellar, and aging – making it a crucial part of the wine.
Additionally, the color not only tells you what variety it could be but also hints at the style of winemaking, the weather conditions, and the age of the wine.
Intensity
One of the main elements of judging a wine’s color is its intensity. On the one extreme, a wine can be extremely pale, which means it has little intensity. On the other hand, it can be so intense that it stains the glass. These elements will indicate whether the wine has a lot of tannins and whether it is a rich, bold wine.
The wine’s intensity is often influenced by how long the winemaker kept the wine in contact with the skins (for red wine), which is where all the color comes from. So just from the intensity of the wine, you can tell whether it was kept on the skin for long and whether the wine will be bold or subtle, with high or low tannin.
Color
Both white and red wines have many shades of color, which all tell their own story. There is a color chart for all wines, which gives you a great indication of what style of wine it might be and how old the wine is. It also gives you an indication of whether the wine has been aged in a barrel or not. For instance, if a red wine is light red, and you can almost see through the wine, there is a good chance it is a light red variety like Pinot Noir. However, full-bodied wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, will be a dark purple color.
For white wines, if the wine is pale yellow, you can expect it to be something like a Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc. However, if the white wine is dark, almost golden yellow, there is a good chance the wine was aged in a barrel, which is common with Chardonnay. If a red wine has a brown, rusty color, it indicates age or oxidation.
So, either the wines were aged in the bottle for a few years, or the bottle has been open for a few days or weeks. In the case of white wines, you can tell they are aged if they start to turn orange.
The Importance Of Sustainability
Interestingly, the color of the wine can be altered by the winemaker’s influence with the addition of specific stabilizers and preservatives. These additives help winemakers achieve the optimum color that is pleasing to the eye. However, as the world moves toward a more sustainable end goal, winemakers opt for better alternatives. Since there are many claims about wine additives causing headaches and allergic reactions, there is a growing concern about how wines are still being made.
One of the biggest concerns is a juice concentrate known as Mega Purple, which adds brightness to red wines. Not only does it boost the color, but it has been found to boost the fruit or sugar perception in wine. In most cases, bulk winemakers use this preservative, which takes away from the natural, pure elements of the wine.
In many cases, winemakers just avoid tampering with the end product, allowing the wine to naturally be as it is – which is a significant step forward in making less invasive and negatively impactful wine. It is a great first step into a more sustainable winemaking route.
Key Takeaways
The color of the wine is an excellent indicator of several things, including variety, age, and winemaking influence.
Wooded white wines have a darker hue, and older wines turn brick brown or orange.
Additives can alter a wine’s color, but this should be reduced or replaced as we move toward sustainable practices.
Before you smell or taste a wine, you can figure out what is in the glass just by looking at the color.
The color of wine goes so much further than simply red, pink, or white. The wine’s color tells an entire story on its own and will give you the first hints of what a wine will taste like. Just by the color, you can tell what has likely occurred in the vineyard, cellar, and aging – making it a crucial part of the wine.
Additionally, the color not only tells you what variety it could be but also hints at the style of winemaking, the weather conditions, and the age of the wine.
The color of wine goes so much further than simply red, pink, or white. The wine’s color tells an entire story on its own and will give you the first hints of what a wine will taste like. Just by the color, you can tell what has likely occurred in the vineyard, cellar, and aging – making it a crucial part of the wine.
Additionally, the color not only tells you what variety it could be but also hints at the style of winemaking, the weather conditions, and the age of the wine.
Intensity
One of the main elements of judging a wine’s color is its intensity. On the one extreme, a wine can be extremely pale, which means it has little intensity. On the other hand, it can be so intense that it stains the glass. These elements will indicate whether the wine has a lot of tannins and whether it is a rich, bold wine.
The wine’s intensity is often influenced by how long the winemaker kept the wine in contact with the skins (for red wine), which is where all the color comes from. So just from the intensity of the wine, you can tell whether it was kept on the skin for long and whether the wine will be bold or subtle, with high or low tannin.
Color
Both white and red wines have many shades of color, which all tell their own story. There is a color chart for all wines, which gives you a great indication of what style of wine it might be and how old the wine is. It also gives you an indication of whether the wine has been aged in a barrel or not. For instance, if a red wine is light red, and you can almost see through the wine, there is a good chance it is a light red variety like Pinot Noir. However, full-bodied wines, like Cabernet Sauvignon, will be a dark purple color.
For white wines, if the wine is pale yellow, you can expect it to be something like a Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc. However, if the white wine is dark, almost golden yellow, there is a good chance the wine was aged in a barrel, which is common with Chardonnay. If a red wine has a brown, rusty color, it indicates age or oxidation.
So, either the wines were aged in the bottle for a few years, or the bottle has been open for a few days or weeks. In the case of white wines, you can tell they are aged if they start to turn orange.
The Importance Of Sustainability
Interestingly, the color of the wine can be altered by the winemaker’s influence with the addition of specific stabilizers and preservatives. These additives help winemakers achieve the optimum color that is pleasing to the eye. However, as the world moves toward a more sustainable end goal, winemakers opt for better alternatives. Since there are many claims about wine additives causing headaches and allergic reactions, there is a growing concern about how wines are still being made.
One of the biggest concerns is a juice concentrate known as Mega Purple, which adds brightness to red wines. Not only does it boost the color, but it has been found to boost the fruit or sugar perception in wine. In most cases, bulk winemakers use this preservative, which takes away from the natural, pure elements of the wine.
In many cases, winemakers just avoid tampering with the end product, allowing the wine to naturally be as it is – which is a significant step forward in making less invasive and negatively impactful wine. It is a great first step into a more sustainable winemaking route.
Key Takeaways
The color of the wine is an excellent indicator of several things, including variety, age, and winemaking influence.
Wooded white wines have a darker hue, and older wines turn brick brown or orange.
Additives can alter a wine’s color, but this should be reduced or replaced as we move toward sustainable practices.
