Red, White, Pink, Orange …have you ever wondered about the different colors of wine, even though there are really only white (actually greenish) or black (actually more shades of red) grapes? It’s all about the skins!
Wine gets its color because of chemicals in the skin. Most grapes, no matter if white or black, have colorless flesh. The exception is a type of grape called teinturier. A teinturier grape is a black grape with dark skins AND flesh.
The color of wine is directly related to the time that the grape must (the juice and components before fermentation) spends in contact with the skin.
- White wine generally has little to no contact, thus keeps its yellow color.
- Orange wine is from white grapes that spend time macerating on the skins.
- Rosé wine is from black grapes that spend just a bit of time on the skin (exception would be blended from white and black grapes)
- Red wine is from black grapes that spend significant time macerating on the skin.
The skin of grapes has phenolics (also known as phenolic compounds, polyphenolics, or polyphenols).
Phenolics are a large category of various molecules that are present in wine in minute quantities but can make a big difference in the sensory profile of a wine. The most important ones in determining how a wine looks are color compounds.
Anthocyanins
Anthocyanins give red wine its color, which ranges from blue to purple to red, depending on the type of grape. The color of red wine is influenced by the level of anthocyanins as well as the level of acidity of the grape.
Wines that are less acidic appear bluer, and wines that are more acidic appear redder. Rosé wines have only spent a little time in contact with the skins, so they have just a small amount of this compound…ink is after all a light version of red!
Flavonols
I know it sounds like it should have something to do with the taste, but it actually has to do with color. These are the yellow pigments found in white wine (and the deeper pigments found in orange wine, which is from white grapes that have spent time on the skins). They increase in grapes that have had more exposure to sunlight. Wine for white grapes from sunnier climates tend to have a more golden color than wine rom grapes grown in cooler or cloudier climates.
Why does the color of wine matter?
Just from this little bit of information, when you pour a glass of wine and check out its color, you can tell a little about the wine. Is it acidic? Was it from a warm climate? Did it spend a long time in contact with the skin? We often overlook sight as one of the senses that can give us information in a wine tasting. It can actually be one of the first ways to gain information on what you are about to sip!
