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Differences Between Red and White Wine

It may seem somewhat obvious that the difference between red and white wine is the color. Although that is true to some extent, the differences go much deeper, both in the vineyard and during wine production.

Grape skins contain high concentrations of flavor and tannin compounds, which give wines their signature varietal flavors. Red wines will develop flavors and aromas of red, black and blue fruit – cherry, raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, etc. White wines will develop flavors and aromas of green, citrus and stone fruit – apple, lemon, peach, pear, etc.

The skins also contain color compounds – red wines are produced from black-skinned grapes and white wines are produced from white-skinned grapes. The pulp on the inside of most grapes is colorless and made up mostly of water, sugar and acids. Regardless of skin color, when you crush most grapes, the juice will run clear.

Beyond color and flavor, the biggest difference between red and white wines is how they are made. Although winemakers may choose to use different production methods, white wine production is generally about retaining the more delicate flavors and aromas found in white grapes. Red wine making is focused on extracting color, richer flavors and tannins. These objectives are achieved in the winery through critical variations in the production process:

Skin Contact

Typically, after the grapes are harvested and brought into the winery, they are immediately crushed to release the juices. The juice used for white wine spends very little time in contact with the grape skins. It is quickly separated from the grape pulp and stored in sealed, stainless steel tanks. Limiting skin contact ensures the bitter tannins in the skins won’t overwhelm the fruit, and sealed tanks help reduce oxygen contact that can destroy delicate fruit flavors and aromas.

When making red wine, the skins may soak (or “macerate”) in the grape juice for a period of time before alcoholic fermentation is started, allowing the color and flavor compounds in the skins to bleed into the juice.

Fermentation

White wine is often fermented in sealed, stainless steel tanks under cooler temperatures to protect delicate fruit characteristics that can be lost at higher temperatures.

Red wine is fermented at higher temperatures, which is necessary to extract color, flavors and tannins from the skins. The skins and pulp that remain in the juice is called the “cap”. Red wine fermentation often occurs in open-top vats allowing winemakers easy access so they can agitate the cap regularly to further extract color, flavors and tannins into the juice.

Post-Fermentation & Maturation

After alcoholic fermentation is complete, white wines that are intended to have a light, fruity, aromatic style (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling) are bottled as soon as possible with no further winemaking processes occurring. Other white wines that are less fruity and meant to be fuller bodied (e.g., Chardonnay) may undergo techniques such as malolactic fermentation (MLF), lees stirring, and oak maturation, depending on the style of wine the winemaker is trying to achieve.

MLF uses bacteria to convert tart malic acid (think green apples) into soft lactic acid (think milk), giving wines like Chardonnay that buttery, creamy texture. Lees are dead yeast cells leftover after alcoholic fermentation. Rather than filtering out the lees immediately, winemakers may keep them in contact with the wine for a period of time to create a richer texture and add yeasty, bread-like flavors. Maturing the wine in oak barrels for a short time will impart some tannins and flavors such as toast, vanilla, cinnamon and smoke into the wine.

For red wines that have completed alcoholic fermentation, the winemaker may choose to further macerate the skins with the wine depending on the ultimate style the winemaker wants to achieve – the longer the post-fermentation maceration, the more tannins will be extracted and the smoother (less bitter and astringent) those tannins will become.

Most red wines undergo MLF, but they don’t typically spend time on their lees because the delicate lees characteristics would be lost in the bolder flavors of red wine. Red wine is then often stored and aged in oak barrels anywhere from 6 months to four years, with typical aging duration between 12-18 months. The longer the amount of time spent in barrels, the greater the concentration of oak characteristics imparted into the wine.

Blending

Fruity, aromatic white wines are usually bottled as single varietals to let the purity of the fruit, with their more delicate flavors and aromas, shine through.

Red wines are more often blended. Blends can be made from different grape varieties, the same varieties grown in different sites, or the same grapes that have undergone different winemaking processes (e.g., aged longer, use of more or less oak, etc.). Blending can add complexity to a finished wine, or balance out certain aspects of a wine, such as color, body, tannin or flavor.

Ageability

The factors that help wines age are acidity, tannins, alcohol and sugar. In general, full-bodied reds like Cabernet Sauvignon, Barolo and Bordeaux can age for a longer period time (some for decades) because they contain high levels of tannin from skin contact and oak aging, along with having higher alcohol levels.

Certain full-bodied whites, such as high quality Chardonnay, can be cellared for 7-10 years due high acidity and tannins imparted by oak aging. However, most white wines are meant to be drunk young, usually within 1-3 years. Light and fruity white wines like Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio will lose their delicate aromas and flavors very quickly in the bottle. Similarly, lighter red wines, such as Pinot Noir, that don’t have the same high tannins and alcohol as bigger red wines should be drunk young.

Decanting

Older red wines that have been resting in a bottle for many years can throw off sediment that looks ugly in the glass, leaves an unpleasant gritty texture in the mouth if drunk, and can make a wine taste more astringent. Decanting will gently separate out the sediment, leaving it behind in the bottle, so you can enjoy a beautiful glass of aged red wine poured from a decanter.

Decanting can also aerate a wine that might be young and tight. As the wine is poured into a decanter, it comes into contact with oxygen that helps smooth out rough tannins and open up aromas and flavors. Aeration particularly benefits full-bodied, highly tannic red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, and Syrah.

Young, fresh white wines are unlikely to require decanting. However, fuller-bodied, more complex white wines can benefit from decanting in the same way as red wines. White wines like Chardonnay may open up, developing more nuanced flavors and aromas with decanting. There is even a new trend in decanting older vintage Champagnes to soften the bubbles and reveal more complex flavors.

The differences between red and white wine are more than skin deep. The skins help determine color and some flavors, but winemaking practices significantly influence the final style of wine that ends up in your glass. What’s your favorite color and style of wine?

 

 

10 Common Wine Terms De-coded

It’s easy to find yourself lost, confused or intimidated by all of the lingo in the wine world. Tasting notes can sometimes feel impossible to decipher, and use descriptions that make it difficult to really understand the wine, like this one: “Well seasoned oak supports the floral scent of musky black roses and a savory thorny understory like a briar growing through straw mulch after a recent rain” (yes, that is an actual tasting note).

Let’s start to deconstruct and untangle some of the most common wine lingo, so the next time you hear these descriptors you will know exactly what they mean.

1. Acidity

It’s the acidity in wine that causes a sharp sensation in your mouth and triggers your salivation reflex. The more you salivate and the longer you salivate, the higher the acidity level in the wine. Wines that have low acidity are often described as “round” and “soft”, while wines that have high acidity are sometimes described as “vibrant” and “fresh”. You will often find higher acidity in wines from cooler regions.

  • Examples of high acidity wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, Champagne, Pinot Noir
  • Examples of low acidity wines: Chardonnay, Viognier, Grenache, Merlot, Gewurtztraminer

2. Balance

In every wine a battle is waged between fruit and sugar on one side, and acidity and tannins on the other side. Balance between these sides is achieved when all of these elements are well integrated so none stands out too much over the other. Too much fruit and sugar can make a wine taste cloying, while too little makes a wine taste austere and thin. Too much acidity and tannins can make a wine harsh or aggressive, while too little makes it unstructured and flabby.

3. Body

Body is the mouthfeel of a wine, or the weight of it on your tongue. Sugar, tannins and alcohol contribute to a fuller bodied wine, while acidity makes a wine feel lighter. Many wine professionals use the following comparison to determine the body of a wine: light body = skim milk, medium body = 2% milk, full body = whole milk.

  • Examples of full-bodied wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, Malbec, California Chardonnay
  • Examples of light-bodied wines: Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Grenache, Barolo, Prosecco, Riesling, Rosé

4. Complexity

Complexity refers to the number of different flavors and aromas that can be identified in a wine. A wine that only shows a few similar fruit flavors (e.g., lemon, lime, green apple) would be considered simple. A wine that shows a multitude of different characteristics across a variety of flavor/aromas categories (e.g., red cherry, blackberry, raspberry, pepper, toast, mushroom, vanilla) would be considered complex.

5. Dry

Dry wines are those that have no residual sugar left in them after fermentation. During fermentation, yeasts consume sugars in the grapes and convert them into alcohol. In a dry wine, all of the grapes sugars are fully converted into alcohol. A dry wine can still be fruity (see #7) if it contains flavors and aromas of fruits, but there is no actual sugar in the wine.

6. Finish

Finish, also referred to as length, measures how long the pleasant flavors remain on your tongue after you take a swallow of wine. Typically, a higher quality, more intense wine will have a longer finish.

7. Fruit-Forward

Fruit-forward, or fruity, is not used to described the sweetness or sugar content in a wine. A wine can be dry and still fruit-forward. This term is used to describe wines that are packed with primary fruit flavors (e.g., apple, peach, pear, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc.) that stand out as the defining characteristic of the wine.

  • Examples of fruit-forward wines: Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Gris/Grigio, Vinho Verde, Zinfandel, Grenache, Shiraz
  • Examples of non-fruity wines (earthy, herbaceous): Many French wines, such as those from Bandol (Mourvedre) and Cahors (Malbec)

8. Oaky

An oaky wine is one that has picked up flavors and aromas from being fermented and/or aged in oak barrels. Oak will impart different flavors and aromas based on the type of wood, the barrel size, degree of charring on the inside of the barrels, and time spent in barrel. Characteristics imparted by oak include toast, cedar, smoke, vanilla, coconut and sweet baking spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.).

9. Tannins

Tannins are found on grape skins, so grapes that have spent more time macerating (or soaking in) a vat with their skins will produce more tannic wines. Tannins cause your mouth to dry up. The easiest place to notice this is the gums above your front teeth. Tannins can also leave a slightly bitter taste at the back of the mouth. Tannins are important to the structure of a wine, giving wines texture and body.

  • Examples of high tannin wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Barolo
  • Examples of low tannin wines: Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Tempranillo

10. Terroir

Terroir is a French word that is used to describe a wine’s “sense of place”. It encompasses the idea that wine should be an expression of the environmental factors where the grapes are grown and the wine is produced, inclusive of the soil, climate, farming, elevation, slopes, direction of sunlight, etc. In France, every vineyard is seen as having its own unique terroir. The value the French put on terroir is why French wines are labeled by region or chateau rather than grape variety.

Are there other wine terms that you would like to better understand? If so, comment on this post or contact me to have your term added to the next list!