Wine in two minutes: red, white, rosé and orange!
What’s the difference between red, white, rosé and orange wine?
Most people think the colour of a wine comes from the colour of the grapes. But the flesh of almost all grapes is colourless.
The main way wines get colour is by keeping the grape juice stays in contact with the grape skins after the grapes are crushed.
🍷 Red wine
Red wine is made from dark-skinned grapes. During fermentation, the juice remains in contact with the skins for days or even weeks. The skins give the wine its colour, tannins and many of its flavours.
Think of: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah.
🥂 White wine
White wine is usually made by pressing the grapes and separating the juice from the skins almost immediately. This means very little colour or tannin is extracted.
Most white wines are made from green grapes, but some are made from dark grapes too. As long as the skins are removed quickly, the juice remains colourless. That’s how Champagne can be made from Pinot Noir, a black grape, yet still be white.
Think of: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.
🌸 Rosé wine
Rosé is usually made from dark-skinned grapes, but the juice stays in contact with the skins for a short time, typically a few hours. This gives the wine its delicate pink colour and fresh, fruity character.
The deeper the pink, the longer the skin contact has usually been.
🍊 Orange wine
Orange wine isn’t made from oranges! It’s made from white grapes that are treated like red grapes. The juice is left in contact with the skins, sometimes for weeks or even months, giving the wine its amber or orange colour, firmer texture and often savoury, tea-like flavours.
Orange wine is one of the oldest styles of winemaking and has seen a revival in recent years.
Remember this
The colour of a wine is determined less by the colour of the grapes than by how long the juice spends in contact with the skins.
Most people think the colour of a wine comes from the colour of the grapes. But the flesh of almost all grapes is colourless.
The main way wines get colour is by keeping the grape juice stays in contact with the grape skins after the grapes are crushed.
🍷 Red wine
Red wine is made from dark-skinned grapes. During fermentation, the juice remains in contact with the skins for days or even weeks. The skins give the wine its colour, tannins and many of its flavours.
Think of: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Syrah.
🥂 White wine
White wine is usually made by pressing the grapes and separating the juice from the skins almost immediately. This means very little colour or tannin is extracted.
Most white wines are made from green grapes, but some are made from dark grapes too. As long as the skins are removed quickly, the juice remains colourless. That’s how Champagne can be made from Pinot Noir, a black grape, yet still be white.
Think of: Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling.
🌸 Rosé wine
Rosé is usually made from dark-skinned grapes, but the juice stays in contact with the skins for a short time, typically a few hours. This gives the wine its delicate pink colour and fresh, fruity character.
The deeper the pink, the longer the skin contact has usually been.
🍊 Orange wine
Orange wine isn’t made from oranges! It’s made from white grapes that are treated like red grapes. The juice is left in contact with the skins, sometimes for weeks or even months, giving the wine its amber or orange colour, firmer texture and often savoury, tea-like flavours.
Orange wine is one of the oldest styles of winemaking and has seen a revival in recent years.
Remember this
The colour of a wine is determined less by the colour of the grapes than by how long the juice spends in contact with the skins.
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