Is the darker the red wine, the better?

When many laymen first come into contact with red wine, they will judge the quality of the wine by the depth of its color and the depression at the bottom of the wine bottle. In fact, these have nothing to do with the quality of red wine. The color of red wine actually comes from the grape skin. Different grape varieties have different colors, so the color of the brewed red wine will also be different, and there will be differences through refraction of the glass. This article introduces some knowledge about red wine, let’s take a look.

1. The influence of variety on wine color

Everyone knows that the color of wine comes from the grape skin. Common red grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Merlot, etc. The skin color of different varieties of grapes is different, so the color of the grapes they produce will definitely be different.

2. The influence of maceration time on wine color

As mentioned above, the color of wine comes from the skin, and the process of extracting the pigment of the skin into the wine is called maceration (that is, crushing and soaking the wine with the skin. In this process, the pigment of the grape skin will be integrated into the wine). The length of the maceration time has a critical effect on the color of the wine. If the maceration time is long, the color of the wine will be relatively dark; if the maceration time is short, the color will be relatively light. Rosé wine obtains trace amounts of pigment in this way.

3. The impact of aging time on wine color

The impact of aging time on the color of wine is obvious. White wine (sweet white wine, ice wine, sweet wine caused by noble rot, etc.) is lighter in color when young, light green or wheat yellow, but as the aging time increases, it will turn into golden yellow, bronze, or even brown; red wine will become lighter with age. From the original purple and ruby ​​red to brick red and brown.

4. The influence of fermentation and aging containers on wine color

Everyone knows. Most of the production areas in the Old World use traditional oak barrels for fermentation and aging, while most of the production areas in the New World use inert containers such as stainless steel barrels to ferment and age the grape juice. Different fermentation and aging containers will also affect the color of the wine.

Therefore, the color of wine is determined by many factors, and observing wines of different colors while tasting is actually another kind of enjoyment.