UNCORKING THE CHARACTER
OF RED WINES
There are a few basic distinctions in the character of red wine when comparing it to the character of white wine: Red is a darker fellow, usually more bitter compared, can often outlive its white counterpart and is more of an alcoholic. By "darker" I simple refer to the completely different and quite a bit darker of color that red wine is compared to white, reflecting less light and having less clarity. By "bitter, I speak to its bitter, puckering tannins, which are higher than in white wine. When I speak of "outliving its white counterpart" I'm speaking about red wine's ability to age in oak barrels or cellar bottles for longer periods of time. By "alcoholic" I refer to the fact that it tends to have higher alcohol content.
Red wines are made from grapes with a darker skin colour (red and purple oppose to green and yellow). These grape skins are kept in the wine during the fermentation process which give the wine its red to blue to purple hue, depending on the grape variety and duration that the peels remain in the wine.
These grape skins that give the wine its colour also contain tannins, which will transfer to the wine the same way colour from the skins will. Tannins provide a red wine with a bitter, puckering, dry taste that astringes saliva. Tannins can also be added to a wine through oak aging for oak wood also contains tannins.
Tannins don't just provide a wine with a bitter dry taste, they also have preservative effects allowing a wine to age longer. Again, these tannins are provided by both the grape skins and the oak barrels. The degree of colour and tannins provided by the grape skin will vary with the variety of grape and with the fermentation process; but tannin content, depth of colour and longevity of the wine are all interconnected.
Red wines are usually divided by body. The body of a wine is how it texturally feels in the mouth, from light and watery to heavy and thick. There are three body categories, light body, medium body and full body. Body is mostly effected by a wine's alcohol content, sugar content, and acidity. A wine higher in sugar and/or alcohol will be lower in acidity and fuller in body. A wine higher in acidity will be lower in sugar and/or alcohol and lighter in body.
Below you can find general descriptions on the characteristics of a specific wine. Wines are classified as either varietal or blend wines. Varietal wines are those that are made from a single grape variety, or mostly a single grape variety. Blends are wines that are made from a combination of grape varieties. These specific wines have been divided by body below. The descriptions provided can only serve as a loose guideline to the character of that wine you are thinking about purchasing. Many factors effect the character of a wine. When it comes to decided which Gewurtztraminer or Cabernet to purchase, what make one wine unique from the next on the shelf, are the variety of aromas, flavors and finishes that each variety contributes to the final product as well as the climate and region the grapes are grown in, growing conditions of that season and harvest (the vintage), vineyard practices, winery processes and practices, as well as aging practices and storage. For more information on these influence that effect character click HERE.
Red wines are made from grapes with a darker skin colour (red and purple oppose to green and yellow). These grape skins are kept in the wine during the fermentation process which give the wine its red to blue to purple hue, depending on the grape variety and duration that the peels remain in the wine.
These grape skins that give the wine its colour also contain tannins, which will transfer to the wine the same way colour from the skins will. Tannins provide a red wine with a bitter, puckering, dry taste that astringes saliva. Tannins can also be added to a wine through oak aging for oak wood also contains tannins.
Tannins don't just provide a wine with a bitter dry taste, they also have preservative effects allowing a wine to age longer. Again, these tannins are provided by both the grape skins and the oak barrels. The degree of colour and tannins provided by the grape skin will vary with the variety of grape and with the fermentation process; but tannin content, depth of colour and longevity of the wine are all interconnected.
Red wines are usually divided by body. The body of a wine is how it texturally feels in the mouth, from light and watery to heavy and thick. There are three body categories, light body, medium body and full body. Body is mostly effected by a wine's alcohol content, sugar content, and acidity. A wine higher in sugar and/or alcohol will be lower in acidity and fuller in body. A wine higher in acidity will be lower in sugar and/or alcohol and lighter in body.
Below you can find general descriptions on the characteristics of a specific wine. Wines are classified as either varietal or blend wines. Varietal wines are those that are made from a single grape variety, or mostly a single grape variety. Blends are wines that are made from a combination of grape varieties. These specific wines have been divided by body below. The descriptions provided can only serve as a loose guideline to the character of that wine you are thinking about purchasing. Many factors effect the character of a wine. When it comes to decided which Gewurtztraminer or Cabernet to purchase, what make one wine unique from the next on the shelf, are the variety of aromas, flavors and finishes that each variety contributes to the final product as well as the climate and region the grapes are grown in, growing conditions of that season and harvest (the vintage), vineyard practices, winery processes and practices, as well as aging practices and storage. For more information on these influence that effect character click HERE.