As you know, red wines derive their color from contact with grapeskins during the process of fermentation. You’ve probably heard of descriptors such as garnet, opaque purple, deep violet or dark red. All of those refer directly to the color of the wine, which is given by the grape varietal.
Of course it’s never as simple as that since the duration of exposure to grape skins also affects how deep the color of the resulting wine will be. But in regards to comparing red wine types this is the vanguard of classification criteria.
How to appreciate a wine by it’s color
Often times the color of a wine can be a tell-tale to what kind of wine it will be. A dark colored wine betrays strong tannins and old age, while a lightly colored wine will usually mean it’s young and fruity. This is one of the more interesting activities for wine tasting.
Whenever you try a new wine try to guess what it’s going to be like before you open the bottle. Next pour it in your glass and try to guess it again, is your guess any different yet? Now have a taste and see how right you were. This is very fun at wine dinner parties when you will taste over a dozen different wines in one night.
To provide the best look at a wine’s true colors you should bring it to eye level and look towards a light source. Next tilt the glass slightly against a pale background and notice the wine’s more subtle features. A deep color indicates personality while a light but brilliant and bright color indicates a vigorous wine. Another factor you can judge is the wine’s clarity. The clearer the better overall quality in the wine.
How to compare red wines by body type
No, I’m not talking about shape. One says that a wine is light-bodied or full-bodied when refering to the tannin structure and feel it has in the mouth. Most wines are either light, medium or full-bodied. The difference can be observed in tannins and so called presence.
A light-bodied red wine has less tannins and less presence on the palate. Examples of light bodied wines is most any wine made from Gamay. One such example is the famous French Beaujolais Nouveau.
Medium bodied red wines have more tannins but are yet demanding of foods. Especially rich flavored foods, like spicy foods will easily overwhelm this wine and can give it a weak feeling. Typical medium red wines are the “standard” Merlot and Shiraz.
Full bodied red wines have a high amount of tannins as well as a good deal of alcohol. Fortified wines are great examples but you can also compare famous country based wines, such as Bordeaux wines, Italian Super Tuscans and Californian Cabernets. A full bodied wine can challenge even the strongest food dish and will be dominant over most foods.
But even the same wine can be light-bodied at 2 years of age and become full-bodied by the time it reaches 10-15 years of age. Overall light bodied wines will feel watery while fuller wines feel similar to milk due to their highly tannic and alcoholic content.
Now let’s compare some of the most famous red wines in the world
What is a Bordeaux wine?
Obviously we’re talking about wine produced in the French wine region of Bordeaux. Typically such wine consists of a blend between Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
Young Bordeaux wines have a deep color often on the threshold between violet and crimson. Aged Bordeaux wines change to ruby red or garnet color. Even older wines normally develop an orange hue or a brick-red color. The taste of a Bordeaux wine can be summarized in a well-balanced palate.
How does an Italian Chianti fare?
Chianti is a major DOCG from Italy. This denomination is a recognition of the highest quality Italian wine. There are only a limited number of wines in this category.
This is a dry red wine, great with food, made from the Sangiovese grape. This wine can be anywhere between light and full-bodied. The flavor range includes cherry and roses complemented by relatively high acidity.
What’s the big deal with Barolo and Barbaresco red wines?
These wines originate from the Piedmont region, located in Italy. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape, and are characterized by sweet, fruity flavors like blackberry and cherry. They also have high acidity levels and strong tannins.
One relatively tough to find but totally worth the price Barolo is the Vietti Barolo Rocche 2000. The price tag should be around $65 but it’s easily worth twice as much. The distinct raspberries and the satin finish makes this wine very special.
Argentina’s super star red wine Malbec
This grape originates from Bordeaux, small surprise there, but it’s mostly used as a blending grape there. However Argentina has found much more use for it and now it has become their signature grape.
The Malbec is a medium to full-bodied red wine. Blackberry and plum flavors predominate in this wine. It has an earthy feel because of it’s tight tannins yet, despite that, the wine is still versatile.
Whether you’re looking for a strong red wine, or perhaps a light-bodied wine, the world is full of red wine types of different styles but similar value. After all, the value of a wine is only what you decide to give it no matter what everyone else says.
Further reading:
- Italian Red Wine Types - The Italians are masters of wine making, and since the time of Rome they have indulged in this fine art. Thus, they have many great recipes that could bewilder the minds of many. However the Italians are not very fond...
- California Red Wine Types - Today the world of wine revolves around two major types of producers. First you have the Old World which consists of France, Italy, Germany and the like. Then you have the New World with New Zealand, South Africa and California....
- How To Pair Red Wine And Cheese - It’s common knowledge that red wines are burly brawlers and white wines are delicate, a bit like men and women. But in the realm of cheese and wine this means that white wines cannot hold up to strong cheese. However...
- What Is The Best Red Wine to Drink By Itself - Red wine is an exquisite beverage. Kings have been feasting on great wines for many years and our opportunity to taste the style of kings is not to be taken lightly. Today the world of wine is more evolved than...
- Banrock Station Wetland Centre – Red Wine and White Wine Types - Banrock Station has had serious drawbacks during the past 2 centuries. Situated in South Australia, roughly 200km north east from the Adelaide at the Kingston-on-Murray. The people are known to have maintained a close and beneficiary relationship with the environment...
