The Difference Between Red And White Wines

You probably have your favorites when it comes to wine. Most likely you’ve tried several varieties of red and white wine. But what is the real difference between reds and whites? The difference goes much deeper than just the color.

Both red and white wines can be either dry or sweet. It depends on how much of the sugar was converted to alcohol during the fermentation process. But, if you taste a glass of red wine and a glass of white wine and you’ll notice that the red wine, overall, will be more robust and complex than the white wine.

You see, there are more layers of flavor in red wine that don’t exist in white. The difference has less to do with the grapes used and more to do with the fermentation process. That is the primary difference.

In the fermentation process, in white wines, after the grapes get pressed, the seeds, skins, and stems are removed from the juice. But, with red wines, the seeds, skins, and stems are all left in the juice during fermentation. This allows tannins to be released into the juice. It’s the tannins that give red wine its comlexity and full bodied flavor.

Tannins are plant compounds that exist in leaves, barks of trees and grapes. You may have tasted tannins in a strong cup of tea. Tannins cause an astringent, bitter taste.

The tannins that are released during fermentation react with proteins and help prevent the wine from oxidizing as it ages. As white wines are not aged as long as red wines, usually, the tannins aren’t needed. But, they are needed to help the red wines age properly.

Tannins also provide another layer of flavor and complexity. As the wine ages, the tannins mellow and blend with the wine, losing most of their astringency.

And now, the next time you choose a wine, you’ll know why it has the color and flavor that it has. Tannins.

How To Choose A Wine Glass

If you’re new to wine, or are just in the market for some new wine glasses, there are lots of things to consider before selecting. The decision goes further than which glasses you think are the nicest, or most attractive.

Every wine drinker has their own preference for what wine they like to drink. You should also develop a preference for your wine glasses. Because, believe it or not, the glass you drink from plays a major role in your overall satisfaction with the wine.

Red wine glasses are different than white wine glasses. While a red wine glass resembles an egg, a white wine glass will be thinner more resemble a tulip.

A white wine glass has a smaller opening. This is essential to your flavor and enjoyment. It allows for less aeration, or breathing. Since white wine is usually enjoyed server colder than red, this keeps the temperature cooler, longer. And, since the “bowl” of the glass is smaller, less hand-to-glass contact occurs, also preserving the temperature.

On the other hand, the red wine glass has a larger opening and a larger bowl. You’ll want to drink your red wine at a slightly warmer temperature. The increased aeration accomplishes this, and having more hand-to-glass contact won’t hurt the flavor.

Going smaller yet, we get into champagne glasses. Champagne is actually wine that has been processed differently to obtain the carbonation and sweetness. The glass, or “flute,” that you’ll drink champagne out of is even thinner than the white wine glass, and has a smaller opening. This allows it to remain chilled longer and retains the carbonation better.

So, the next time you go out to buy wine glasses, remember, they’re not only nice to look at, they’re functional as well.

How To And Why Let Wine Breathe?

The whole reason for letting your wine breathe is to maximize its exposure to the surrounding oxygen. By allowing wine to mix with the air, it will warm up a bit. This lets the wine’s aromas open up, that flavor characteristics will improve by softening and mellowing.

Do All Wines Need To Breathe?

No, not all. Red wines typically benefit most from breathing before drinking. However, there are a few select white wines that need to breathe, too.

As a rule of thumb, most wines need to breathe for about 15-20 minutes. But, if a wine is not aged and has high tannin levels, it’ll need more breathing time.

For example, a younger Cabernet Sauvignon will probably require about an hour for proper breathing and flavor softening to occur.

This is not to say you can’t drink it as soon as it’s been uncorked, but it’ll be better if you give it some time to breathe.

Aged or older wines, 8+ years, are a whole other animal. These wines will benefit most from opening and breathing, but they only have a small window of aeration time before the flavor profiles begin to deteriorate.

Some wrongly believe that simply uncorking the bottle and allowing it to sit is all it takes to breathe. This method doesn’t work. Simply put, there isn’t enough room at the opening of the bottle to allow adequate amounts of oxygen to aerate the wine.

So what’s the proper way to allow your wine to breathe? You’ve got two options: Decanter or Wine Glass.

Decanter
Use a decanter, a juice pitcher, or even a flower vase. Any clean, large container with a wide opening at the top will do. The increased opening is the key needed to allowing more air to make contact with your wine.

Wine Glass
Pour your wine into wine glasses and let it breathe. This certainly is a low-maintenance method and will work quite well. You want to be sure to pour your glass of wine at least 15 minutes before you’re ready to drink it, lest temptation get the best of you.

Here’s a tip for letting your wine breathe in the glass. Make sure you pour toward the center of the glass with at least 6 inches of fall from bottle to glass. This allows extra aeration during the actual pour.