Colour
Colour (wine) refers to the visual appearance of a wine, which is one of its most immediately recognisable attributes and a key element of its classification into red wine, white wine, or rosé. The colour of wine is determined primarily by grape skin pigments and is influenced by viticultural, chemical, and winemaking factors.[1]
Background
Colour has historically served as a primary means of distinguishing wines, with red and white categories recognised since antiquity. Rosé, occupying the middle ground, has long been produced in Mediterranean regions. Beyond classification, colour contributes to the sensory and cultural appreciation of wine, often being associated with freshness, ripeness, or maturity.[2]
Chemical Basis
Wine colour arises from pigments in grape skins and their transformations during vinification and ageing. The balance of anthocyanins, flavonoids, and oxidative compounds determines hue, intensity, and stability.[3]
Red wines
Red wines derive their colour from anthocyanins extracted during maceration of grape skins. Shades range from deep purple in youth to ruby and eventually brick-red or tawny with age, as pigments polymerise and precipitate. Interactions with tannins and other phenolic compounds contribute to colour stability and mouthfeel.[4]
White wines
White wines, typically made with little to no skin contact, contain far fewer anthocyanins. Their colour instead depends on flavones and oxidative reactions. Young whites show pale straw or green-tinged hues, while with age or oxidative handling they deepen towards gold or amber.[5]
Rosé wines
Rosé wines are produced through brief maceration with red grape skins or blending small amounts of red wine into white. This yields colours from delicate salmon to vivid pink or light ruby. The exact shade depends on grape variety, maceration length, and winemaking style, with some regions preferring very pale hues while others favour more deeply coloured examples.[6]
Other colours
Less common wine styles include orange and blue wines.
- Orange wines are white wines fermented with extended skin contact, resulting in amber to copper hues and greater phenolic texture.
- Blue wines are modern creations, coloured by additives such as anthocyanin extracts or indigo pigments rather than traditional vinification.
Though not traditional categories, these examples illustrate the range of colours achievable in wine production.
Factors Affecting Colour
The colour of a wine is influenced by multiple variables. Grape variety is decisive, as cultivars differ in their phenolic composition. Ripeness at harvest alters pigment levels, with riper grapes typically producing darker wines. Winemaking practices — such as maceration length, fermentation temperature, and use of oak — all shape colour expression.[7]
Ageing further modifies wine colour. Red wines evolve from purple or ruby to garnet and then tawny as pigments stabilise and precipitate. White wines often darken from pale straw to golden or amber with time and exposure to oxygen.[8]
Role in Wine Appreciation
In professional tasting, colour is assessed by tilting the glass against a white background, with evaluators noting hue, depth, and clarity. While not always a direct measure of quality, colour provides clues about grape variety, age, winemaking approach, and condition. For example, a prematurely brown young white wine may suggest early oxidation, whereas a deeply coloured rosé may indicate prolonged maceration.[9]
See also
References
- ↑ Robinson (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine, Oxford University Press, 2015.
- ↑ Peynaud, The Taste of Wine: The Art and Science of Wine Appreciation, Wiley, 1996.
- ↑ Jackson, Wine Science: Principles and Applications, Academic Press, 2020.
- ↑ Robinson (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine, 2015.
- ↑ Zoecklein et al., Wine Analysis and Production, Springer, 1999.
- ↑ Robinson (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine, 2015.
- ↑ Iland et al., Chemical Analysis of Grapes and Wine, Patrick Iland Wine Promotions, 2004.
- ↑ Robinson (ed.), The Oxford Companion to Wine, 2015.
- ↑ Peynaud, The Taste of Wine: The Art and Science of Wine Appreciation, Wiley, 1996.