What’s the Difference Between Red and White Wines?

Whether you are new to the world of wines or are a seasoned connoisseur, understanding the differences between red and white wines can significantly enhance your drinking experience. Winemaking is an intricate process with a variety of steps, and winemakers use different techniques to produce your favorite wines.

Learning how winemakers create red and white wines can help you choose a quality product to fit your unique taste.

It’s All in the Skin (and Seeds)

Red wines gain their dark color through the dark red or purple skins of the grapes. When making red wine, winemakers leave the skins and seeds with the grape juice during fermentation. This adds a layer of flavor to the red wine due to its tannins. White wines usually use white or green grapes, and they retain their light coloration because winemakers remove the skins and seeds from the juice before fermentation.

Did you know red grapes can make white wine?

Most red wines originate from red or purple grapes, while white wines use white or green grapes, but all grape juices are either clear or a light, opaque color. Since winemakers remove the skins and seeds to create white wine, any type of grape can become a white wine. Zinfandel wines are a perfect example of this because they use dark-colored grapes. You can find Zinfandel wines as either a red or a white wine, depending on the way the winemaker fermented it.

The Wine-Making Process

While the skins and seeds of grapes are an important distinction between red and white wines, the fermentation process is what defines wine as red or white. During fermentation, winemakers mix the grape juice with yeast to convert the grapes into alcohol. Different grapes and yeasts will affect the wine’s flavor profile, but the amount of oxygen infused into the wine during fermentation will determine its final taste. Winemakers use very different methods of oxygen integration to ferment red and white wines.

First, they smash darker red, purple, or black grapes to release the grape juices. They then ferment the grape juice with their skins and seeds. Oak barrels “breathe” and allow oxygen inside easily, so winemakers use them to oxidize red wine. This process creates the rich, nutty flavor commonly found in red wines.

White wines start the same as red wines, so winemakers smash the grapes and remove the skins and seeds from the grape juice before fermentation. Since oxygen transforms the wine’s light, fruity flavors into deeper, nutty tones, winemakers utilize stainless steel tanks to minimize the amount of oxygen exposed to the wine while fermenting. This allows the white wine to retain its trademark floral and fruity taste.

Don’t Forget Pink Wines!

Where would we be without a good rosé? Rosé, or pink wine, is a middle ground between red and white wine. They typically sport a variety of flavors ranging from floral to nutty, and they include some flavor from the tannins in their grape skins.

Winemakers can either blend red and white wine together to make a rosé, or they can macerate the grape juice with the grape skins and seeds for a few hours before removing the skins and seeds to continue the fermentation process. The color and a little of the flavor from the skins will mix with the juice to produce a light pink wine. Winemakers can then choose to use an oak barrel or stainless steel tank to achieve the flavor profile they want.

So, Which is Better?

Most wine studies you read use red wines. So, is red wine better for you than white wine?

The difference in nutrients between red and white wine is almost non-existent because both types use grapes. The skins of grapes contain antioxidants, so red wines do have a higher concentration of antioxidants compared to white wines. Pink wines also contain some antioxidants, but white wines typically do not have any antioxidants due to the removal of their grape skins before fermentation.

While this may make red wines a healthier choice because of their antioxidants, the difference between red and white wines when looking at their overall nutritional value is extremely low. So pick up that white wine or rosé without worry! Your wine choice should reflect your personal tastes, and all three types provide a wide range of flavors.

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