Saturday, August 21, 2010

Basic Information About the Color of Wine

What does the color of wine indicate?

The color of wine indicates many things, such as age, body, and indication of possible flaws. Here are the steps you should take with each glass of wine if you want to analyze the color:
  1. Pour approximately one ounce of wine into the glass and look straight down to view the wine. Look and see how clear the wine is. The ideal glass of wine is clear and reflects light. 
  2. Hold the glass by the stem and tilt the glass away from you so that the wine forms a "tongue" in the glass:

Color in White Wine
  • Oaking adds canary yellow overtones to wine
  • Fruit intensity often adds straw yellow overtones
  • Oxidation also adds increased color concentration towards brown
  • When white wine gets older it gets darker in hue

Color in Red Wine
  • As red wine ages the color shifts to more orange hues
  • The following picture gives common characteristics. Thus, there are often variations with color. Use this chart only as a guideline.

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