Just a little something on Red Wine

Well, the first thing that comes to us about red wines is, the deep rich red colored wine! Red wines are made all over the world, and are generally the most popular type of wine among both connoisseurs and novices.

These wines are made from one or more varieties of the European species Vitis vinifera. The top main varieties of grapes from which red wine is made are, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo. Other red wine grape varieties are Grenache, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Mourvèdre, Tempranillo, Gamay, Pinotage and Malbec.

When red wine is made, the grapes are crushed whole and the skins are fermented along with the juice and body of the grapes. On the other hand, white wine is made from pale or green grapes or grapes which are skinned prior to the fermentation process and therefore unlike red wine, the color of white wine is pale in color rather than dark. Thus, in making red wine, the grape skins are the ones that give the wine it’s rich deep and distinct color spectrum. Red wine’s color runs the gamut from deep red to deep pink to ruby red to garnet to almost black to dark violet to maroon, sometimes even blue and the list goes on. The color is determined by the vast variety of grapes that have been used in its production, which can be dark purple, black, black-blue grapes and red grapes. It’s also determined by the wine-making techniques that have been employed by the winemaker. Depending on the type of wine being made and the amount of tannin required, the stalks may or may not be discarded. Tannins are the chemical compounds that cause the sensation of astringency in the mouth. They also make it possible for some red wines to age and develop. Over time, the qualities of the tannin will mellow and blend harmoniously with the other characteristics of the wine. This is one of the main reasons that red wines usually age better than whites.

The grapes, once crushed, are moved from the crusher into fermentation vats with skins. Fermentation can take upto 4 weeks or longer to complete. The higher the temperature, the more colour and tannin is extracted. Carbon dioxide trapped in the vat forces the grapes to ferment faster under pressure and this process can take as little as 5 days. Soft red wines are made by fermenting whole grapes in sealed vats.

The weight of the mass of grapes is sufficient to squeeze the fermented juice out of grapes. This juice is allowed to run into casks as free-run wine. The rest of the bulk goes into a press and is crushed to produce wines with high tannins. The wine from both vat and press are mixed and transferred to barrels or tanks. Here, the second fermentation of wine occurs.

Fine wine almost always spends at least a year in large or small barrels. Here egg-white is used, which drags suspended yeast and other solids in the wine downwards before being racked, filtered and bottled.

Finally, time spent in the bottle is vital. However, not every wine needs bottle ageing. A fine wine which may be an expensive bottle of red wine will almost certainly benefit from bottle ageing. Even white wine with high acidity and body will benefit from bottle ageing. Where as on the other hand, simple wines that are intended to be enjoyed young and meant for prompt drinking, will lose colour and freshness if left for too long.