What is the difference between Red and Rosé wines?

The name is correct in this case. Red wines are, indeed, red. They can be purple, ruby, or garnet red, but they are all red.

Red wines are made from grapes that have a red or bluish hue. So, what do winemakers call these grapes? Wine made from black grapes!

The red color is produced when the colorless juice of red grapes comes into contact with the dark grape skins during fermentation and absorbs the color of the skins. Along with color, the grape skins impart tannin to the wine, a substance that contributes significantly to the flavor of red wine. The presence of tannin in red wines is the primary flavor difference between red and white wines.

Red wines vary in style quite a bit, partly because winemakers have so many options for adjusting their red winemaking to achieve the type of wine they want. For example, if winemakers leave grape juice in contact with skins for an extended period of time, the wine becomes more tannic (firmer in the mouth, like strong tea; tannic wines can make you pucker). The wine is softer and less tannic if the juice is drained off the skins sooner. Furthermore, heating the crushed grapes can extract color while removing most of the tannin. Red wine styles: There is also no such thing as plain red wine.

Here are four different types of red wine:

1. Soft, fruity reds with a lot of fruitiness and little tannin (such as Beaujolais Nouveau wine from France, some Pinot Noir wines from California, and many under-$15 wines from the United States).

2. Mild-mannered reds have a medium body and subtle flavors that are more savory than fruity (like less expensive wines from Bordeaux, France, and some inexpensive Italian reds).

3. Spicy reds are flavorful, fruity wines with spicy undertones and some tannin (such as some Malbecs from Argentina and Dolcettos from Italy).

4. Full-bodied and tannic, powerful reds (such as the most expensive California Cabernets; Barolo, from Italy; Priorat, from Spain; the most expensive Australian reds; and lots of other expensive reds).

Because of the wide variety of red wine styles, there is a red wine to go with almost every type of food and every occasion when you want to drink wine. The only exception is when you want to drink a wine with bubbles: while there are some red wines with bubbles, the majority of bubbly wines are white or pink.

Red wines that are popular

• Barbera: Originates in Italy, but can also be found in other countries.

• Beaujolais: A French wine.

• Bordeaux is a French wine.

• Cabernet Sauvignon can be found in California, Australia, France, Chile, and other locations.

• Chianti is an Italian wine - Côtes du Rhône: A French wine.

• Malbec: This wine is produced in Argentina, France, Chile, and other countries.

• Merlot can be found in California, France, Washington, New York, Chile, and other locations.

• Pinot Noir: Can be found in California, France, Oregon, New Zealand, and other locations.

• Zinfandel: Typically grown in California - Wines made from rosé grapes

Rosé wine is the name given to pinkish wine by wine connoisseurs. These wines are made from red grapes, but they are not red because the grape juice is only in contact with the red skins for a short period of time — only a few hours, as opposed to days or weeks in the case of red wines. Rosé wines absorb very little tannin from the skins due to the brief skin contact (the period when the juice and the skins come into contact). As a result, you can chill these wines and drink them like white wines.

Rosé wines are not only lighter in color than red wines, but also in body (they feel less heavy in your mouth). They have a fascinating range of colors, ranging from pale orange to deep pink, depending on the grape variety. As a marketing ploy, some rosé wines are labeled “White [red grape name]” — the most common being “White” Zinfandel.

The white rosé wines are fairly sweet; they are sometimes referred to as blush wines, though that term rarely appears on the label. Rosé wines can also be sweet, but there are some wonderful rosés from Europe, including Champagne (and quite a few from the United States), that are dry (not sweet). The popularity of rosé wines has fluctuated over time, but it is at an all-time high in the twentieth century (about five times as popular in the U.S. now, compared to 30 years ago). Even die-hard wine connoisseurs are discovering how much fun a good rosé wine can be, not to mention how versatile it can be as a food partner.