Producing Wine: Differences between White Wines and Reds
Sunday, May 16th, 2010It’s easy to discover the primary difference in between making wine that’s white and making wine that’s red, as the colour. Nevertheless, when producing wine you ought to know why white wines are amber in color, and why are reds dark ruby?
Although the simplest answer responds towards the grape kind which you use either white or red- did you know that white wines can also be created from red grapes?
To explain, I’ll start from the beginning.
Producing Wine, Tannins & their Role in Wine Color
The reason red wines have got a crimson colour, it’s not only due to the kind of grape used, but also because of the tannins that are present in the actual resulting brew.
Tannins are the ones responsible for the reddish pigment that gives red wine it’s color, plus they reside mainly in the actual skins, stems and seeds from the grapes.
In white wine making, these types of skins, stems and seeds tend to be separated from the grape juice during the time of pressing, given that from this process on that tannins tend to be extracted into the juice, and wine to be.
You may also have noticed that all red-colored wines vary in color intensity. The reason being the vibrancy of the resulting colour depends upon the length of time the skins, stems and seeds have been in contact with the fermenting juice.
Tannins offer pigmentation, heaviness and complexity to wines. Because of this, red wines are usually spicier, warmer and dryer, with a round body and noticeable sedimentation. Whites, in comparison, tend to be light, fresh, fruity and crisp, with little or no sedimentation.
Making Wine, Fermentation & Ageing of White Wines
Another difference in producing wine as a white is the process of fermentation as well as ageing. White wines are fermented at cooler temperatures, and generally for extended periods of time.
Since it is tannins that offer wine most of its body and complexity, winemakers use cool temperatures to decelerate fermentation, allow the wine to undergo this process for a lengthier period of time, and take full advantage of the little quantity of tannins which are within the wine. A slow, but extented fermentation assists white wines develop complexity and body that could otherwise be impossible to achieve without a significant amount of color-changing tannins.
Oak barrels also aid in the release of tannins into the wine, intensifying the colour and providing a dry characteristic to the resulting brew. Because of this, most red wines tend to be aged in oak barrels, or using oak chips.
In white wine making, however, white wines generally aged in stainless steel vats, which allow for easier temperature control in cooler fermentation temperatures, without affecting the tannin levels in the wine.
Moreover, you will discover that white wines that offer dry characteristics, such as Chardonnays have been aged in oak barrels or in stainless steel vats with oak chips.
Due to the lack of tannins in white wines the actual ageing process, on the other hand, is very brief. Extended ageing of wines should only be applied to reds because ageing endorses the interaction of tannins within the resulting wine, providing it with a round, full body, deep flavors and high complexity.
Since white wines are not meant to develop most of these characteristics, ageing is only done for 1 year, or so, prior to consumption.
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