Red Wine Academy - What Is Distinctive About Red Wine?

Red wine has to be red, of course, but red wine also includes wines that are purple red, ruby red or pale brick red in color. The colour in red wine comes from the skins.

Compounds called tannins are unique to red wine. Tannins are a group of natural compounds found in grape skins. Tannins are an excellent antioxidant and preservative which also provide red wine with its structure, texture and aspects of flavor.

To get a sense of what tannins taste like, take a tea bag and steep it for a long time in a cup and take a sip. You will notice your lips start to really pucker. Not all red wines make your lips pucker but red wines really high in tannin do. By trying this simple exercise you’ll get a sense of what sensation tannins produce and in turn be able to pick up on the more subtle tannins in varieties of red wine.

What I really love about red wine is that there are many more flavours and nuances of red wine than exist with white. These subtle flavours and nuances are referred to as complexity. The more complex a wine is, the more it has to offer, hence the more complex. If you sample white wines they aren’t nearly as diverse. Yes there are still many flavours of white wine but many less than red.

There are more varieties of red wine than white which means that there are red wines that go with essentially every food and occasion. It will probably come as no surprise that red wines are consumed with a meal more often than white wine. This is great news because you’ll always be able to find a red wine that pairs up with the food you’ve eating (or ordered if you’re eating out).

Last but not least, red wines contain a variety of things that are good for you, many more than white. The more you learn about red wine the more you’ll come to appreciate it (that’s my opinion anyway)

In closing: Often people ask thing such as: What is the secret to picking the perfect red wine? How can I get a red wine without spending a tonne of money?

Well obviously this is going to come with time; however, if you want to accelerate the process and get some instant ideas on where to start out, then sign-up for my free newsletter: Red Wine Academy.

What is distinctive about red wine, i.e vs. white?