Red wine! That’s a big topic to celebrate.
(This holiday was founded by writer Jace Shoemaker-Galloway in 2014)
Let’s start with what makes a wine red!
You can only make red wine from red or black grapes. The color of the grape skin gives the wine its color.
The compounds in grape skin that give it color are called “anthocyanins.” They can range from red to purple to blue. The color of the wine is influenced not only by these pigments but also by the grape’s acidity.
Here’s a way to figure out what the acidity level in a wine will be like before you put it in your mouth! If the color leans more to red, it will have more acidity; more to blue, it will have less. Sangiovese is notoriously a high-acid wine and leans to bright red. Zinfandel, on the other hand, can lean toward blue tones and is typically a low-acid wine.
This is not to say that “red grapes=red wine.” Remember I said that the skins give the wine the color? That means if you press very gently, you can squeeze out the juice (*Which is almost always white) and create a white wine from a red grape. This is most notably done with sparkling wines! A Blanc de Noir (white of black) in Champagne is made from red or black grapes, typically Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.
*I say almost always because a few grapes have red flesh. They are called Teinturier grapes (the name comes from the French term “to dye”) and include Alicante Bouschet (from Portugal) and Saperavi (from Georgia).
Red wines and tannins
Red wines typically have more tannins than white wines. Tannins, like anthocyanins, are found in the grape skin (also in the seeds and in the stems, but for this conversation, we will stick to the skins). When wines are pressed, they can be gently pressed as I mentioned above, avoiding pulling out the color and the tannins, or as is often done with red wines, you can press the juice and then let it sit on the skins to leach the color and tannins from the skins into the wine.
Tannins give a wine structure and texture. They cause that dry feeling in your mouth, like sucking on a tea bag. Yep, tea has tannins also. Tannins in a wine go great with fatty foods. Those tannins cut the fat, hence steak and cab sav.
Worldwide, Red grapes top the charts
The top 3 wine grapes by vineyard acres planted are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tempranillo.
In Italy, Sangiovese tops their list. In France, it is Merlot. In Spain, Tempranillo, in Australia, Shiraz (Syrah) in New Zealand Pinot Noir, and in Argentina Malbec.
What is your favorite red wine?
Make sure to pop a bottle to celebrate #NationalRedWineDay!
Robin Renken is a wine writer and Certified Specialist of Wine and WSET 3 Certified. She and her husband Michael travel to wine regions interviewing vineyard owners and winemakers and learning the stories behind the glass.
When not traveling they indulge in cooking and pairing wines with food at home in Las Vegas.
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