Wine (color)

The color wine is a dark shade of red. It is a representation of the average color of red wine.

The first recorded use of wine as a color name in English was in 1705.

The source of this color is: ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names (1955)--Color Sample of Wine (color sample #16).

Variations of wine

Champagne

The color champagne is displayed at right.

The first recorded use of champagne as a color name in English was in 1915.

Claret

At right is displayed the color claret.

Another name for this color is bordeaux.

This color is a representation of the average color of bordeaux wine.

The first recorded use of claret as a color name in English was in 1547.

Burgundy

Burgundy is a red color associated with the Burgundy wine of the same name, which in turn is named after the Burgundy region of France.

The first recorded use of "burgundy" as a color name in English was in 1881.

Wine dregs

At right is displayed the color wine dregs, a deep tone of the color wine.

The first recorded use of wine dregs as a color name in English was in 1924.

Wine color

The color of wine is one of the most easily recognizable characteristics of wines. Color is also an element in wine tasting since heavy wines generally have a deeper color. The accessory traditionally used to judge the wine color was the tastevin, a shallow cup allowing one to see the color of the liquid in the dim light of a cellar. The color is an element in the classification of wines.

Color origins

The color of the wine mainly depends on the color of the drupe of the grape variety. Since pigments are localized in the exocarp (skin) of the grape drupe, not in the juice, the color of the wine depends on the method of vinification and the time the must is in contact with those skins, a process called maceration. The Teinturier grape is an exception in that it also has a pigmented pulp. The blending of two or more varieties of grapes can explain the color of certain wines, like the addition of Rubired to intensify redness.

Red drupe grapes can produce white wine if they are quickly pressed and the juice not allowed to be in contact with the skins. The color is mainly due to plant pigments, notably phenolic compounds (anthocyanidins, tannins, etc.). The color depends on the presence of acids in the wine. It is altered with wine aging by reactions between different active molecules present in the wine, these reactions generally giving rise to a browning of the wine, leading from red to a more tawny color. The use of a wooden barrel (generally oak barrels) in aging also affects the color of the wine.