Learning From the Color of Your White Wine

Last time we examined what can be learned from looking at a wine's color. Different colors can indicate the wine's body and its age.

White wines can vary from straw white to deep brown. And, these visual clues can immediately tell you something about the wine before ever tasting it.

Very light, pale colored white wines (some even have a slight greenish tint) are going to be very light in body, meaning they will have bright, fresh fruit flavors and have refreshing acidity (i.e., makes your mouth water after drinking). The fruit flavors and clear colors are usually preserved by aging in Stainless Steel tanks. Examples may include Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc and Albariño. These wines are meant to be consumed young and well chilled.

White wines that are more of a yellow to pale golden yellow color are more medium bodied. These wines tend to also have bright fruit flavors and good acidity. Examples include Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and un-oaked Chardonnay.

The full-bodied white wines will have boldest flavors and have deep golden colors. The deeper color comes from being aged in oak or on lees (a.k.a. sur lei). The lees are the dead yeast cells, grapeseeds, stems, pulp and tartrates (harmless tartaric acid crystals) that remaining in a barrel or tank during and after fermentation. An oaked Chardonnay is synonymous with full-bodied white wines but others include Sémillon, Viognier, Marsanne and oaked Sauvignon Blanc (a.k.a Fume Blanc).

If you come across a white wine that is orange or brown in color, you've likely found a wine that's been exposed to a lot of light or is simply heavily oxidized.  If you taste it (and you should as a learning experience), an oxidized wine will have a very nutty flavor.

Dark brown wines also include Sherry and Port that are intentionally oxidized.

So, next time you are raising a glass, take a look at it first. You can learn a lot from the color of your wine. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Rancho Sisquoc Santa Barbara "Sisquoc River Red" ($10)

Now here's a red blend that recently caught my eye. Not because of any fancy label or special promotion in the store.

According to the Rancho Sisquoc website this is 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 14% Pinot Noir, 10% Syrah, 4% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Sangiovese and 2% Petite Verdot.  Now, you might say "Wow" that's quite a number of reds in this blend. And, it is. But, what really caught my eye was the Pinot Noir.

I found it unusual to find 14% Pinot Noir in among all those other big players. Pinot is typically a lighter-bodied red wine and you'd think it would get lost in the mix.

But, this red blend really works.  And, to find it for $10 when the winery website lists it for $22 is an added bonus. So, another Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week that's attainable and affordable. I went back for several more bottles. Give it a try. Cheers!

What Can Be Learned From a Wine's Color

You may have seen it.  Someone with a glass of wine looking very closely at it. Or even slightly tipping the glass of wine over a bit to take an even closer look.

Well, there are several things that can be learned by just looking at your wine. And, using a white background, as shown in the photo, will greatly help in this activity.

The first thing that you can learn by looking closely at your glass of wine has to do with the body, or boldness, of your wine. A lighter colored wine will have a lighter body, or lighter flavor, than one that's a deeper hue.

A red wine will vary in color from a pale, almost pinkish, red to a deep purple.  Pale reds are going to be lighter in flavor and intensity. Prime examples would include Gamay (Beaujolais) and Pinot Noir (Red Burgundy). A medium-bodied wine will be more opaque but will usually have a lighter hue around the edges. These wines include Merlot, Zinfandel and Sangiovese (Chianti). Then, you get to the full-bodied red wines that are deep purple in color, opaque, and full of flavor. These will have big flavor and, when young, big tannin (which leads to that astringent mouth-drying sensation). These wines include Malbec, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Color also varies with the age of a wine. Older red wines will generally get lighter in color and often take on some orange or brown hues around the edge of the glass. Older red wines can be amazing as their tannin softens. But an oxidized wine will have off-flavors (nutty) and generally be undesirable to drink.

The color of white wines can also tell you a lot about the wine. And, we'll get to that next time. Until then, Cheers!

In the Winemaking World it's Veraison Time!

The grape growing cycle is currently at the point where berries (the actual term for individual grapes) begin to turn color. This marks the point at which the grape vines move from berry growth to berry ripening.

The term for this stage is called Veraison (vuh-rey-zhun). And this means that there is now approximately 45 days until the beginning of harvest.

While veraison is most obvious on red wine grapes, white grapes also go through veraison. While their color change isn't as dramatic as the reds, they do change from green to a more yellow or golden green. 

Veraison marks the point where the grapes stop growing in size. But, it's also when the sugar content of the grapes changes significantly. And, the acid begins to decline.

So, winemakers are now very closely watching and testing the grapes to find the point where the sugar content and acidity are just right for the particular wine they are trying to produce.

It's an exciting time in the vineyard and harvest is just around the corner! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Oremus Mandolás Furmint ($25)

Tokaj (toe-kay) is Hungary's most famous and respected wine region, mostly due to its super sweet, botrytized Tokaji dessert wines.

But, a new set of wines has emerged from the Tokaj region that are dry. This offering from Oremus is 100% Furmint (“foor-meent”) and is a dry white wine.

The Mandolás name is derived from the way in which these vines are grown.

This wine is aged in oak under a new barrel toasting method. This process only adds subtle hints of oak that preserve the minerality and acidity of this wine.

The acidity is what's most striking about this wine.  While this Furmint shows very light tropical fruit notes in mid-palate, the acidity shines through brightly on the finish and just keeps on going.  A very refreshing wine that will complement cheese plates and lighter meals.

If you haven't experienced a dry Tokaj wine, look for this Oremus Mandolás Furmint. It's really nice!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Will Rogers of Donna White Communications