Crash course in colour

We already know that the aromas found in the wine give us hints about what type of grape the wine is made from and depending on the ripeness of the fruit present what region that might be. But what about the colour? 


Personally, I find that my eye sight is far more acute than my sense of smell. This is because we spend our entire lives training our eyes to recognise the subtle differences between teal, aqua and sky blue. It is for this reason that I find that it is easier to get more accurate hints about the wine from the colour when first learning.


When you look at a white wine the first thing that you probably notice is the colour. Is it so pale that you can barely see the colour? If so, you can draw two general conclusions. Firstly, the wine is likely to be a young wine, probably harvested within 24 months of when you are consuming it at your table. So, if it is 2012 now, then the wine that you are drinking is likely to be 2011 or 2010. This is a pretty good party trick for those interested in such childish games like moi ;).


Secondly, the wine is likely to have been produced in a cool climate. If you can think logically for one moment go with me here, when you are in a place that is known to be colder you always take a jacket with you for the evening. In summer in this cold place, the days can be nice when you are standing in the sunlight and you can warm yourselves. However, when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets earlier in the evening you need to put your jacket on. It is hard to imagine that luscious fruit would have the opportunity to ripen in this environment isn't it? 


Well, for that reason exactly grapes grown in a cool climate don't ripen like their sunnier counterparts. The fruit remains tight with flavours and acidity, never having enough sun to obtain a richer colour. The ripeness of the fruit used to make the wine then has a direct correlation to the colour of the wine made. For example if you juice an under ripe orange you will get light watery coloured orange juice with a much more subtle orange flavour. If the orange was however perfectly ripe with a bright orange skin and scent that permeated through, the juice you get from this orange will be brightly coloured with a strong flavour and smell. 


On the flip side, if your white wine is a deeper gold colour then you can draw the conclusions that it is grown in a warmer climate and is likely to have some age. The wines that are the lightest in colour and are best consumed in the first two years after bottling are called 'Aromatics' and include Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gewurtztraminer, Riesling and Viognier. Then there are some white wines that change their colour depending on where they are produced. The best example of this is Chardonnay. If the chardonnay grape is produced in the classic Burgundy style it is grown in a cool climate and creates a crisp and clean wine, with a light colour. A Chardonnay from sunny South Australia would have a much brighter disposition and be a deeper golden colour.

So white wines go from pale to dark as they age but red wines do the opposite. When red wines are young a vibrant they have a red/purple colour. As they age they lose the purple and gain brown hints. The best thing to do when you first get to try the wine is tilt the glass at about a 45 degree angle and look at the colour. If it has elements of purple in it then it is likely to be a younger wine. If it is simply a red colour then it is probably a few years old, and if it is somewhat brown then it probably has a few more years again. 


This is of course an initial guideline as with red wine the grape variety also has a lot to do with the colour. This is because with red wine the colour is determined by the skin of the grape and its contact with the juice. But that is a longer more complicated story for next time. I hope that has been helpful. Shoot me through any questions that you have and I will do my best to answer them.


Until next time, have a glass for me. Alex Mac.