Both red and white wine are made with grapes which are fermented into a juice. However they use different types and parts of the grapes. The winemaking and maturation process also varies so that different flavours, body, colour and aroma can be produced.
Although, some red grapes can be made into white wines and some white grapes can produce reddish wines. For instance Blanc de noirs sparkling wine is made like a white wine but with pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes. Whereas orange wine is created with white grapes but made in a similar way to red wine.
So before you order your next glass, let’s find out what the differences are between red and white wine:
Red wine is made using red and black grapes and is a dark red colour to look at. The colour of the wine can range from deep violet to brick red and even brown in older red wines.
When the red grapes are fermented to produce red wine, the skin remains in contact with juice as it ferments. This is also known as maceration and is what extracts the wine’s colour and flavour.
Usually, red wines have a rich, bitter taste and are typically aged in oak barrels. We’d recommend red wine if you are a berry lover! Light-bodied red wine often invokes flavours of strawberries, raspberries, and cherries. While rich, fuller-bodied reds, are likely to give off tastes of blackberries, blueberries, and blackcurrants.
Red wine is also said to have more health benefits than white wine due to all of the healthy parts, such as tannins and resveratrol, being in the skin and seeds of the grapes. Popular red wines include pinot noir, merlot, shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon and are usually accompanied with meals.
For white wine, the skin is taken off the yellow or green grapes before the fermentation process begins. This is to help create the clear juice that offers the translucent/pale yellow colour of white wine.
White wines usually have dry, crisp tastes to them and are usually aged in stainless steel vats. Some white grape wines such as chardonnay however use oak ageing to oxidise the wine so it has a nutty, cream flavour.
If you enjoy a colder, sharper wine with citrus flavours, white wine is the one for you!
Other popular white wines include Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc and are usually drunk without food or at lighter meals. Although red wine is thought to be healthier for you, white wine has less sugar content than red wine.
Wine Tasting at Yorkshire Heart
At Yorkshire Heart, you can come along and try our very own Latimer red, white and rosé wines. Choose from either the classic tasting that includes a 50ml glass of red, white and rosé, 3 tasting dishes of your choice all for £11.95 per person or give our signature tasting a go. It includes 7 x 50ml glass of our Latimer, Winemakers and Eleanor signature collection subject to availability. Whilst complemented by 3 tasting dishes of your choice for £17.95 per person.
There are no time restrictions on the Cellar Door Tastings. So feel free to stay as long as you want and enjoy the vineyard.