Red Wine 101 Guide

This story originally appeared in Drizly. Jammy, fruity, earthy, bold…these are some common words associated with red wine. There are hundreds and hundreds of different varieties of red wines, each one different from the next. Not all red wines are alike and there is a style for every palate. You may say that you do not like red wine, but perhaps you have not had the right one yet. So, let's go over some basics of red wine and perhaps help you find one you will like.   How Is Red Wine Made? Red wines get their color from the grape skins. White wine can be made from either red or white grapes but red wine cannot be made from white-skinned grapes.  The juice of all grapes is clear. The color comes from the skins. Once the grapes are picked, they are fermented with their skins. This means that the yeast is added to the grapes and the sugar in the grapes is converted to alcohol. As the process takes place, the juice leaches color from the skins. The longer the juice spends with the skins, the darker the color of the wine. Red wines are typically fermented at a warmer temperature than white wines.