Red vs white wine: what's the difference
Both are made from grapes; the difference comes from the skins. Red wine ferments together with them, white wine without them, and that shapes colour, astringency and serving temperature.
| 🍷 Red wine | 🍷 White wine | |
|---|---|---|
| Grapes | Dark varieties; colour and tannins come from the skins | White or dark varieties: the juice of almost all grapes is colourless |
| How it is made | Juice ferments with the skins; pressing comes after fermentation | Grapes are pressed at once; only the juice ferments |
| Phenolic compounds | About 10 times more than in white wine | Low; tannins barely noticeable |
| Serving temperature | 15–18 °C | 4–10 °C |
| SO₂ in dry wine (EU) | Up to 150 mg/l | Up to 200 mg/l |
Which to choose
Red is more astringent and fuller, served slightly cool and usually chosen for meat and hearty dishes. White is fresher with hardly any tannin, served cold with fish, seafood and light starters. As for sulphites, EU law actually allows white wine more than red.
Sources
Themes
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