Have you ever peeled a grape? Probably not. For some reason I used to peel them when I was a kid. Wierd, I know. If you had, you would know that almost all grapes are white (or green) on the inside, not red. So where does wine get its color? It all comes from the skin. The amount of time the skin is left with the juice will determine how much color the juice absorbs from the it. This makes red grapes very versatile; winemakers are able to make clear, pink and red wines from just about any red grape. Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are both red grapes used in making Blanc de Noir sparkling wines by removing the skins immediately after the juice is pressed. Rose's are pink wines that are made from any of a number of red grapes, such as, syrah, sangiovese, zinfandel, and pinot noir. Rose's are typically made by the saignee method which means that the juice from the wine is kept with the skin until right before fermentation, and then some of the juice is removed to make the remaining juice more concentrated. The juice that was removed becomes the Rose. As far as red wines from red grapes go, I think you all have examples of that covered.
There are a few grapes that have red flesh on the inside, none of which are commonly used by themselves (as varietal wines) in winemaking. Alicante Bouschet is probably the most well-known red fleshed grape (not among anyone I know, but among oenologists). It was very popular during prohibition because its dark color and robust nature allowed bootleggers to stretch the juice a lot further by adding water and sugar. It is now illegal to add sugar to wine in California, limiting its popularity here. Without sugar, the wines that are made from Alicante by itself are usually harsh and bland in flavor, but in blending with other grapes it can add structure. It is still used for blending in southern France and the central valley of California. Spain is one of the only countries still making it into wine on its own.
In any event, there's nothing special about red wines made from red fleshed grapes. White fleshed ones are tastier!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
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