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Red, white and rosé
The difference is skin contact, not grape colour — which is less obvious than it sounds.
The short answer
Red wine is fermented with the grape skins, which is where its colour and tannin come from. White wine is pressed off the skins first. Rosé gets brief skin contact — hours rather than days — so it takes colour without taking much tannin.
Overview
Almost all grape juice is pale, whatever colour the skin is. Colour comes from the skins, and only if the juice is left in contact with them.
Red wine ferments with the skins present. That gives colour and tannin — the drying, grippy sensation red wine has and white wine does not.
White wine is pressed off the skins before fermenting. It can be made from black grapes: white Champagne is often made from Pinot Noir.
Rosé has brief skin contact — a few hours — then the skins are removed. It is not red and white wine mixed together, which is actually prohibited for still wine in the EU.
Orange wine is the fourth option, and the one people find surprising: white grapes fermented with their skins, like a red. It comes out amber and has real tannin.
Where you can see it
- Same grape, no skins
- Champagne is mostly made from black grapes, and it is pale because the juice is taken off the skins immediately. Grape juice is nearly colourless whatever the skin colour.
- Skins on a white grape
- Orange wine is white grapes fermented on their skins. It picks up colour and real tannin, which is why it behaves at the table more like a light red than a white.
Sources
Sources consulted
- WSET educational materials and the Systematic Approach to Tasting — Wine & Spirit Education Trust