Red or White Wine?
Red vs. white wine, which one is better? Well, that’s not a great question because it is really about your personal taste and preferences. Which one do you like more?
Although red wine and white wine are similar in many ways, they are also quite different. Both wines are both made from the fermentation of grapes, but there are some key differences in the process that changes the way the wine looks, smells, feels, and tastes.
When fermenting red wine, winemakers leave the red grape skins on — this gives red wine its range of colors. White wine grapes are crushed into a clear grape juice, with their skins removed. Did you know that you can make white wine using red grapes? It’s true and can often be delicious!
The majority of white wines are matured in stainless steel tanks, red wine is typically aged in oak barrels. Chardonnay is also often aged in oak to some extent depending on the style of chardonnay the winemaker wants to produce. These porous vessels allow oxygen into the wine, smoothing out the acidity. So much of the flavor and aromas of red wines go back to the barrels they were aged in or to treatments that provide the same effect. This may not sound like much, but it also alters the texture of the wine — and becomes the defining difference in the drinking experience.
Red and white wine also pair better with different foods.
Food pairings can really make or break your opinion of a bottle of wine. It may be a great bottle of wine, but paired poorly and it will show poorly. This isn’t always the case, but it often explains why a person loved a glass of wine at a restaurant and then wasn’t a big fan of it while sipping a glass at home.
A great example is when you are eating spicy food. It is especially difficult to pair with wine — the spice coating your mouth can mask the wine’s subtle flavors and make it taste flat and boring. Fatty foods and meats such as hamburgers, ribs, pork chops, and lamb pair wonderfully with red wines.
The bottom line is that you should drink what you like, and be open to try new things! Cheers!
