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You can tell a lot about a wine just by looking at its colour – and not just whether it’s red or white. The depth of a wine’s colour can provide insights into its body and style, while the colour itself can offer clues about its age and the types of flavours it may offer.
Whether it’s the deep purple hues of a full-bodied red, the delicate blush of a rosé or an aged white wine’s golden glow – each wine shade can reveal hints of a wine’s origin, grape variety and how it was made. Of course, a wine’s colour is only one piece of the puzzle, with factors such as aroma and taste taking centre stage.
With a whole spectrum of wine colours to explore, we’ve looked at what each shade reveals.
What gives a wine its colour?
While it’s a common assumption that wine gets its colour solely from the grapes used – red wines from red grapes and white wines from white grapes – the truth is a tad more complex. Surprisingly, several white wines are actually made from red grapes – a notable example is Champagne, which is often made from the red Pinot Noir grape.
The winemaking process plays a central role in determining a wine’s colour. This is because the juice and pulp of wine grapes – regardless of the grape’s skin colour – are typically colourless.
The colour of wine stems primarily from pigments found in the grape skins. For red wines, winemakers leave the skins to steep in the juice, imparting colour and enriching the wine with flavours and tannins.
In the case of rosé wines, grape skins are briefly soaked with the juice, enough to lend a pleasant pink hue.
For white wines, winemakers promptly separate the grape juice from the skins after pressing, preventing colour extraction. Whether using red or white grapes, this method produces a broad palette of white wines.
What else can affect a wine’s colour?
Apart from skin contact, several other factors influence the colour of wine:
Grape variety: Different grape varieties have different skin colours and thicknesses, which can influence the colour of the wine.
Climate: Grapes grown in warmer climates tend to develop thicker and darker skins as a defence against the sun and heat. These grapes often produce wines with deeper colours.
Age: As wines age, their colours can change. This results from changes due to oxygen exposure and the breakdown of some pigments, which often occur during barrel ageing. Whites tend to darken, often becoming golden or amber, while reds lighten, developing brick or tawny hues.
Winemaking techniques: Practices such as oak ageing, adding specific yeasts or different fermentation methods can also alter a wine’s colour.
How to check the colour of wine
Sometimes, getting an accurate view of a wine’s colour can be tricky, especially if a room’s lighting is poor.
One approach is to use a plain white sheet of paper, along with access to natural light, to help get an accurate reading. Hold the white sheet of paper behind the glass in natural light. Slightly tilt the glass towards the paper so the wine spreads up the side of the glass, giving a clearer picture of its actual colour.
Red wine colours
The colour of red wine varies depending on the grape and how it was made. The three most commonly used words to describe red wine colours are ruby, purple and garnet.
Ruby
This is generally the lightest category and leans towards a magenta hue. The body and tannins can vary with the grape type, but ruby red wines are typically smooth, lighter on the palate and have bright, medium-level acidity.
Pinot Noir wines are often a light ruby shade, while Grenache Syrah Mourvedre (GSM) blends and Tempranillo-based-wines, for example, tend to have medium ruby hues. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon produce the deepest ruby colours.
Garnet
These wines have deep, autumnal colours reminiscent of red brick. They typically feature high acidity, noteworthy tannins, and medium to full bodies.
There are also a variety of garnet shades. The Nebbiolo red wines of Italy’s Piedmont region are some of the lightest, while Sangiovese reds (like Chianti) are some of the deepest. After light oak barrel ageing, Sangiovese’s natural colour deepens.
Purple
Purple wines are characterised by their deep, almost opaque colour. Wines such as Malbec, Shiraz and Petite Sirah fall into this group, often showcasing full bodied, velvety tannins, and complex, robust flavours. Other examples of dark-hued red wines include Tannat, known for its intense, almost black colour and robust tannins, and Malbec – particularly those from Argentina – which are often a deep, inky purple colour.
Shop our selection of premium red wines from across the world.
White wine colours
White wines are also available in various shades, which can give insights into their body and style.
Green-tinged
The lightest shade of white wines is often seen in younger, fresher wines. Varieties such as Sauvignon Blanc or Vinho Verde often have a subtle green hue. These light-bodied wines typically exhibit crisp acidity and fresh, fruity and sometimes herbaceous flavours. It can signify a very young wine that has yet to have fully developed flavours.
Read our guide to Vinho Verde wine.
Straw or pale yellow
This colour represents a broad range of white wines. Varieties such as Pinot Grigio, Albariño and unoaked Chardonnays often fall into this category. Straw-coloured wines generally offer a balance of refreshing acidity and fruit-forward flavours.
Deep yellow/golden
This deeper hue is common in fuller-bodied, more mature, or oak-aged white wines. Varieties such as oak-aged Chardonnay, Sémillon or Viognier often have this colour. They feature rich, complex flavours, including fruit, spice and sometimes creamy or buttery notes.
Amber
This is the darkest category for white wines and is usually the result of extended ageing or winemaking techniques such as skin contact, which is used for orange wines. Much like red wines, orange wines are made by fermenting white grapes with their skins. This gives the wines their unique ‘orange’ colour, hence the name.
Amber wines such as aged Chenin Blanc, Marsanne or skin-contact Pinot Grigio are typically full-bodied and complex, with flavours ranging from ripe fruit to honey, nut and spice.
Read our guide to the 8 popular types of white wine.
Rosé wine colours
Rosé wine comes in a range of delicious shades of pink – and this colour change depends on how long the grape skins stay in contact with the juice while it ferments.
Rosé wines typically fall into the following categories:
Pale pink
This is the lightest shade of rosé wines, sometimes described as ‘onion skin’ or ‘salmon’ colour. These rosé wines, such as those from Provence in France or Pinot Noir rosés, are typically delicate, crisp and dry, with subtle flavours of red fruit, citrus and melon.
Medium pink
This shade is seen in rosé wines that have had more contact with the grape skins during winemaking. Grenache or Sangiovese rosés often have a medium pink shade. These wines typically have vibrant red fruit flavours, balanced acidity and a bit more body.
Dark pink/cherry
This is the darkest shade of rosé, almost a light red wine. Varieties such as Syrah or Mourvèdre often produce rosé wines of this colour. Dark pink rosés typically offer pronounced red and dark fruit flavours, more body and sometimes tannins that give the wine structure.
Explore our collection of red, white and rosé wine to find your perfect match.
About the author
Chris Larkin
A seasoned copywriter with over two decades experience, Chris has been part of the team since 2021. At Laithwaites HQ, you’ll find him either working on our latest catalogue or creating informative content for our website. Qualified to WSET Level 3 Wine, Chris is as geeky about wine as he is about copywriting. But when it comes to choosing a special bottle, he is a traditionalist, and loves a good Bordeaux or Mâcon Chardonnay.
