G is for … Grapes

Here’s a question for you… what colour wine do you think comes from these grapes?

Did you say red?

White?

Or even rosé?

? Well, you’d be correct if you said any of these colours!

Just because the grape is red, this doesn’t mean it only makes red wine. In fact, the juice from all grapes is clear, so all grapes can make white wine.

But in order to be either a rosé or a red wine, the grape juice needs colour, and this colour actually comes from the skin of the grapes.

So, for example, you can’t make blush wine from the chardonnay grape as it’s a white grape – well green really, but these are called white grapes.

But from a red grape you can make red, white or rosé wines, depending on how long you leave the grape skin in contact with the juice, known as ‘must’.

A cabernet or a syrah grape would make a deeper colour much quicker than say a Pinot Gris or a cinsault grape, because of the darker skin colour ?

So the grape in the photo (Pinot Noir) you will find in Champagnes, reds and rosé wines across the world.

? A deceptive little ball of fun hey!