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Understanding why Red Wine is Red
from: Maxx Guide To WineWine is extremely popular throughout the world, playing an important role in many cultures as well as during special events, rituals, celebrations along with casual fun.
Of course, there are many varieties of wine, but most varieties fall into two classes -- white wine or red wine.
Most wines are made from grape juice which is fermented to produce alcohol. Grape juice used for white wine is usually clear in color.
Red wine is made using the same grape juice, but the difference is that with red wines, there's the presence of the grape skins during fermentation. The pigments in the skin makes the wine red, even purple, in color. Also note, red wine is most often produced from red or black grapes.
Now you're probably wondering how red wine is colored? This process of coloring is called maceration which is what occurs during the fermentation of alcoholic beverages. Maceration isn't limited to wines, however. The beverage piolunowka, for instance, uses maceration.
Red or black grapes are first crushed and then the skins are steeped in the grape juice for days and sometimes even weeks, a process done before, during or after fermentation. During this stage, the skins come in close contact with the extract, which determines the color, flavor, tannin content and aroma of the wine being produced.
There are three different types of maceration. Carbonic maceration involves fermenting whole clusters of unbroken grapes in an environment saturated with carbon dioxide. This abundance of carbon dioxide prevents or inhibits fermentation. Carbonic maceration increases the fruity flavor of the wine.
Cold maceration is a period of time used to take out the color and flavor before beginning the fermentation process. The length of time can be increased by chilling the macerating fruit but not freezing it.
The final type of maceration is extended maceration. This technique involves keeping the wine in contact with grape skins, even after fermentation is completed, which result in a dark, sharp tasting red wine.
Red wine certainly tastes good to many people, but it's also a healthy beverage. If you indulge in a glass of red wine each day you'll actually lower the risk of heart attack. Red wine can also raise the levels of HDL -- good cholesterol -- while preventing LDL -- bad cholesterol -- from developing.
In addtion, red wine also contains antioxidants which help prevent blood clots in the arteries.
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