It is not known at what point in history it came to be called
white wine
but, as any observer can appreciate, the denomination of “white” does not coincide exactly with its true color. In reality, white wines present rather pale and yellowish tones, ranging from golden and amber to straw-colored or almost transparent, sometimes accompanied by greenish hues.
In fact, the characteristic color of white wine has its origin in the little or no contact of the must with the grape skins during the fermentation process. It is these skins that provide the pigmentation to the wines, and excluding them from the fermentation process causes the wine to acquire a light tone.
Another curious fact that common consumers often do not know is that white wine can be made not only with white grapes, but also with red grapes. The reason is what we have explained above, as it is the skins of the grapes that provide the pigment to the wine, if they are not put in contact with the must, the must, regardless of the grape variety, does not acquire dark tones.
The truth is that, although this is the case, in practice almost no white wines made from red grapes are marketed. This peculiar type of white wine is known as Blanc de Noirs, a French expression that means “White of Black”.
Normally, white wines darken as they age. With the passage of time, whites tend to show more intense yellows, golden, gold and even amber colors. Therefore, the paleness in the color of these wines informs us that it is a young wine, and also possibly bottled quickly and without aging(lees, wood barrels, etc.). Aging causes the wine to acquire a darker and more intense tone.
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