Does The Color of a Wine Have a Huge Impact on Quality or Age?

Does The Color of a Wine Have a Huge Impact on Quality or Age? – Episode #290

August 9, 2007

A fantastic website I often visit did an interesting article on the color of wine that has gotten a lot of attention on the web so I am here to address it!

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Comments on this episode(182) Leave a comment ›

“Great episode. I love it when you say, “This smells like a 3-year-old…” by Phredd
“One heck of an educationa on colors….but brownish tint means the win…” by Adrian aka AnGkEr
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Wines tasted in this episode:

2005 Domaine Barat Chablis FourneauxChablis
2004 Cascina Morassino Langhe NebbioloNebbiolo d’Alba
2005 Clayhouse Syrah Paso RoblesOther California Syrah/Shiraz
1981 Lopez De Heredia Bosconia Gran ReservaRioja
1996 Clarendon Hills SyrahAustralian Shiraz/Syrah

Links mentioned in todays episode.

182 Responses

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August 9, 2007

OttawaB
Another good episode GV. I really love the Clarendon Hills selection of wines. My favourite Aussie wines. A bit pricey but worth the dough.
I’m not sure I would put them into the fruit bomb category of many other Aussie wines. The winemaker states that he tries to imitate the Rhone Valley style of wines, although I do think there is more fruit on the palate then Rhone wines.
August 9, 2007

Darlene O.
Gary, loved the episode!!! Wonderful! Extremely educational and, as always, awesomely entertaining! QOD: Green. It’s the color of life.
August 9, 2007

Bernie Bearnaise
First of all I would like to be Josh’s agent. He made Gary look so old….and profound.

The red wines get their character, color, and tannins from skin contact. Certain grapes give great color like Petit Verdot and the dark tones of Malbec. Sauternes have a tawny color with age. It is an interesting sidebar to talk about but does not determine taste IMO. The popularity of blush wines was caused by a by-product of Zinfandel runoff that became the rage due to its pleasing pink color. Rose’s have been bashed for years as a wine for newbs but have made somewhat of a comeback recently. We are the victims of stereotypes. Pink champagne is more expensive and more difficult to produce than the blonde type and has its own cachet. I must say to each his own. There has to be some flavor somewhere to match the visual display.

Another golden nugget in this episode was the fact that the ‘96 Clarendon Hills improved with age and displayed charisma. Gary got there first again and now we know what’s real….

True Blue as in deep cosmic blue light special.
August 9, 2007

RieslingRon
QOTD: Orange……….
August 9, 2007

Gree
Gar, Love the show good luck on the sliders

G
August 9, 2007

Dominus
Great show, awaiting my Naked Chards for the weekend.

QOTD: Colts Blue, duhhhhh

Cheers!
August 9, 2007

Hans
QOTD: blue.
August 9, 2007

Ryan
QOTD: Navy
August 9, 2007

Bossman
As the bevy of doctors huddled over me at Manhattan Eye, Ear Nose and Throat as a 5yr old can atest I am utterly and completely colorblind, I also have one abnormally large iris (and you know what they say about large irides). I also have a difficult time getting anything but grape from the nose of wine.

Do you think that’s what the wife mean when she says I have no sense?

Thank goodness, my taste buds work reasonably well (but really what is there to compare it to? – does my definition of “lemon” equal yours?).

Ashtray, huh? Small favors.

I beg to differ, the world is black and white (to some of us anyway).

QOTD: Black………….. or white……… definitely one of the two.

My QOTD to you: are you sure about the number? By my count it’s 4918.
August 9, 2007

Rob in Indy
Too bad you didn’t have a sack of sliders to go w/ that ‘75. It would have been interesting to see if the wine got better with the food or the food got better with the wine… Good show.. Can’t wait to get a bottle of the Clarendon Hills Syrah. Great show as always. GO COLTS!!
August 9, 2007

JonE
THis weekedn I am going to drink the 95′ Lopez de Heredia Rose Rioja. Its a pure shiny copper now, and I’m sure a little sherry like.

QOTD:I’m blue, in my head and my heart. Thanks a lot George.
August 9, 2007

Matty Van - Tampa,FL
wether I like it or not…hmm its a good thing I like it

QOD – purple
August 9, 2007

SteveW
TOP 65 – WOW
Color is overrated!
QOTD: Blue (GO SEAHAWKS)
August 9, 2007

Jennifer
QOTD: Blue
August 9, 2007

EvilHomer
QOTD: Purple…..I ham so excited…I am 3 bottles of the Clarendon HIlls 1996 in my cellar…think I might pop one tonight.

Keep up the AWESOME work Gary!!!
August 9, 2007

GregO
That’s a great video Dave! I think little Josh Canada is ready to join our wine tasting group!

I think colour is worth noting but shouldn’t be used for anything of any significance like scoring.
August 9, 2007

half century
Very educational. I can’t wait for the ‘SOUND OF WINE’ Episode!

QOTD; The clear blue-green water between Tortola and Jost Van Dyke
August 9, 2007

mas
Great episode Gary – thanks for the Clarendon and Morassino reviews – have to seek those out for sure.

QOTD: Blue
August 9, 2007

wine lush
Gary, How can you compare a 1981 Gran Reserva against a 2004 Nebbiolo d’Alba? They are completely different grapes that age differently.

Also a California Shiraz and an Australian Shiraz have different styles of vinification and production.

In order to prove wrong or right on your test. You will need to compare a 20 year span of the same wine from the same producer from the same region from the same grape.

I appreciate your test, but 100% Nebbiolo ages completely different than Grenache/Tempranillo/Graciano/Mazuelo blends of Rioja. Nebbiolo d’Alba typically goes through 10-12 months of oak aging, whereas a Grand Reserva from Rioja requires 5 years of aging and a minimum of 2 years on oak and 3 in bottle, though most producers age them for much longer than that. I don’t mean to nerd it up, but I just don’t see how those two could be compared for colour purposes.
August 9, 2007

KenP
Jimkay, above, is exactly correct. Polymerization of pigments occur with wines over time. Sometimes the process results in deposits in the last glass of an older wine. Might be interesting to do an episode with the last pour rather than the first. Deposits in unfined and unfiltered wines, as well as pigment, might make for instructive viewing.
Brick red is the signature of a declining wine, of course.
I think it was the sommelier from Windows on the World, the restaurant destroyed in 9/11, who once said, and I paraphrase, ‘a red wine is ready when you can read the menu through the glass.’ The problem is the modern preference for black, opaque wines, parkerized, to be sure. The prevalence of such manipulated wines has obscured a drinker’s ability to understand the meaning of color.

My 2 cents.
August 9, 2007

Brandice
QotD: green, also.
August 9, 2007

Ken B.
Gary,

Great intro; what a cute kid. Great show Gary V.

QOTD: CAROLINA BLUE baby!
August 9, 2007

Julie
QOTD: Green… all the varied hues. The color of new growth and,of course, the color of money. That was a good movie too, IMO.
August 9, 2007

Roo
Great intro + great info = great show. Awesome job Gary.

QOTD: It varies. Right now, a deep rich red.
August 9, 2007

Jen Loves Wine
Hey Gary. Thanks for bring the thunder, Josh. Very nice handling of the glass — I can see you’ve had some experience. Fruit juice to wine … how big of a leap is it really? Great show – interesting topic and a nice selection of wines. It’s nice to hear the shiraz will age nicely (or at least that this test confirms it will age nicely).

QOTD: Silver blue or gray blue.