Color designation (also carmine red) for a red wine in the context of a wine evaluation or wine address. The name of the red grape variety Carmenère is probably derived from it. Carmine is an organic pigment of red color; the name is derived from the Arabic-Persian "kermes" for scarlet berry. To obtain the red dye, dried female cochineal scale insects are boiled in water with the addition of some sulfuric acid. The insects absorb the substance by sucking the juice from prickly pears (Opuntia).
Red shades: 1 = garnet, 2 = bordeaux, 3 = cardinal, 4 = carmine, 5 = scarlet, 6 = ruby, 7 = brick ziegelrot, 8 = cherry
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Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien