Designation for a wine made from dark (blue to black) grape varieties. Red wine has a higher proportion of phenols such as resveratrol and a lower proportion of acids than white wine. The colour comes from the anthocyanins contained mainly in the skins of dark grapes (i.e. not in the pulp). After destemming (removal of the grape skins) and light crushing, classic mash fermentation is usually carried out in combination with a correspondingly long maceration period. Fermentation together with the skins and pulp extracts the colouring agents and tannins from the berry skins and seeds. Alternative or supplementary processes include autovinification, carbonic maceration (carbonic acid mixing), mash heating, rotofermentation and pumping over.
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