Some people have tried both red and the white wines many times and still they feel that there is no difference between the two, apart from one obvious difference, their color.

But if you can feel the difference between a cup of coffee and a cup of tea or between cola and lemon-lime soda, then you should also be able to realize the difference between these two wines. Just as coffee is a heavier beverage and tea is a bit lighter, same way red wine is “heavier” than white wine. White wines are usually crisper, lighter and have a fruitier flavor. The red wines are less sweet.

The difference between red and the white wines is the kinds of grapes that are used in preparing them, their fermentation process, their aging process and the character & the flavor of the wines.

Preparation Of White Wines

It is usually made from white grapes, but black grapes can also be used because their juice is as clear as the white grapes. Before putting the grapes in the crushing machine, the skin of the grapes is removed.
Next comes the fermentation process during which yeast is added to the juice, until the juice becomes white wine.
After filtering etc., then comes the aging process. Storing it in stainless steel or sometimes-oak containers ages the wine. It is bottled after a few months.

White wines are hence essentially fermented grape juices, made without the skins or seeds of the grapes. These wines are either sweet or dry or somewhere in between. They contain crisp fruit flavors and aromas. Some of the white wines include Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio/ Pinot Gris, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc.

Preparation Of Red Wines

The process of preparing a red wine differs from that of a white wine.

Red or black grapes are used in making a red wine.
In the preparation of a red wine, the skins of the grapes are not removed.
After the grapes are crushed, they undergo the fermentation process for about one to two weeks. During, the fermentation process, the skins of the grapes often come up on the surface and form a layer. This layer is time and again dissolved back into the fermenting juice.
After the fermentation, a little “free run” juice is poured into the wine taken out from the vat.
The wine is then filtered and stored in oak containers for several months. Only then does it get ready to be bottled up.
The purpose of using oak containers is to intensify the wine and to make it richer. An oak container adds additional wood tannins and flavors to the wine.

It is because of this reason that red wines contain rich flavors with spicy, herby and even meaty characteristics. Some of the red wines include Beaujolais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, Merlot, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel.

It is the amount of tannins that mainly distinguish the two wines. Tannins usually come from the skins of the grapes. Hence, red wines contain more of tannins as in their preparation the skins of the grapes are not separated. Tannins not only add a bitter taste to the wine but also help in preserving the wine. It is because of this reason that red wines last longer than the white ones.

So it's not only the colors of these two wines that distinguish one from the other. Next time when you enjoy these wines, try to realize the differences between them.