RED WINE AND WHITE WINE | What is the Difference and Which is Best for Beginners?

Red wine and white wine. Other than the color, what's the difference? It may seem easy, but there's more to the story than you think. Today we're talking about the differences between red wine and white wine. Coming up. So in today's video we're going to go over the seven main differences between red wine and white wine. And if you stick around until the end, we'll give you our recommendations on which wine you should start with first as a beginner. So let's get into it. So the first main difference between red and white wine is that it's made differently. White wine is made from the grape juice only, where red wine is made from the grape juice, but it's also soaked with the skins, seeds, and stems. So in case you don't know, almost all grape juice comes out as white grape juice. Now when you're making white wine, it just uses that white grape juice. However, when you're making red wine, you take that white grape juice and you soak it with the grape skins, seeds, and stems. And that's actually how red wine gets its color too, because it draws that color out from the grape skins. So the second main difference between red wine and white wine is that they're made from different grapes. Red wine is typically made from red grapes. Popular grapes include Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. Now white wine is typically made from white grapes or green colored grapes. Popular green colored grapes include Chardonnay, Riesling, and Sauvignon Blanc. So the third main difference between red wine and white wine are tannins. Red wine has tannins. White wine does not have tannins. So what exactly are tannins? Tannins are chemical compounds found in plants. These compounds like to bind to various proteins. Tannins are found in the grape seeds, stems, and skins, not the grape juice. Not only are tannins found in wine, but they're also found in other foods and drinks such as tea, apples, and dark chocolate. Now just like Olivia said, tannins are found in the grape skins, seeds, and stems, not the grape juice. So this is why, like we mentioned earlier, tannins are found within red wine. Because the grape juice is soaked with the grape skins, seeds, and stems. So it helps to draw the tannins out of those elements into the wine. White wine doesn't have that chance. So again, tannins are just found in red wine, not white wine. Also, if you want to learn more about tannins because they're a really important part of red wine, check out our previous video up above. Go learn about them. The fourth main difference between red wine and white wine are their differences in taste. So with white wine, you'll often find more fruity, floral tastes within them. Now in our opinion, there are often more sweet options with white wine. Also, with dry white wine, we don't find them quite as dry as say red wine because there aren't any tannins within them so that you don't get that tannic taste to the wine. Because of this, we often find that white wines are much more appealing to beginner wine drinkers. Now red wines are known for their more full, bold, and dry flavors. Now hold on just a moment. If you like what you see so far, consider subscribing. We post weekly wine tips and tricks for any level of wino to learn more about the world of wine. Don't forget to like this video and hit that notification bell so you can get notified every time we upload new content. The fifth main difference between red wine and white wine is the alcohol content. Now white wine typically has less alcohol than red wine. In our experience, we've seen alcohol contents between 5% and 13%. Now red wine is often much more alcoholic. Again, in our experience, we typically see red wine ranging between 11% all the way up to around 19% alcohol. The sixth main difference between red wine and white wine are the foods that pair with it. Red wine typically goes with red meats and foods that have more full flavors. And white wine goes more with white meat or lighter flavored dishes. Now if you're looking to learn more about the best foods to pair with either red wine or white wine, check out our food and wine pairing playlist up above. Or if you're looking to pair a specific wine with food, check out our beginner wine guide up above. Now the seventh main difference between red wine and white wine is that red wine may be healthier for you than white wine. Now let's start with a disclaimer. So Olivia and I are both health care professionals and we are in no way advocating that you specifically drink either red wine or white wine for your health. Yes, red wine may be healthier than other alcoholic options, but still we do not recommend drinking it for your health specifically. According to Mayo Clinic, drinking red wine in moderation contains antioxidants called polyphenols which increase levels of high density lipoprotein, HDL cholesterol, also known as the good cholesterol, and protect against cholesterol buildup. This can prevent coronary artery disease, which is a main cause in heart attacks. Now drinking too much red wine can be harmful on your health. However, if you just have an occasional glass of red wine with dinners, it may be good for your heart. Now we've also heard that you can get these same effects from just drinking regular grape juice. But who doesn't like a little fermentation? So why is red wine supposedly better for you than white wine? So resveratrol is an antioxidant or polyphenol found in the grape seeds, stems, and skins of red grapes. Because the skin, seeds, and stems are soaked and fermented during the process of red winemaking, the benefits are higher because the grape skins are soaked longer in the red winemaking process than in the white winemaking process. So based on the seven differences between red wine and white wine, what are our recommendations for a beginner wine drinker? So in our experience we would recommend that beginner wine drinkers begin with white wine and then transition to red wines. Our reasoning behind this is is that most white wines have less intense flavors to them. Also white wines have softer flavors to them as compared to red wines because of their lack of tannins within them. So we consider them less dry as compared to red wines. Now if you're looking for the best types of white wine to try as a beginner, check out our previous video up above. We go over various different types of white wine that you can try so hopefully you can find the type to enjoy for yourself. Now those are the main differences between white wine and red wine. Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below. And don't forget to like this video and subscribe to our YouTube channel if you like what you see. We'll see you in our next video. Cheers!