Clarity, color depth and color of the wine

The appearance of a wine can say a lot about its grape variety, origin, maturity and condition. A distinction is made between the assessment of the appearance of clarity, color and tint.

Clarity

If you hold a wine glass against a light source or against a bright white surface, you see the clarity. The spectrum ranges from crystal clear on clean up to clear tarnished wines. Turbidity (a distinction of suspended custodian that settles over time) is always a sign of faulty quality or overripe.

Color Depth

The color depth is the best judge, if you hold the glass at an angle against a white surface (table cloth) and look at the rim. Both white and red wines with good color density may be indicative of full-bodied and deep wine. The color also depends on the variety. Thus, a Pinot Noir is deep in color as less than a Syrah , Cabernet Sauvignon and Dornfelder .

For white wines, the color depth with increasing maturity rather, it decreases in red wines, however - unless it already occurs oxidation one, the color depth is increased again ..

Shade

This can be judged from the above color chart. Is can be noted, however, vary depending on screen settings and set the color depth display from screen to screen. It is really only intended as a rough guide.

The color is an indication of grape variety, origin and maturity. Copper and brown tones on the edge of the glass are an indication of incipient maturity and indicate the center point of the glass to over-ripeness. A brown wine is already dead for sure

Purple, however, is usually a clear sign of young wines, but also a feature of some varieties (eg Gamay or Portuguese ).

Amber and gold tones are deep in dry white wines, especially wines with noble rot (botrytis).

Utz Graafmann