Rossiters Vineyard

First things first, red wine is well…red, but why? It's color can be derived from a vast assortment of grape varietals ranging from grapes that are reddish, deep purple, and even a beautiful blue on the color scale. These grapes give rise to a wine that is color classified with such descriptors as garnet, almost black, dark red, light red, ruby red, opaque purple, deep violet, maroon and the list goes on.

It is the grapeskins that are responsible for the red wine’s distinct color spectrum. The skins are in contact with the grape’s juice during the fermentation process, allowing the dispersion of both color and tannins. The individual wine’s particular red hue depends on the grape type used in the process and the length of time the skin’s pigmentation is in contact with juice. There are right around 50 key red wine varietals that consistently manifest themselves in today’s worldwide wine market.

White wines actually cover a wide range of different tastes and colors. From clear white colors to golden yellows, dry, sweet or semi-sweet, they are the wines that are defined by their light color, body, and complex taste.

White wines are produced all over the world but the most famous are probably those made from the Chardonnay grape in France... you've probably tasted them in Champagnes, Chablis and white Burgundies from France but the Chardonnay grape is equally at home in New Zealand and California.

Other white grapes from France that have found root around the world are Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Voignier.

Rieslings from Germany produce quite a few stunning wines that are slowly regaining their rightful place at the tables of the world. The popularity of lower quality, sugary wines passing as rieslings have given these wines a reputation that they don't deserve. A fine Mosel, Rhine or Saar wine produced from the Riesling will erase any doubt about the quality of these white wines. Australian and American white wines made from Rieslings are also helping to reinstate the reputation of the grapes.