Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Level 1 Award In Wine Practice Exam

The color of red wines primarily comes from the skin of the grape. During the winemaking process, red grape varieties are fermented with their skins, allowing the pigments, specifically anthocyanins, present in the skin to be extracted into the juice. This process is what gives red wines their characteristic color, which can range from pale ruby to deep purple, depending on various factors such as the grape variety and the length of skin contact during fermentation. The pulp, which is the fleshy part of the grape, is typically colorless or very light in color, and does not contribute to the color of the wine. Seeds and stems also do not contribute to the wine's color; instead, they can influence the wine's tannins and structural components. Therefore, the correct identification of the skin as the source of red wine color highlights the importance of this part of the grape in the winemaking process.