SHADES OF RED

A WALK THROUGH

THE RED SPECTRUM

Purple-red. Dark rose. Ruby. Crimson. Brick red. Garnet. Mahogany. Red

wine is a many-hued thing. So, what can a red wine’s color tell you? A great

deal, actually. Implicit in the various shades are lots of clues about the type,

quality, age and characteristics of the wine: what varietal it is; whether it’s

young and immature, in its prime or over the hill; and whether it’s a great

vintage or a lackluster one. Here, we’ll walk you through the basics of how to

judge a red by its color.

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