- Red wines and white wines are made in slightly different ways. Red wines are always made with black grapes, while white wines can be made with black or white grapes. When red wines are fermented, the skin and pieces of the stem are left with the juice to ferment, giving the wine its color and flavor. With white wines, most or all of the stems and skin are removed before the wine ferments.
- Red and white wines taste different. Tannins from the stems, seeds and skins soak into the red wine, giving it a woody, puckery feeling that white wine doesn't have. Red wine also has a stronger and more complex flavor than white wine. Both red and white wine can be sweet or dry.
- White wine is preferred with lighter, more delicate flavors. People usually drink white wine with fish, pork or chicken, or anything with a delicate flavor that a red could overwhelm. Red wine is usually eaten with heavier, more strongly flavored meals. It goes well with beef, spicy foods and meals with red sauces. In a meal where different wines are served, you usually start with lightly flavored dishes and white wine and move on to more strongly favored food paired with red wine.
