A wine's color reveals grape, age, style and condition. Reds shift from purple in youth toward garnet and brick with age; whites deepen from pale lemon to gold and amber. Color intensity reflects grape variety, extraction and concentration. Browning in a young wine can signal oxidation, while unexpected paleness or darkness offers clues before the first sniff. Color is the first step of formal tasting.
WHY IT MATTERS FOR COLLECTORS
Tilting the glass against white shows the rim's color, a reliable age indicator: a wide, brick-orange rim suggests maturity, a vivid purple core suggests youth. Premature browning warns of oxidation or poor storage.
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