Moxie Vino

Red vs white wine: what's the difference?

Red wine is made with dark grapes fermented with their skins, which gives it color, deeper fruit flavor and tannin, while white wine is usually made from pressed juice alone and tastes lighter and crisper, so pick red for hearty food and cool nights and white for seafood, salads and warm days.

Red wine
White wine

The color comes from the skins, not the juice. Almost all grape juice is clear; leave the dark skins in during fermentation and you get red, take them out and you get white. That one step also explains most of the taste difference.

Side by side

Red wineWhite wine
GrapesDark-skinned grapesMostly green-skinned grapes
How it is madeJuice ferments with the skinsGrapes are pressed and the skins removed first
Tastes likeCherry, berry, plum, sometimes spice or earthCitrus, apple, pear, tropical fruit
TanninSome to a lot. Tannin is the drying feeling from the skinsAlmost none
Serve atCool room temperature, around 60–65°FFridge-cold, around 45–50°F
Best withRed meat, pasta with red sauce, pizza, burgersFish, chicken, salads, shellfish, spicy food

When to pick Red wine

Pick red when the food is rich or meaty, or you want something warming to sip.

  • Meiomi Pinot Noir

    about $22

    Pinot NoirGood buy

    Smooth and fruity. A friendly first red for anyone who usually drinks white.

  • Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon

    about $15

    Cabernet SauvignonGood buy

    Big and ripe without being harsh. The default steak-night bottle.

When to pick White wine

Pick white when it is hot out, the food is light, or you want something crisp and cold.

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Last checked 2026-10-04.