Red wines vary depending on their density and astringency, although most are designed to have a dry taste.
Another fundamental characteristic is its age, while white wines are generally young wines, red wines tend to improve with age and age for tens of years, gradually improving quality. There are, however, red wines made to be consumed young as well as rosés where the predominant note is sweetness.
Young red wines are light and fruity and come from varieties such as Garnacha, Mencía, Gamay, Cavernet Franc and, in general, any variety with low tannins (responsible for aging in reds).
In an intermediate section are the so-called medium-bodied red wines or wines for aging, which can age well and sometimes have very good quality. Most of the red wines are found in this section.
At the other extreme are concentrated and intense wines that are tannic wines with a powerful bouquet (aroma) and that age very well.
As can be seen, another of the fundamental characteristics of red wines is their great variability depending on any productive element: winemaking, region, climate and age. For example, the same variety produced in the Mediterranean and especially in Italy produces sweet wines while the American ones are dry; a variety classified as medium-bodied can become intense in the following year’s harvest.
