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152 Wines&Vines January 2015 winemaking wine eaST R ich. Full-bodied. Intense, even dark and brooding. All are wine descriptions to make a red wine producer swoon. Un- fortunately, winemakers struggling with tough growing years or hybrid grapes are more likely to hear descriptors like thin, light and weak palate—hardly traits to make consumers sit up and take notice. The problem? The quality and concentra- tion of phenolic compounds (the pigments and polymers that impact the color, texture and structure of red wines). Whether caused by cultivar or climate, the challenges of low color, poor color stability and inadequate tannins are top concerns for the production of high-quality red wines. Color Concerns about color generally fall into one of three categories. Con- sumers and critics are harder on wines with faults that are visually obvi- ous: namely, wines with low color intensity or hues that don't seem "typical" for a particular red varietal. Consumers are arguably less cognizant of the issues of color stability, but wine producers know that the darkest youthful blush can fade to a sickly orange in maturity if strong color complexes aren't formed early. "Good" wine color is nothing to blink at; though wine pigments contribute little taste or smell, con- KEY POINTs Because consumer preference for a wine has been correlated with its color, winemakers are concerned about how to achieve and stabilize the desired color in wine. the science of polymeric pigment formation is unclear, but the compounds providing red wine color vary by cultivar, region and processing method. tannin concentration is impacted by cultivar and the timing of tannin additions—especially with hybrid grapes. A Few Truths About Phenolics How To enHAnCe Color And TAnnins in CHAllenging environmenTs By Anna Katharine Mansfield Corot Noir lees (above) were collected after the completion of malolactic fermentation. The lees were freeze dried and analyzed for condensed tannin.