Red, White, and "Blue" Wines

The Fourth of July is quickly approaching! 

At HaloVino, we suggest red and white wines all year long on our  wine blog. But what about blue wines? While truly "blue" wines do exist, there are some “red” wines that can appear blue, or rather violet with hints of blue at the edges. 

Read through some of our favorite "blue" wines on our wine blog — just don’t forget to order the right wine glasses! Our  HaloVino plastic wine tumblers are reusable and recyclable, giving you the perfect set of glasses to use outside at any event or party. Order today and find the perfect glass to help share your “blue” wine with friends and family. 

Red, White, and "Blue" Wines

Nothing says Fourth of July quite like red, white, and blue. That’s why our wine blog is here to help you complete your patriotic spread with a deep "blue" wine for a complete red, white, and blue color scheme.

But how do we get "blue" wine without dying it blue? 

First, we have to understand the basics behind wine science. Wine color primarily comes from the skin of grapes. Most grape varietals have both red and blue color molecules, also known as anthocyanins, but the red pigment, or malvin, is often in much greater proportion, making most red wines “red” and sometimes “purple” (red+blue= purple). 

The trick to finding a “bluer” wine is to find grape varietals that have larger proportion of blue pigment to red pigment, leaving you with “red” wine that looks blue or violet. 

Certain factors can influence the color of the grapes, including the type of grape, the climate and the age of the wine. For instance, an older wine will never have blueish hints and certain grapes naturally have more malvin than others. Some anthocyanins make grapes look bluer but the must, or grape juice, lose their bluish color when they are freed into the acidic environment to create wine. Factors like a low pH, typical of colder climates, enhances the red color while high pH, typical of warmer climates, enhances the purple color. The “blueness” can also increase with the number of free hydroxyl groups while redness increases with the degree of methylation. These are a lot of big fancy-sounding rules, but let me break it down for you - it’s kind of difficult to find a “blue” or violet wine, but they do exist! The trick is to find really  young (i.e., later vintages) wines from certain  warmer regions known for making these wines.

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Most purple-blue wines are from the New World, where the climate is typically warmer, like the U.S., South America, and Australia. For example, the carmenere grapes from Chile and the malbec and cabernet grapes from Argentina can produce a purple-blue wine. The key is to tilt the wine and look at the rim of the wine, or the shallow-end, as I like to call it! Here’s where you will really be able to see some “blue hints”.

Below, we’ve included some of our favorite purple-blue wines from different parts of the world. Find your favorite and impress everyone this Fourth of July when you show up with red, white, and "blue" wine! 

Garnacha from Spain

Garnacha is the world’s second most planted grape, particularly because they are so good at  withstanding drought. These grapes actually tend to have thinner skins, except when the grapes come  from old vines and/or are pruned to be lower yielding vines. Their thinner skins can make a paler wine but also inky purple wines! These wines are known for having very ripe berry flavors and higher alcohol, both of which together create a wine that can seem sweet, even if there is no sugar in the wine.

Dornfelder from Germany

Dornfelder is a red grape from Germany that is fruity with a plum and cherry flavor. This is a fun wine because it is so uncommon, and because it breaks our rules for finding a "blue" wine - Germany is a cold region! Wine is full of exceptions, and breaking rules! In spite of its deep hues, the wine is typically quite “crisp” and on the lighter side.

We suggest grabbing a bottle of  Villa Wolf Dornfelder 2017. 

Malbec from Argentina

The malbec grape from Argentina can  create a beautiful purple-"blue" wine that contains notes of raspberries and cherries.

Try either the  Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec 2017 or a bottle of  Finca Decero Remolinos Vineyard Malbec 2017. 

Wines made from Shiraz grapes are known for their hints of cocoa and dark fruit, like raspberries and cherries. Their thick skins can create beautiful bluish-purple wine. 

To see what we mean, pick up some  Mitolo The Jester Shiraz 2017 or the  Layer Cake Shiraz 2017. 

HaloVino

We hope you’re enjoying the Fourth — or any other blue-themed event — with a glass of blue (or violet) wine. Just make sure you’re using a wine glass that’s eco-friendly and recyclable. Order a 6 pack of our  plastic wine tumblers and check back for more great wine posts on our  HaloVino wine blog!