Do You Prefer Red Or White Wine? Why We Tend To Like One Better

By: Suzanne Kvilhaug

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When someone asks if you want red or white wine, it’s probably a question you can answer without any hesitation. And maybe it’s a question where your answer has changed over time. Wine drinking can be an interesting journey.

I remember after having my first glass of wine, I swore I’d never drink it again. Every sip felt like I was taking a shot of hard liquor. I had no idea how people could drink an entire glass, let alone enjoy every sip. Fast forward to a few years later when a friend brought me to a wine bar, had me try a glass of Malbec and my love of wine began. Fast forward again, to around 10 years later, I spent the day at a winery and realized that I slightly prefer white wine over red. Hmm, does the color of wine people prefer say something about them? Apparently, it just might.

The Differences Between Red and White Wine

There are some big differences between white wine and red wine that may influence your preference. For starters, they’re made using different colored grapes - red wine uses only red grapes while white wines use primarily white, and sometimes red or pinkish-gray grapes. But there are also key differences in the fermentation process that impact the flavor. Red wine is produced from grapes whose skin remains on during fermentation, while white wine is produced from grapes whose skin is removed before fermentation.

They are also aged in different ways, with white wines maturing in steel or iron vats while red wine is often aged in oak barrels. The container a wine ages in affects the airflow and the acidity of the wine. The result is that red wines are smoother, bolder and more complex, while white wines often turn out a crisper, a bit sweeter, and with higher acidity.

Wine also contains tannins, which are part of the wine-drinking experience. Tannins are responsible for the drying sensation that you feel on the back of your tongue when you drink wine. If you enjoy that experience you may be more inclined toward red wines which are higher in tannins. If you don’t like it, or have tannin sensitivity, you may prefer white wines.

There’s also the berry vs citrus preference to consider. Red wines tend to have stronger notes of berries from raspberries, cherries, and strawberries, on the lighter side, to blueberries, blackberries, and black currants. The flavors in white wines use more citrus, apple, peach, and other light fruit flavors with aromatic floral hints. Red wine is also where you’ll get those deep earthy notes and undertones of chocolate, wood, tobacco and spices.

Your feelings about any one of these factors might be the reason you prefer for one over the other. But if you’re looking for a deeper meaning to your inclination, your personality may also influence your choice. Based on a survey conducted by OnePoll for Coravin in May 2019, there are distinct personality traits between those who drink red wine and those who prefer white. Here’s what they found: 

Characteristics of red wine drinkers

• Willing to spend slightly more per bottle ($40)

• More likely to be a “wine aficionado”

• Early bird

• More likely to identify as adventurous, humble and organized

• Introverted

• Prefer dogs to cats

Characteristics of white wine drinkers

• Willing to spend slightly less per bottle ($37)

• Less likely to be a “wine aficionado”

• Night owl

• More likely to identify as curious, sarcastic and perfectionists

• Extroverted

• Prefer cats to dogs

Tastes, and personality traits aside - there may also be health reasons you might choose a Cabernet over a Sauvignon blanc.

Which Is Healthier, Red Wine or White Wine?

Both red and white wine contain calories and vitamins and minerals like calcium, manganese, magnesium, potassium, vitamin b6, iron, riboflavin, phosphorus, niacin, vitamin k, and zinc. The differences between them in this regard are pretty marginal with red wine having slightly higher quantities of nutrients while white has slightly fewer calories.

Remember how red wines are fermented with their skin on? It turns out that it also makes a difference in the health benefits that red wine may offer. Red wine has been associated with reducing the risk of heart disease, slowing mental decline related to age, and increasing “good” HDL cholesterol. Overall, red wine is generally considered the “healthier” of the two.

But whether you drink red or white wine, in moderation, they both may lower risks for heart disease, stroke, degenerative diseases, and even some cancers. The key, of course, is moderation, because over-consumption can come with health drawbacks that far our weigh the benefits. If the health properties of wine are on your mind, then there are even more ways than ever to find healthy and even environmentally friendly wines.

How To Choose A Healthier & More Eco-Friendly Red Or White Wine

When it comes to the good food movement, wine isn't left behind. Globally, the consumption of organic wines has almost doubled from 349 million bottles in 2012 to 676 million bottles in 2017, according to industry news source Beverage Daily. By 2022, it is expected that 1 billion bottles will be consumed every year. As more and more people seek out healthier wines, here are important terms defined so you can understand what labels mean.

Organic Wine

Organic wine is a wine that is made from grapes that are farmed organically. Organic wine is the only type of wine that can actually carry legal certification, so if a wine is organic it will carry the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) organic seal. The USDA approval signifies that the wine is made from 100% organically grown ingredients and has been monitored throughout the entire production process.

Biodynamic Wine 

A biodynamic wine means that the grapes are farmed biodynamically and that the winemaker did not make the wine with any common manipulations such as yeast additions or acidity adjustments. Biodynamic farming practices are widely used around the world, but there is no formal certification for them like there is for organic, so some winemakers choose to simply take the organic seal while others list that the wine was created biodynamically on the bottle.

Sustainable Wine

Sustainable practices are based on farming that is not only good for the environment, but also makes economic sense. Wines labeled as "sustainably-grown" are made on vineyards where sustainable farming practices are used. Sustainable wines are not necessarily organic and some pesticides may still be used. The vineyard follows sustainable practices like reducing waste, using solar power, and encouraging biodiversity.

Vegan Wine

No, wine isn’t technically always vegan. Reason being- the fining process. The fining process allows winemakers to remove unwanted compounds from wine either before or after the juice is fermented. Winemakers add a fining agent to either the freshly pressed juice or the fermented wine. These fining agents are usually made of one of four kinds of animal protein: egg whites, gelatin, casein – which is derived from milk, and isinglass – obtained from the swim bladder of fish. Yeah, definitely not vegan. But there are a few fining agents available that are not made of animal proteins and companies are now producing vegan wine and clearly stating on the bottle that it’s vegan. 

Get More Wine

So, when it comes to the question “do you like red or white wine?”, the answer is always a matter of taste, health considerations and you may have personality traits in common with others who prefer the same variety. But if your question is “how do I get more wine in my house? For that, we have a definite answer; try wine delivery from Winc to stay stocked-up at home!

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