color
A wine’s color is an indicator of its condition, quality, age, and even style. In general, the less intense a wine’s color, the more delicate the flavor and body. The color of any good wine should be clear. As wines age, their colors change—white wines become darker, often with traces of amber; red wines begin to fade and often assume a tawny, brick-red cast. A change of color in a young wine signals premature aging..
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.