Observing a wine's color tells you what you are about to drink before the glass passes your lips. It can inform you of acidity, aging time, and it if is crisp and refreshing or full-bodied and dry. From whites to reds, following is a list of common Italian wine colors, wine examples of that color, and flavor notes.
Green-apple white wines — Italian Pinot Grigio. Typically very dry.
Yellowish-green white wines — Trebbiano. Less dry than greener wines.
Orange to pale straw — Moscato. Semi-sweet, crisp wines.
Light pink — Sangiovese rosato. Typically dry and fruit-forward.
Pale pink — Lambrusco rosato. Semi-sweet, light, and refreshing.
Light red rosatos — Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Medium bodied and acidic.
Pale red wines — Primitivo. Dry with dark fruit flavors.
Scarlet reds — Sangiovese. Drier than light reds; red-fruit and full-bodied.
Maroon red wines — Chianti. Very dry, tart cherry flavors.
Violet red wines — Nebbiolo. Bone dry, full-bodied. Tastes of coffee, leather, and cherries.
