Skin Contact
Have you ever noticed that some young white wines possess a deep yellow or pale gold color? It is not typical as white wines gain color with age and are pale in their youth. When you encounter this, it is very likely that that the wine underwent skin contact.
WHAT IS SKIN CONTACT?
Skin contact is another term for maceration, or the period during winemaking when the grape skins remain in contact with the juice. Red wines and some rosés get their color from maceration. Most red wines are made by fermenting grapes with their skins during fermentation, though the juice can be separated earlier if the winemaker seeks lighter color, taste or body.
Rosés usually undergo less than 12 hours macerating on their skins before the juice is pressed off and fermentation is allowed to finish, though some can rest on their skins for up to a week. Winemakers choose this maceration process to give the wine more phenolic content (color, body, structure, and texture).
HOW DOES SKIN CONTACT AFFECT WINES’ STYLE?
The amount of time this maceration or skin contact takes place determines the style of the wine. Skin contact wines range in styles from intense and fruit driven to earthy or funky, minimal oxygen exposure to highly oxidative, slightly phenolic and light to highly phenolic and weighty. Longer maceration time and/or increased oxygen exposure will make for more exaggerated expressions of skin contact wines.
Depending on the length of time, amount of oxidation, and grape variety, the color of white wines can range from deep yellow to golden to rust orange. This is typically the case with many natural wines. One key byproduct of skin contact wines is bitterness, which occurs when the wine spends extended time on the skins.
There are certain white grape varieties that have a pink or slightly red color. Pinot Gris and Muscat are examples of this. Often, a wine just needs 8-12 hours on the skins to gain additional color. This also imparts greater concentration of flavor and concentration.
Various vessels used in producing skin contact wines are acacia barrels, clay, terracotta, Slavonian oak, and stainless steel.
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