Two factors determine the color of a wine: the skin color of the grape, and the process the grapes go through when they are made into wine.

Although red grape varieties are generally used to make red wine, the wine’s color would also be white if the grape skins were not soaked with the juice. Red wines are usually kept in vats with their skins and seeds for longer periods of time than their white counterparts; this is the process that imparts color, and also increases tannin levels.

White wines are typically de-stemmed and skinned immediately in the crushing process, thus removing any additional color found in the skins and seeds.