red wine

IPA/ˌred ˈwaɪn/
IPA/ˌred ˈwaɪn/

red wine — noun

1. An alcoholic drink made by fermenting dark-coloured grapes with the skin still o

1.nounA1
Definition

An alcoholic drink made by fermenting dark-coloured grapes with the skin still on the fruit, which produces a deep red colour in the liquid.

Example

Nellie brought a bottle of red wine to the housewarming party at her friend's flat.

Benjamin prefers red wine over white wine because he finds it has a fuller flavour.

comparison: red wine vs white wine

Common collocations
  • full-bodied red wine
  • light red wine
  • dry red wine
  • sweet red wine
  • cheap red wine
  • premium red wine
  • red wine stain
Synonyms
  • claret

    Refers specifically to red wine from the Bordeaux region of France, not any red wine.

  • table wine

    A general term for ordinary, non-sparkling wine that can be red or white; broader in meaning.

  • vino rosso

    Italian for 'red wine'; used in English mostly in culinary or Italian-restaurant contexts.

Antonyms
  • white wine

    Made from light-coloured grapes or from dark grapes without skin contact, producing a pale yellow or greenish liquid.

  • rosé

    A pink wine made from red grapes with very brief skin contact; much lighter in colour and typically lighter in body than red wine.

Grammar Patterns

red wine + verb

a glass/bottle of + red wine

Usage Note

Uncountable when referring to the drink in general ('Red wine is good for cooking'), but countable when referring to types or varieties ('The shop sells over thirty red wines from around the world').

Common Mistakes

I ordered a red wine, but they brought me a rosé.
I ordered a red wine, but they brought me a Merlot.
Rosé is a different category of wine made with much shorter grape-skin contact, so it is pink rather than deep red.
Red wine colour comes from food colouring added to the drink.
Red wine colour comes from the pigments naturally found in dark grape skins during fermentation.
No artificial colouring is added; the red colour is a natural result of the winemaking process.

Word family

  • wine
    nounA1
  • red
    adjectiveA1
  • white wine
    nounA1
  • rosé
    nounB1
  • sparkling wine
    nounB1
  • wine glass
    nounA2
  • wine cellar
    nounB2
  • winemaking
    nounB2
  • winemaker
    nounB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Wine is the broadest category, covering all grape-based fermented drinks regardless of colour. Red wine is a subcategory defined by its dark colour, which comes from fermenting dark grapes with the skins on. Rosé looks similar to a light red wine but is made with much shorter skin contact, resulting in a pink colour and typically a lighter, fruitier taste. Claret is an old British term for red wine from Bordeaux, France — it is not a synonym for all red wines. Merlot is a single grape variety used to make red wine, not a category of wine itself. For example, you might say 'I'd like a glass of red wine — perhaps a Merlot' but not 'I'd like a glass of Merlot' to mean any red wine.

wine ↗roséclaret ↗merlot

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • red wine lover
  • red wine glass
  • red wine vinegar
  • red wine stain

Prepositions

  • of red wine

Etymology

Old EnglishOld FrenchLatinEnglish

The term 'red wine' combines the Old English word 'rēad' (having the colour of blood or fire) with the Old French word 'vin', derived from Latin 'vinum' (the fermented juice of grapes). The compound has been recorded in English since the 14th century. The practice of leaving grape skins in the fermenting juice to create a dark colour dates back thousands of years, long before the chemical compounds responsible — anthocyanins — were identified in modern times.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above