National Red Wine Day Date in the current year: August 28, 2024

Wines have a variety of characteristics, but the color of wine is arguably the most easily recognizable one. It is determined mainly by the concentration of anthocyanins (coloring agents) in the wine, which depends on the grape variety, whether winemaking includes maceration (a process where grape juice comes in contact with grape skins), and the amount of the contact.

There are four main wine categories depending on the color: red, white, rosé (pink), and orange. Orange wines are sometimes considered a subtype of white wine because they are made from white grapes; their alternative name is skin-contact white wines.

Red wines are produced from dark-skinned grape varieties in a process that involves the presence of grape skins during fermentation. Some of the most popular red grape varieties include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Grenache (Garnacha), Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Pinot Noir, Pinotage, Syrah (Shiraz), Tempranillo, and Zinfandel.

The maceraiton process is responsible not only for the color of red wines, but also for their flavor profile. Red wines usually have a richer profile than white wines (it is called “a heavier body”) due to their higher content of tannins, whereas white wines have a lighter and crisper taste.

Due to their different flavor profiles, red and white wines pair better with different foods. The strong taste of red wines calls for foods that also have a strong taste. Because of this red wines are typically paired with red meats, roast chicken, duck or turkey, fatty fish like salmon, and bold cheeses.

National Red Wine Day was created by Jace Shoemaker-Galloway, nicknamed the Queen of Holidays, in 2013. During her career as a freelance writer and editor, Shoemaker-Galloway has written thousands of articles about various holidays and created a few holidays of her own, including a number of beverage-related holidays such as National Cocktail Day, National Cosmopolitan Day, National Mimosa Day, National Wine and Cheese Day, National White Wine Day, and National Red Wine Day.

The easiest way to celebrate National Red Wine Day is to have a couple of glasses of red wine. If you’ve been saving an expensive bottle of red wine for a special occasion, here’s your special occasion! You also can celebrate by booking a wine tasting, winery tour or food and wine pairing class, throwing a wine tasting party for your friends (ask everyone to bring a bottle of their favorite red wine and compare your taste in wine), making some refreshing sangria if the weather is hot, using red wine in cooking, reading a book or watching a documentary about red wines. And don’t forget to post about your favorite red wines on social media with the hashtags #NationalRedWineDay and #RedWineDay to spread the word.