A wine made from dark-skinned grapes (red, purple, black, blue), which remains in contact with the grape skins (from which color is extracted) during FERMENTATION. The pulp or flesh isn't generally red, the rare exceptions being TEINTURIER grapes like ALICANTE BOUSCHET. BLUSH and ROSÉ wines are a lighter color because they're not kept in contact with the skins as long.
             Balance in wine is created when all the components-ACID, ALCOHOL, FRUIT, TANNINS etc.-are in perfect harmony. In a well-balanced wine, none of these elements overpowers another. The perfect balance in a particular wine depends on its origin and style.
             A term that describes wine that isn't sweet; its French counterpart is SEC. In a fully dry wine, all the sugar has been converted to ALCOHOL during FERMENTATION. A medium-dry wine has a small amount of RESIDUAL SUGAR, but not enough to prevent the wine from being enjoyed with a meal. A wine with the barest hint of sweetness is referred to as OFF DRY.
             Sweetness is detected on the very tip of the tongue and, in wine, comes from RESIDUAL SUGAR or, occasionally, from GLYCEROL, a by-product of FERMENTATION. The sugar may be intrinsic (from the grapes) or supplemental (as by adding GRAPE CONCENTRATE) or both. Some fine sweet wines (such as BEERENAUSLESE) are made from grapes that have been left on the vine until they're so overripe that the fruit is sugar-laden and full of rich, concentrated flavors. The juice from such grapes contains more sugar than can be fermented out. Whether or not sweetness in a wine is pleasant or cloying depends on the balance between ACID and sugar. Though the term sweet generally applies to the sense of taste, certain components-such as oakiness, which contributes a sweet vanilla essence, or intense fruitiness-can give wine a seemingly sweet smell. Winetasters may therefore use the term sweet for both flavor and BOUQUET.
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