Wine 101: Appearance -- Red Wines

So like myself, you may have noticed that red wines tend to range in color starting from a strawberry-esque hue to cherry red, or from purple to deep ruby, and even from garnet red to brown. So what exactly do these colors imply? Simple, they can help define both the age and the body of the wine you're drinking. Use the below topline guide to help you analyze your next glass:

• Young wines -- usually purple and either show no change in color from center to rim, or show a lighter purple or pink rim
• Older wines -- show change of color from orange to brown developing first at the rim
• Lighter wines --  expected to be light bodied 
• Darker wines -- tend to be more concentrate and fuller in body