While the difference between white wine and red wine might appear to be pretty obvious, some of the distinctions are more significant. It doesn’t necessarily make one better or more likable than the other, just different. Oddly, the differences are like night and day – or like comparing the proverbial apple and orange – despite the wine coming from the same berry, the grape.

It all starts with the variety of grape, and there are hundreds of varieties, many of which we never hear of, that for the most part go into making either a red or white wine. There are exceptions, most notably the red wine grape, Pinot Noir, which is used to produce Blanc de Noir Champagne, a white sparkling wine.