A PRIMER ON WINE COLOR ANALYSIS BY SPECTROSCOPY

Spectrophotometric analysis of wine in the VIS (visible) spectrum (380nm–780nm) measures

and calculates various parameters useful for assessing color and color evolution. It can also
measure phenolics though at 280 nm (UV spectrum), and therefore, a UV-VIS
spectrophotometer is needed for a more complete analysis to include tannins.
A spectrophotometer measures the percent transmittance (%T) of light at different UV and VIS
wavelengths through a wine sample held in a test tube or cuvette. The length that which the
wavelength travels through the sample is called the pathlength, which is the width of the test
tube or cuvette. For wine, it is more practical to report results in absorbance units (a.u.), which
is simply a negative log (base 10) function of %T. The absorbance at a wavelength λ is denoted
as Aλ.
A standard pathlength of 10 mm (1 cm) is used to report results although red wines, especially
richly colored ones, are usually measured using a pathlength of 1mm, sometimes smaller, due
to their much lower opacity. The results are then multiplied by the appropriate factor as if the
readings were measured at a pathlength of 10 mm.
The color of white wine is usually described by the amount of yellow only and is quantified by
measuring the absorbance at 420 nm. The color of red wine is more complex; it is described by
the amount of yellow, red and blue/purple and is quantified by measuring absorbances at 420
nm, 520 nm and 620 nm, respectively. From these absorbance measurements, many other
parameters can be calculated.
Following is a description of the most useful measurements and parameters for describing and
assessing color in reds.
A420
The absorbance (a.u.) at 420 nm is a measure of the amount of yellow color. A high value
may indicate a shift to a more orange or brownish color, possibly due to oxidative effects.
As wine ages, it is expected that A420 increases.
A520
The absorbance (a.u.) at 520 nm is a measure of the amount of red color. The amount of
red (A520) in red wine is greater than the amount of yellow (A420). As wine ages, the yellow
color progressively turns to an orange color and eventually to a brown color, that is to say
that A420 increases, while the wine sheds its red color and A520 decreases.
A620
The absorbance (a.u.) at 620 nm is a measure of the amount of blue/purple color. The
younger the wine, the greater the amount of blue/purple color. A620 can also be used to
assess a wine’s turbidity (see Section Turbidity).

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Color Intensity (IC)
Color Intensity (IC), expressed in absorbance units (a.u.), is a measure of the intensity of
color of wine and is calculated as the sum of A420 and A520 and, most often, though not
always, A620.
Light-colored reds will have IC values between 3 and 5; medium-colored reds will have IC
values between 5 and 8; and deep-colored reds will have IC values between 8 and 12 or
greater.
Hue (H)
Hue is calculated from the ratio of the yellow color to the red color, i.e. A420/A520.
Young red wines will have H values below 0.8, and increasing H values, especially beyond
0.8, is indicative of oxidation and increasing browning. The blue/purple color visible in
very young wines almost disappears as browning occurs during aging. However, oxidative
reactions can give rise to blue-colored compounds that are not usually visible but which
will be detected by spectral analysis.
Blue Index
The Blue Index is calculated from the ratio of purple/bluish color to red color, i.e.
A620/A520. The higher the Blue Index, the younger the wine.
Brilliance of Red (dA%)
Brilliance of Red, expressed as a percentage, is calculated from the ratio of yellow and
blue/purple color to (twice) the red color. It is a measurement used to assess the loss of
red color intensity and brilliance.
%Yellow
The percentage of yellow color is calculated form the ratio of yellow color (A420) to the
sum of yellow (A420), red (A520) and blue/purple (A620) colors.
%Red
The percentage of red color is calculated form the ratio of red color (A520) to the sum of
yellow (A420), red (A520) and blue/purple (A620) colors.
%Blue
The percentage of blue color is calculated form the ratio of blue color (A620) to the sum of
yellow (A420), red (A520) and blue/purple (A620) colors.

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Although the above measurements and parameters are useful in assessing color and color
evolution, they do not describe color precisely and non-ambiguously.
The CIELAB reference color space (often denoted CIE
L*a*b*) is used to describe mathematically all perceivable
colors in wine using five chromatic coordinates defined by
the Commission internationale de l’éclairage: L*, a*, b*, H*
and C*. The asterisks are used to distinguish the CIE’s
version of the Lab color space from other versions. These
now allow winemakers and enologists to describe wine in
standard, quantifiable terms.
The coordinates are calculated from measurements taken
every 5 nm from 380 nm to 780 nm. The calculations are
often qualified with the notation OIV: D65/10. This notation simply means that the method,
defined by the International Organisation of Vine and Wine (OIV), uses a D65 illuminant and the
winemaker observing wine at 10° (OIV 2013).
Following is a description of CIELAB measurements and parameters for describing color in red
wine.
L* L* represents lightness with values ranging from 0 (black) to 100 (white).
a* The a* axis maps the green (a*<0) to red (a*>0) component. In red wine analysis,
coordinate a* is a measure of the total contribution of anthocyanins to the red color of
a wine.
b* The b* axis maps the blue (b*<0) to yellow (b*>0) component.
C*ab The C* axis represents saturation (chroma) and ranges from 0 in the middle of the circle
(unsaturated, neutral color) to 100 at the edge of the circle (saturated or pure color).
h*ab h* maps the angular hue from 0° (red) to 90° (yellow), 180° (green), 270° (blue) and
back to 0°.

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A spectral graph of measurements made in the range 380 nm–780 nm can be useful to visually
assess color and color evolution by comparing the same measurements made throughout the
life of a wine. As red wine ages and becomes more orangey and brownish while shedding its red
color, A420 increases and A520 decreases and the spectral curve flattens, as shown in the figure
below.

As for tannins, a very simple method of conveying total phenolics in wine is by measuring
absorbance at 280 nm. Results are expressed as an index and are standardized to a 10-mm
pathlength, as with color measurements.
Following is a description of the Total Phenol Index (TPI) measurements for quantifying tannins
in wine.
Total Phenol Index (TPI)
TPI is an index based on the amount of polyphenols measured in wine, and can point to
differences in tannin reactions, and possibly extraction from oak wood of the barrel.
Following are TPI ranges for various styles of wines:

Style/structure of wine TPI

White and Rosé < 20
Light red 20–30
Red with good body structure 30–50
Strong body red wine with risk of astringency > 50

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TURBIDITY
The limpidity, or clarity, of a wine and bottling readiness can be assessed using the A620
measurement.
Turbidity threshold (Tt) can be quantified as a function of A620 as follows (Romat et al. 2020):
𝑇𝑇𝑡𝑡 = (23.4 × 𝐴𝐴620 ) + 1.43

Limpidity can then be described as a function of Tt for different types of wines as follows
(Romat et al. 2020):

Descriptor Tt Range White Rosé Red-1 Red-2

A620 0 0.007 0.056 0.118
Tt 1.4 1.6 2.7 4.2
Brilliant < 0.75 Tt < 1.1 < 1.2 <2 < 3.15
Clear 0.75 Tt to 1.5 Tt 1.1 – 2.2 1.2 – 2.4 2–4 3.15 – 7.3
Hazy 1.5 Tt to 3 Tt 2.2 – 4.4 2.4 – 4.8 4–8 7.3 – 14.6
Cloudy > 3 Tt > 4.4 > 4.8 >8 > 14.6

Example
You are getting ready to bottle a rosé-style wine and wanting to assess bottling readiness; your
objective is to bottle a brilliant-looking wine.
You measure A620 to be 0.011 and NTU to be 1.40.
Tt then is calculated to be 1.69, and therefore NTU must be less than 1.27 for a brilliant wine.
Therefore, you would need to fine filter (e.g. 0.45 micron) the wine to improve limpidity from
1.40 NTU to 1.27 NTU or less.

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REFERENCES
OIV. 2013. Compendium of International Methods of Wine and Must Analysis: Volume 1. 2014.
Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV), Paris, France.
Romat, H., V. Renouf, N. Etchevery, W. Naboulet, T. Parat, Y. Lefeuvre and J. Cohen. 2020.
Signification œnologique de la turbidité des vins rouges: Approche de la sédimentation
potentielle du trouble. Revue des œnologues et des techniques vitivinicoles et œnologiques.
Octobre 2020. 177:31-35.

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