Which outcome is most likely for the red wine remaining after saignée is applied?

• A. It ferments twice as fast
• B. It becomes less colored
• C. It loses tannin
• D. It becomes more concentrated in color and tannin

Answer: (D)

Saignée concentrates color and tannin in the remaining red wine by removing some juice after initial skin contact. This reduces the liquid volume while leaving the skins with more contact time relative to the juice, so more color compounds (anthocyanins) and tannins are drawn into a smaller amount of liquid. As fermentation proceeds, the wine that remains ends up with deeper color and stronger tannin than it would have without saignée. The removed juice is typically used to make rosé or a lighter wine. So the most likely outcome is a remaining red wine that is more concentrated in color and tannin.