“White after red, nothing to dread. Red after white, everything’s a fright.” (in French, “Blanc sur rouge, rien ne bouge. Rouge sur blanc, tout fout le camp”). You surely know this quip beloved by every wine lover. But where does it come from? Let’s discover the origin of this very famous maxim together. You might think this phrase comes from the world of wine. But that is wrong. It is not at all about drinking white wine then red wine (or the other way around). No matter how much wine you drink, the effect will be the same! By the way, remember to spit the wine during your tastings.
The origins: white over red!
A striking fact: the expression “white over red, nothing to dread” has absolutely nothing to do with wine or oenology. Far from it! In reality, the proverb originally comes from the maritime world. The sailors on a ship adjust their behavior based on the position of flags. If the white flag sits above the red flag, then no one moves: no sailor is allowed to leave the ship. On the other hand, if the red flag is above the white flag, the sailors are granted shore leave. From that point on, “everything’s a fright” (everything goes). So this expression has no link with the world of wine. It is in fact far from it. The meaning of this expression actually comes from the navy. As it spread through society, it became commonly used at all sorts of social gatherings. Thanks to us, you will soon be able to shine at your cocktail parties. But be careful, the origins of the expression “white over red” are rather uncertain. According to other sources, the expression would come from Burgundy (hard to find a port or even sailors there). It would require drinking white Chardonnay before red Pinot Noir. Finally, others think the expression “white over red, nothing to dread. Red over white, everything’s a fright” comes from Belgium or England. For them, the white would in fact correspond to the color of beer. So you should not drink beer before drinking red wine, at the risk of giving yourself a headache. So it is impossible to know where the expression “white over red, nothing to dread. Red over white, everything’s a fright” comes from. It is, however, time to apply it to the world of wine!
In the world of wine: a tasting guideline
This expression can also be used in the world of wine when tasting a wine. In particular, it helps you remember the order in which to taste wines. You should start with the white wine and follow with the red. The tannins in white wine are absent or completely melted. The tannins in red wine, on the other hand, are far more present. So if you reverse the order of your tasting, you may have trouble recognizing the white wine. As a result, remember that it is better to start a tasting with the white wine. That will keep the aromas from “going west”, to borrow the well-known phrase. This rule is not universal, though: some professionals actually prefer to finish with the white wines. With a palate saturated with tannins, they prefer to move on to the whites. Still, we should add a few subtleties to this rule. If you have to taste a sweet white wine, do it after a light red. The aromas in the sweet white wine could cover those of the wine that follows. By doing it this way, you can fully enjoy your tasting. To know the order in which to taste a wine, you should not consider color alone. Other factors come into play, such as intensity, tannins and sugar. You should serve a light wine before a powerful one. In the same way, you should serve a dry wine before serving a sweet or medium-sweet one. With this rule in mind, you are ready for all the tastings ahead of you. Finally, there is one last rule. When you get to the cheese, you should always serve white wine. This rule applies even if you were drinking red wine before. Contrary to common belief, while wine and cheese get along very well, it will always be better with white wine. You can trust us on that.
