Vino tinto

Vino tinto meaning in English

Vino tinto means red wine in Spanish. Literally, it translates closer to “tinted wine,” because the color comes from grape juice spending time in skin contact with red grape skins during fermentation.

In Spanish-speaking wine regions, including Argentina, vino tinto is the normal term for red wine styles such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. The phrase is about the wine category, not sweetness or strength: a vino tinto can be light and fresh or full-bodied and tannic.

Tinto, blanco, and rosado

Spanish word	English meaning	What it describes
Tinto	Red wine	Color, not sweetness
Blanco	White wine	Color, not sweetness
Rosado	Rosé wine	Color, not sweetness

For the white-wine counterpart, see vino blanco.

Is vino tinto dry or sweet?

Vino tinto can be dry or sweet. Many everyday red table wines are made dry, but tinto itself does not specify sugar content. Look for a sweetness description on the label or the producer’s technical information. Plum or cherry aromas do not by themselves make a wine sweet; see fruitiness versus wine sweetness.

What is tinto wine?

When you see tinto wine or simply tinto, it refers to red wine. The dark vino tinto color comes from grape juice spending time with red grape skins during fermentation.