Wine body

I guess it's the noob in me, but I'm wondering about wine body. Until I started my own wine this never occurred to me.

When one pours a Merlot or Pinot Noir or some other hearty red, the wine is very dark. In fact the body would pass for grape juice if one didn't know it was wine.

I'm currently working on my second batch of fruit wine and I've noticed that once fermentation reaches an alcohol content of 6-8% it seems most of the body and some of the color is gone.

Where does all the color and body come from in grape wines?

Just wondering.

Well, mostly from maceration, or time that the juice spends in contact with the grape skins.

If you are making bucket juice, and want more body, I know that some use dehydrated grape skins or even add fresh grapes to the bucket juice to develop more body and color.

You may also want to check your PH levels. Acid plays a role in color extraction.

I do not know this for certain, but I believe that grapes are high in anthocyanins, whereas not all fruits are. What fruit wines have you made so far?

I agree with both Paul and JohnT: the color depends largely on the fruit you are fermenting and the techniques you are using to maintain the color. For example, I think you might find with elderberry wine or hibiscus wine that the color will remain very intense. Strawberry wine often changes from red to rose as the color drops out (literally). I've not made wines from blueberries or blackberries so I cannot speak to how well they are likely to hold their color but the mixed berry wines I have made seem to finish with the same color they started. But it is horses for course. If you are making country wines and not wines from varietal grapes then the color is going to come from the fruits and honey or flowers (or vegetables) you are fermenting.