Im not really sure on this but I will take a stab and say that they dont want the chips to soak up all the wine like a sponge. Im guessing giving it just a little time to soak up a little liquid will prevent it from soaking up a lot of wine and that short time may help get rid of a little of the color that you are talking about, this way you are just getting what you want-the extra tannins and oak profile.