Short definition
Soaking grape skins, seeds, and stems in the juice to extract color, tannin, and flavor.
White wine skips skin contact; red wine gets days or weeks of it. The longer the skins soak in the juice, the darker, more tannic, and more flavorful the wine becomes. A light [Pinot Noir](/wines/pinot-noir) might macerate for a week. A dense Cabernet Sauvignon might go three or four weeks. Rosé gets just a few hours of skin contact — enough for color, not much tannin.