From the moment the wine tumbles into our glass we are affected by its presence.
The color, the luminosity, and the smell, all of these things suggest something about the wine.
A deep color is a sign that the grapes basked in ample sun.
Golden color in a white wine alludes to oak aging.
Shades of garnet that deepen from the rim of your tilted glass indicate years of aging.
If you roll the wine around in your glass long enough you'll get those
long tears that run down the side of your glass called legs.
The more distinct and colorful the legs, the more body and alcohol the wine contains.
Colorful tears form when grapes are grown in a hot growing region.
The smell of the wine is called the nose or bouquet.
In fact, the sense of smell is far more acute than the sense of taste.
The nose allows us to perceive many flavors when we eat.
Some grapes, like viognier, cabernet franc,
and riesling are known for their aromatic qualities.
When you swish the wine around in your mouth you allow your tongue
to measure the acidity, tannins, and sugar in the wine.
A wine is not sweet unless you feel a tingle on the tip of your tongue.
If a wine tastes sweet, but does not create this sensation,
it is considered fruity or fruit forward.
Most wine is fermented completely dry these days.
If sugar remains after fermentation the wine is said to have residual sugar.
Acidity is another aspect of wine that is perceived on the tongue.
Acidity makes your mouth water. Wines with high acidity work well with food.
There is an inverse relationship between acidity and sugar.
As grapes ripen, acidity wanes and sugar levels rise.
When grapes experience a long growing season with warm days and cool nights,
called long hang time, acid and fruitiness can co-exist.
Tannins are astringents that make your mouth feel rough,
like eating walnuts.
Tannic acid comes from new oak barrels, stems, seeds, and skins.
It is associated with red wine because tannins come from the skin contact,
but white wine aged in oak barrels can be a touch tannic too.
This astringent allows wine to age, which is why young wines can be very tannic,
but will mellow with time.
The longer a winemaker allows the grapes to sit on their skins to gain color and flavor,
the more tannin will be imparted.
When grapes enjoy a long hang time their tannins are said to be mature.
Mature tannins taste sultry, rather than astringent.
Some red varieties are very tannic, like petite sirah or cabernet sauvignon,
while others are not so, such as gamay or grenache.
Distinct fruit flavors, flavors of minerals, flowers, soil, vegetables,
and spices can evolve in the mouth while the wine is present.
A wine's finish is what you taste after you've swallowed the wine.
The finish can reflect the same flavors that were on the palate or offer
something completely different.
A wine that lingers on and on in the mouth after it has
been consumed is said to have a long finish.
When you define acid, fruit, and tannins, you identify a wine's unique structure.
From the serious collector to the casual drinker,
comprehending the flavor components of wine allows us to distinguish
our preferences and understand the different styles available.
----
Brenda Francis is a certified Sommelier. She tastes several thousand bottles of wine a year and rubs elbows with many winemakers from all over the world. She is an advocate of obscure grape varieties. Her infatuation with wine is paired with a passion for cooking. To support her Oenophilia she creates email marketing for wine shops through photography, web development, and written reviews.
