Wine Characteristics

There are 5 characteristics that help define the profile of a wine:
Sweetness, Acidity, Tannin, Alcohol, and Body.


Sweetness

Sweetness in wine is derived from residual sugar. Residual sugar is the leftover sweetness when not all the grape must is fermented into alcohol. Experts describe sweetness as a taste that ranges from bone-dry to very sweet. It’s good to know that a technically dry wine can contain up to a half teaspoon of sugar per glass.

Acidity

Acids are the primary attribute that contribute to wine’s tart and sour flavor. Most acids in wine come from grapes including tartaric, malic, and citric acid. Like many fruits, wine lies on the acid side of the pH scale, ranging from about 2.5-4.5 pH. One useful thing to know about acidity in wine is that, as grapes ripen, they become less acidic. Thus, a wine from a cooler climate where it’s hard to ripen grapes will produce wines with higher acidity.

Tannin

Tannin is a naturally occurring polyphenol found in plants. Tannin is unique to red wine, since white wines ferment without skins. In wine, tannin is not necessarily a flavor but a textural astringent taste. Tannin comes from two sources: grape skins and seeds, and from new wood barrels. To taste tannin in wine, focus on the texture on your tongue. A high tannin wine will remove proteins from your tongue, causing a drying and puckering sensation. This sensation is often described as “grippy” High tannin wines act as palate cleansers to rich, fatty meats, cheeses, and pasta dishes. This is why they are often served with food.

Alcohol

The alcohol in wine comes from yeast converting grape must ( sugar ) into ethanol. Alcohol may also be added to a wine, which is called fortifying. Alcohol plays an important role in wine aromas. It’s the vehicle by which aromas travel from the surface of the wine to your nose. Alcohol also adds viscosity and body to wine. You can sense alcohol in the back of your throat as a burning sensation.

Body

Body is not a scientific term, but a categorization of style from lightest to boldest. The four characteristics of sweetness, acidity, tannin and alcohol each affect how light or bold a wine will taste.