Evaluating Wines

I've been in cleaning mode lately.  Giuseppe and I are trying to scale down our 'things'.  It's amazing how much 'stuff' we accumulate, isn't it??

In going through some of my old study notes, I came across some material that I thought my readers would find helpful.  Like what, you ask???  I wrote that evaluating wine for quality is not as subjective as one would think.  One can train one's palate.  It can improve along with one's vocabulary in describing one's likes and dislikes of a wine.

Let's start with some components that we should be aware of when tasting a wine.  

We have a preference for sugar.  It's the American sweet tooth.  (It is the tip of the tongue that senses sweetness.)  Over 90% of wine is dry fermented to alcohol.  Approximately 7 grams is detectable to the typical tongue.  For an American that threshold is more like 10-12 grams. 

Acid: the sides of the tongue detect acidity.  Make a benchmark for yourself the next time you taste something acidic, like a salad dressing, fruit or wine.  Why is it important?  Acidity counters other factors and tastes in your wine, like sugar.

Tannin: it's the tactile sensation in your mouth that I've discussed in previous blog entries.  You can sense it in your upper gums, middle and the back of your tongue.  There is no aroma to tannins.  Tannins are typically in red wines or wines that have an oak presence.

Alcohol: is it heavier or oilier in your mouth?  We sense alcohol about 5-10 seconds in the back of our tongues and throats.  Sometimes I get a hot feeling in my cheeks when I taste something with high levels of alcohol.

Body: is it full, medium or light bodied? 

The next time you taste, think about the sugar, the acid, the tannins, alcohol levels and body.  Tomorrow, we can go over some vocabulary.