Wine Essences 

There are hundreds of different wines made throughout the world. With each type of wine comes a set of varying essences. These can be tastes or smells. For example, the aromas of a California Chardonnay or White Burgundy may suggest essences of pineapple, apple, fig and oak. Tasting this wine may reveal the same essences, plus others dealing with the texture of the wine in your mouth, i.e. buttery (smooth). Even though each different grape varietal has its own set of essences, many of these overlap from one wine to the next. There are nine basic categories of essences characteristic to all wines: sweet, bitter, sour, smooth, acetic, flowery, fruity, oak and tannin. These essences, although sometimes barely noticeable in some wines, should be understood, both literally and physically, to better understand and determine the reason you either like or dislike a wine. As you taste each wine, thinking about each of these essences will give you a framework to analyze the wine.

SWEET - Sweet is often confused with fruity when describing a wine. Sweet (opposite of dry) is the amount of sugar the wine contains. All wine contains sugar in varying amounts although the amount is quite low in dry wines. The amount of sugar is not usually indicated on the wine label. The percentage of alcohol is. The higher the percentage of alcohol, generally the lower the sugar content and the dryer the wine. Wine labels will sometimes indicate the percentage of residual sugar in the wine - sugar left in the wine after fermentation. Residual sugar can be less than .5% (bone dry - the threshold of detection for most people) to as much as 20% (or even more!) in a late harvest dessert wine.

The integration of sugar with wine’s other constituents is intriguing. Sugar masks the effect of acidity and tannin in a wine. This is a key point! Some Californians are following the Kendall Jackson formula: .5% or more residual sugar. This makes the wine seem very soft, but it shortens the life span of the wine, fatigues the palate, and makes it much more difficult to match the wine to food. Sugar is also sometimes used to disguise (hide) defects in lesser quality wines (avoid any label that says “Serve very cold”). That’s why “jug” wines are usually fairly sweet - to hide flaws caused by using inferior (cheaper) grapes. Sweetness is not undesirable in wine - it should exist in an amount appropriate for each specific type of wine. Much more significant to the quality of a wine than sugar content is the balance between all its components: sugar, acid, fruit, tannin, etc.

BITTER - Bitter is one of the four basic tastes (on the tongue) recognized by organoleptic science, the others being sweet, sour and salty. Among novice wine tasters there is often some confusion between bitter, sour and tannic. Bitter is sensed at the back of the tongue, almost as an aftertaste. Sour is sensed on the sides of the tongue and sweet on the tip. A slight bitterness in wine can give an appealing aftertaste.

SOUR - The sharp, tart, tangy taste of wine comes from its acidity. Although there are more than one hundred different types of acid in wine, malic, tartaric and lactic are the most important. Malic acid has a distinct sour taste and is at its maximum level at the beginning of the grape’s ripening process. As the grape size increases, the concentration of malic acid decreases. Warm temperatures, rainfall and a long growing season continue the process of reducing malic acid levels and result in a softer, smoother wine. Many wines, particularly Chardonnay, may suggest an aroma of fresh apples. Malic acid is responsible for this characteristic. Apples are extremely high in malic acid (In fact, the word malic is derived from the Latin word malum, meaning apple).
   At one extreme, high acidity causes excessive sharpness or sourness. At the other extreme, low acidity results in a wine that is flat, flavorless and bland. Acidity is also crucial for the longevity of a wine. Low acidity comes from over-ripe grapes or growing conditions that are too hot.

SMOOTH - Malic acid, the sour essence, is at its most pronounced when wine is young. Newly fermented wines that are high is malic acid may undergo a natural “secondary fermentation” known as malolactic fermentation (ML). Wine makers who wish to moderate the sharpness of malic acid may artificially induce this action by inoculating the wine with a strain of lactic bacteria. The bacteria break down the malic acid into lactic acid (also found in milk), thus “smoothing” the harsh acid out. Basically, it’s like converting apples to milk. Lactic acid is responsible for the “buttery” component found in many Chardonnays.
   Acid is indispensable to a sound, stable, balanced wine. It also intensifies any bitter taste present. Excessive lactic acid leads to an unpleasant flavor, instability and shortens the life of a wine. Hence, many wines that have undergone 100% malolactic fermentation MAY not age as well as those that have undergone only partial ML or none at all. Most wine makers decide whether or not to induce ML. Some have a non-interventionist policy and let the wine decide!

ACETIC - A small amount of volatile acetic acid enhances the development of a wine’s bouquet and also produces a taste similar to that of the sour essence. Excessive acetic acid causes accentuated sharpness or sourness and, at the extreme, turns wine into vinegar. New wines normally contain about .02 - .03% acetic acid. (This can rise to as much as 1.5% in some wines.) Generally, the cause of an acetic wine is overexposure to air because of a leaking cork or barrel. However, this is not a common problem today thanks to modern wine making technology in which, for example, the addition of Sulfur dioxide (yes, sulfites!) in small amounts reduces the amount of acetic acid formed.

FLOWERY - This essence is noteworthy for its fragrance rather than its taste. The perfume of flowers is common in all wines, particularly whites. A Sauvignon Blanc may suggest aromas of lemon grass and citrus flowers, while a Muscat wine is redolent of honeysuckle and rose petals. A good red, like Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux or Barolo, may suggest violets in its aroma.

FRUITY - Again, the aroma of this essence is more important than its taste. Fruitiness is a quality wine makers strive to achieve in their wine. Zinfandel is renowned for its raspberry aroma and flavor, while Cabernet Sauvignon reminds tasters of cherries and blackberries. Chenin Blanc brings to mind pears and melons, while Chardonnay exhibits tropical fruit, citrus and apple. An experienced wine taster will recognize a wine by its aroma and bouquet before even tasting it. The nose and the imagination can inspire the discovery of a score of fascinating associations.

OAK - Aging wine in oak barrels imparts unique tastes and fragrances to the wine. Depending on where the oak was grown and how long the wine is aged in it, barrels impart varying amounts of wood, vanilla, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, chocolate and bitterness. Quality white wines gain an added dimension with moderate barrel aging, while reds are sometimes matured in oak for several years. Other woods, such as redwood are used for aging wine, but oak is generally the wood of choice. The type of oak is important too. French oak gives a taste and texture different from American oak (which is more pungent). Even the particular French forest where the oak is grown has an influence, as does the percentage of new oak barrels used.

TANNIN - Young red wines often give an astringent, tart, puckering, drying sensation felt particularly on the gums, roof and back of the mouth. This sensation is caused by tannin. Tannin is derived from grape skins, seeds and stems and can also be leeched from oak barrels during aging. (It is also present in tea leaves and is responsible for the bitterness of over-steeped tea.)
   Tannin is about five times higher in red wines than whites. Interestingly, the tannin content of a wine from the same vineyard can double or halve from year to year, depending on the weather. Tannin involves the sense of touch or feel, rather than taste. It is often confused with bitter or sour. A young wine with excess tannin may be too rough to enjoy today, but it is this same tannin that helps the wine to mature well. Tannins are anti-oxidants and help to protect young wines from spoilage. Over time, tannins soften, allowing the fruit and other essences of the wine to surface. A wine with insufficient tannin will be insipid, flat and short-lived.
   Tannin is not the only component responsible for the ageability of wines. Acids play a significant role in a wine’s aging process. In general, it is the balance of tannin, acidity, fruit and sugar that is very important in determining wine quality. So just because a wine has a lot of tannins does not necessarily mean it will age gracefully.

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