Characteristics of wine and what they mean

When we’re out at a restaurant we might ask what the Sommelier would recommend from their wine menu, or they might ask what types of wine you typically prefer so they can make a recommendation.

The reason they ask this is because wine is so subjective and diverse! One style of wine you might love and find very balanced, but at the same time if someone else tasted the same wine, you may very well feel otherwise about it. Acknowledging this and understanding what we do and don’t like in a wine will help you navigate a wine shop, a restaurant wine list or even just in the company of your family and friends.

Starting at the basic characteristics of wine helps you to understand what you do and don’t like to put simply and also helps to understand the structure of wine you like to drink.

So, to kick off, the 5 main characteristics of wine you'll want to get familiar with are.. 

Sweetness, Acidity, Tannin, Alcohol and Body

Aside from getting to know what you like in a wine and why you like a certain wine, recognising these characteristics will help you to understand what components really attribute to the taste of a wine and even the foods you may like to pair certain wines with.

Let’s take a deep dive into each, shall we?

Sweetness:

Majority of the sweetness in wine comes from the natural grape sugars which are left over after the fermentation – this is called the residual sugar.

As the grapes ripen through the growing season they swell with water, acidity in the grape decreases and the level of sugar increases which generally plays a role in the alcohol level we see in wines as the yeast convert the sugars into alcohol. 

The winemaker can adopt process driven techniques in order to increase a wines sweetness, for instance they may look to stop fermentation early to ensure there is some residual sugar leftover. It all depends on the style of wine they are looking to achieve.

Of course, certain styles of wine are produced  with the intent to be sweet, but a good tip if you do have a bottle in front of you is to look at the alcohol percentage of the wine. Typically, sweeter wines will have a lower alcohol percentage, something less than 13%

If you want to taste a sweet wine, try a Moscato or give Sauternes a go. Sauternes being one of the world’s most known sweet white wines. Sugar acts as a great preservative in wine, allowing wines like Sauternes age very well. These are just two examples but of course there are so many you can try if you do enjoy sweet wines.

Acidity:

Acidity in wines is present in all wines but varies quite a bit. It gives wine freshness and also acts as a preservative for ageing wines. Acidity is the tart and sour sensation to wine you get in our mouth and can sometimes be confused with alcohol in wine.

Wines high in acidity will make your mouth tingle! They add a fresh, 'spritzy' sensation – enough to quench your thirst on a warm day.

Acidity is really important to consider when you’re looking to pair a wine with food. Foods with high fats and some sweetness balance well and tend to soften tart acidity of wines.

Want to test acidity on your palate? Try some lemon juice and observe how your palate reacts and puckers. Now think of this while drinking lemonade and imagine how the tart sensation gives freshness and quenches your thirst.

Tannin:

Tannins are the presence of phenolic compounds in wine that contribute to its bitterness. Technical lingo aside, tannins are found in the skin of a grape, seeds, stems of a grapevine and sometimes added to a wine when aged in oak. Grapes with a thicker skin will typically have more tannins which come you taste on your palate. 

Tannin tastes bitter on the front and sides of your mouth and makes your tongue dry out that lingers for a while. They are great for providing structure and a ‘back-bone’ for wines. More importantly, tannin acts as a preservative in wine to help with its age-ability. 

Did you know tannins are found a lot in nature? For example they are found on leaves, bark and tea.

You might be thinking by now, how can I tell when a wine has a lot of tannin going on? If you want to get a sense of what tannin feels like (minus the wine), put a wet black tea bag on your tongue for a moment and then remove it. Since tannin is found in tea, notice the drying sensation on your tongue and in your mouth!

If you’re after a wine to get a sense of high tannin levels, try a Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese or Shiraz (Syrah).

Alcohol:

Alcohol is important in getting a balance for wines. Alcohol is created in the fermentation process when yeasts convert the natural sugar in grapes to alcohol. Thinking about this in terms of climates of wine regions, those with warmer climates will be able to grow riper grapes with high levels of sugar which means there is more sugar to ferment. The result? Generally a higher alcohol fuller bodied wine!

Alcohol can be felt in the back of your mouth and essentially is the warm sense in our throats. A light-medium white wine is generally lighter in alcohol but on the other hand, red wines will tend more towards the higher alcohol levels, usually up around the 13.5-15% alcohol.

These elements provide a great way to profile a wine and together add different components and expressions to a wine. When a wine is in complete unison of all these characteristics, it is known to be balanced, with each playing an equal role in the taste of the wine.

Now knowing a little more about the characteristics of wine, hopefully you’ll be able to take this information and start to get a sense of what styles of wines you like – which is the starting place for exploring the world of wine out there, cheers!