The Structure of Wine

Wine is a complex beverage that is often enjoyed for its range of flavors and textures. This lesson will explore the "Structure of Wine" which refers to the essential components that give wine its character.

The four pillars of wine structure are Sweetness, Tannins, Acidity, and Alcohol. Knowing how these 4 components interact can greatly enhance your wine tasting experience.

🍇 SWEETNESS | Taste on the tip of your tongue

Sweetness in wine comes from the residual sugar (RS) that remains after fermentation. This sugar enhances the fruit flavors and the overall perception of the wine. Sweetness is measured by how much RS is in the wine.

How does a wine become sweet?

All wines are made from grapes, that have naturally occurring fruit sugars. It's the transformation of these sugars into alcohol via the magic of fermentation that results in wine. A wine without any sugar is referred to as dry. But sometimes, not all the sugars from the grape are transformed into alcohol, and so the resulting wine can achieve varying degrees of sweetness. Sometimes, this is a deliberate act like for dessert wines and moscatos. Other times, the yeast eating the sugar simply runs out of energy and gives up. So we will have particularly fruity red wine that isn't quite dry, or maybe a white wine that is just a bit too fruity. These are referred to as off-dry.

Favorite sweet wines from our portfolio are:

• Vintner Moscato (California)
• Frizzante Red Wine (Italy)
• Sparkling Almond (California)

It is surprisingly delightful to pair a sweet wine with a salty food. Try pairing our Sparkling Brut with fried chicken or popcorn! 🥂 + 🍗 or 🍿 = 😋

🍇 TANNINS | Taste this in the back of your cheeks

Tannins are naturally occurring compounds found in the skins, seeds, and stems of grapes. They contribute to the wine's body and complexity. Foods and beverages such as tea, dark chocolate, nuts, and coffee also contain tannins.

Tannins have more of a texture and feel than a specific flavor. Depending on how intense the tannins are, you may experience a temporary puckering or drying sensation that may be similar to the astringent sensation of eating an unripe piece of fruit or drinking a cup of strong black tea. Tannins can also differ in texture and mouthfeel - from soft and silky to aggressive and grainy.

Both red and white grapes have tannins, but the intensity and characteristics vary. Typically red wines will have higher levels of tannins due to a process called maceration which has the grapes (skins, seeds, and stems) soak in crushed grapes (or fruit) for a period of time. Post-fermentation maceration lightens color, increases tannin, and decreases bitterness.

Tannins were built to pair with rich and/or fatty foods and they love to bind to proteins. In fact, if there aren't proteins from something you're eating, tannins will simply bind to the proteins in your saliva. This is what causes the drying sensation, as the tannins bind to protein molecules in your mouth. When tannin molecules bind to proteins, they cancel each other out. It also creates a palate-cleansing effect. 

A wine high in tannins from our collection would be the Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles. Pair this Cabernet Sauvignon with a fatty steak for a wonderful experience! 🍷+🥩=❤️

🍇 ACIDITY | Feel this in your throat as wine goes down

Acidity refers to the fresh, tart and sour attributes of the wine which are evaluated in relation to how well the acidity balances out the sweetness and bitter components of the wine (such as tannins).

A wine high in acidity will usually taste crisper and more tart on the palate - the sensory experience in your mouth when you drink or eat something. A low acid wine will feel softer and rounder on the palate. A great way to detect the acidity of a wine is by assessing how much it makes your mouth water. Similar to what your mouth does when you bite into a crisp crunchy apple - it starts to water! To test it in wine, take a small sip of wine and open your mouth wide and pay attention to how much saliva is produced. The more saliva, the higher the acidity.

Typically wines from cooler climates are higher in acidity than wines from warmer climates. This is because when grapes are just starting to ripen they are very high in acidity. Over the growing season, the acidity turns into sugar, ripening the grape. So the riper the grape the less acidity and more sweet juice in the grape. In cooler climates, grapes often do not ripen as much as in warmer regions, meaning there is often more acid still in the grape at harvest.

The same concept applies when grapes are picked from the vine. The earlier the grapes are harvested, the more acidity they will have. The later in the season, the less acidity. So earlier picked grapes will make crunchier, tarter styles of wine, and later picked grapes are rounder with riper fruit flavors. Think of how an early picked apple is sourer and tarter than an overripe one.

Grape types that are known for having high acidity are:

White - Sauvignon Blanc

Red - Pinot Noir

Experience our popular Vintner Sauvignon Blanc California and Reserve Pinot Noir Russian River Valley to see if you can detect their acidity levels.

🍇 ALCOHOL | Feel this in your chest at the finish

Alcohol is produced during fermentation when yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. The level of alcohol can effect the wine's body and flavor intensity, its weight on the palate and physical tasting sensations. For instance, higher alcohol wines feel more warming.

Generally, red wine is higher in alcohol than white wine, but any wine of at least 13% can start to show off its 'warmth'. When you have a rich red that is 15% alcohol, you will definitely notice the warm tasting sensation.

A wine that is higher in alcohol is generally bolder, weightier and sometimes oily. Wines that have lower alcohol tend to be lighter in body.

Here is a comparison in alcohol levels from our portfolio:

To learn more about the specific wine structure details of each varietal in our portfolio, go to your personal ONEHOPE website and select any wine then click on WINE DETAILS. 

It will provide you with the Sweetness, Body, Acidity, Alcohol, and Volume. You can easily reference or direct your customers to this section. 

A brief version of this information can also be found in the Wine Tasting Guide that is provided in the wine tasting kit.