Part 2

Let's continue our wine journey with the last part of our series “Wine - It's easier than you think”.

About the appearance and the nose, we have already talked before so the taste is gonna be in focus this time.

Flavor and Taste - A Tiny Detail Makes the Difference

The terms “taste” and “flavor” are often used interchangeably by many, but they actually refer to different aspects of our sensory experience. “Taste” specifically relates to the five basic tastes—sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami—that we detect with our taste buds. It's just one component of what we experience as “flavor”. Flavor, on the other hand, encompasses the entire sensory experience, combining taste, smell, and other chemical sensations to create the full perception of what we're eating or drinking.

Sweetness

There are 2 different aspects when it comes to sweetness. One is the perceived sweetness, the other one the technical sweetness.

The perceived sweetness of a wine is influenced by a complex interplay of various factors. While the sugar content is a key component here, of course, the levels of alcohol, acids, and tannins also play crucial roles in the perception of the sweetness.

Sugars and alcohol contribute to the wine's sweetness perception, whereas acids introduce sourness and tannins add bitterness. This balance of elements ultimately shapes the wine's overall taste profile. This is, why in most cases with wines that are naturally high in acidity the perceived sugar is lower, than the real technical sugar level.

Technical sweetness is the chemical measurement in grams/liter.

Below we have a short overview of the different sweetness categories in wine.

We also have to be aware of the fact that a dry wine for instance does not have the same sweetness level as a dry sparkling as other regulations belong to the category of sparkling wine, see below.

Acidity

The acidity in wine is quantified as ‘titratable acidity' or ‘total acidity', which encompasses the sum of all acids present in the wine. The strength of this acidity is measured by pH, with most wines falling within a pH range of 2.9 to 3.9.

Furthermore it is not just one type of acid that wine contains but there are rather four primary acids: tartaric, malic, citric, and lactic. Tartaric and malic acids make up about 90% of the total acidity. We won't go into detail about the different characteristics of those acids as it would burst the limit but we promise there will be a separate article about this topic soon, so all the ones thirsty for more knowledge are being fed properly.

Tannin

Tannins in wine contribute bitterness, astringency, and complexity. It feels slightly like it is drying out your mouth. While predominantly present in red wines (extracted from the skins and the stalks of the berries), some white wines also contain tannins, often from aging in wooden barrels or skin contact.

Alcohol

Wine alcohol content (ABV) varies significantly, ranging from 5.5% to 23%. High-ABV wines are often classified as fortified wines such as Madeira, Sherry or Port, and achieve their higher alcohol content through the addition of extra sugar or spirits. These fortified wines are typically sweeter than non-fortified varieties.

Alcohol can give a burning sensation when too high, and make the wine taste flat when too low, but its role as flavor resolvent is huge.

Wine's taste and aroma are hence influenced by a range of flavor compounds dissolved in alcohol. The base aroma, or “wine odor”, is formed by 20 aromatic chemicals, only one of which (β-damascenone) is naturally found in grapes. The others are produced by yeast metabolism. Key components include higher alcohols, acids, ethyl esters, acetates, and ethanol, with ethanol significantly affecting the wine's aromatic profile. Additionally, 16 contributory compounds, such as volatile phenols, ethyl esters, fatty acids, and vanillin derivatives, are present in most wines at low levels. These compounds synergistically enhance the wine's characteristic scents even at concentrations below their individual detection thresholds.

Body

Wine body refers to the weight and richness of a wine on the palate, influenced by grape variety, alcohol content, sweetness and total dry extract. Understanding wine body can help you identify your style preference, making it easier to discover new favorite wines.

Flavor Intensity

Flavor intensity is a key indicator of wine quality, measures the concentration of taste. Wines with high fruit concentration signal premium quality, whereas those with low concentration and a watery taste suggest lower quality.

Flavor Characteristics

Flavor characteristics are divided into primary, secondary and tertiary aromas. We want to point at the first part of the article series here, in case you should have missed it.

Finish

The finish or aftertaste, which refers to how long the wine's taste lingers after swallowing or spitting, also plays a crucial role in assessing a wine's overall excellence.

Well, here we have put wine in all its different components, and analyzed it till the last tiny detail. And the secret of good wine is basically a term called balance, the balance amongst all those structural elements without one sticking out.

To give an example, a Trockenbeerenauslese might have a high sugar level, nevertheless, it will not taste luscious thanks to the high natural acidity deriving from Riesling as a grape.

But in the end, the most important thing is that you are pleased with what you are having in your glass, hence everyone's taste buds are individual and the sensation for a certain wine can be influenced by what you have eaten before, with whom you are drinking it, what temperature it has, what kind of music you are hearing while drinking it, and so on.

In this case, we wish you all the joy with your pick from Vinovoss.com.

Cheers!

Lotte Gabrovits