The Four Fundamental Traits of a Good Wine (And How They Must be Balanced)

There are four fundamental traits that comprise a good wine. They are Acidity, Tannin, Alcohol and Sweetness.

For a wine to be considered “good,” each of these traits must be in proper proportion to each another.

This is because each of these four fundamental traits play a vital role in how the wine tastes. If there’s too much of one part, the wine will be off. And, if there’s not enough of a specific component, the wine will be lacking.

Too much acidity will make a wine taste sharp. Too much tannin will make the wine overly astringent. Too much alcohol and the wine will yield a burning sensation in your throat. And, too much residual sugar will make a wine overly sweet.

More specifically, the "hard" components of acidity and tannins typically are used to balance the "soft" components of sweetness and alcohol.

It’s truly is a balancing act for winemakers.

And, a balanced wine is one in which all the fundamental traits work together in harmony.

What is a "Fine" Wine?

I recently heard a radio ad that included the statement "...you will be served fine wine..." It got me thinking - what is "fine" wine?  It sounds really great but begs the question "What is fine wine?

Let's start off with the easiest answer which is that "fine wine" is not well defined and somewhat subjective. So, buyer beware. The phrase leads one to believe that the wine must be something special. But it can end up being a lot of things.

Unfortunately, in this ad, I suspect that the "fine" wines will turn out to be quite ordinary.

Generally, the term "fine wine" is reserved for exceptional wines from the world's best vineyards, the highest quality grapes and the most acclaimed winemakers. And, over a period of years, these wines have usually been recognized for their status.

But many additional factors can go into defining a "fine" wine. These may include the region where the grapes are grown or the vineyard that produced it. It can refer to wines that have stood the test of time and have proven to be age-worthy. It can refer to the wine's characteristics such as balance and structure. The phrase can also have connotations of high monetary value. Or, distinguishing between mass-marketed wines and those that are produced in limited quantities.

Regardless, consumers must first realize that "fine wine" is a very subjective and unregulated term. These wines may be special, or premium wines. But, it may also just be a marketing trick.

What is most important is that you shouldn't let anyone tell you what to drink. Enjoy drinking a wine that makes you happy - fine wine or not! Cheers!

Factors that Affect How Sweet a Wine Tastes

Last time, the topic of residual sugar was discussed.  Simply put, residual sugar (RS) is a measure of the sugar (typically in grams per liter) that remains in wine after fermentation.

During an uninterrupted fermentation, the yeast will continue to convert sugar to alcohol until nearly all the sugar is gone or the alcohol level reaches the point that the yeast can no longer live. But, if a wine maker decides to interrupt the fermentation, for example by lowering the temperature to the point where fermentation stops, they end up with wines having higher residual sugar.  That's one way to get a wine with higher residual sugar that tastes sweet.

In the case of sweet dessert wines, the grapes are either allowed to ripen to the point where they have very high sugar levels, dried to create a high sugar to water ratio (raisins) or, in the case of Ice Wine, the grapes are squeezed while frozen so the water does not get extracted and only a highly concentrated sugar solution results. In all these cases, fermentation starts with very high sugar levels so that upon completion of fermentation, there is a high amount of residual sugar.

Another way that wines can seem sweet has little to do with residual sugar.  Wines such as Gewürztraminer and Chenin Blanc are typically thought of as sweet wines.  But whereas a dry (very low RS) Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel will have 0.5 to 1.0 grams per liter (g/L) of residual sugar, a Gewürztraminer can have as little as 1.5 g/L RS and a Chenin Blanc may have around 3.0 g/L RS.  To put this in perspective, a soda pop will typically have around 100 g/L RS!  So, yes, a Chenin Blanc may have twice the RS of a Cabernet, but it's tiny in comparison to a really sweet drink. So why are these wines often considered sweet?  Typically, it's because these wines have big, bright, bold fruit flavors and aromas that we associate with sweetness such as melon, apple, honey, rose, pineapple and grapefruit. Our nose 'fools' us into believing that the wine is sweet when it really doesn't have a significant sugar content.

On the other end of the spectrum are wines such as a sweet Riesling. These can have RS levels in the 40 g/L range. This is definitely sweeter.  One of the reasons that this sweetness is kept in-balance is by the high acidity of these grapes.  You've probably experienced this with lemonade and sodas such as colas which are very high in sugar (> 100 g/L RS) but also have very high acidity. The characteristics of sweetness and acidity balance each other out for a more enjoyable drink.

Another common wine that tends to be sweeter is White Zinfandel. It can have RS levels of 20-40 g/L.  Hence, it makes a great entry-level wine or just a sweet refreshing wine.

And, while we often think only of white wines and rosés as being the ones that can be sweet, even red wines can be a bit on the sweet side. Examples include common red wine blends found in grocery stores with brand names such as Apothic Red, Menage a Trois, Stella Rossa, Yellow Tail and Barefoot.  Even the very popular Meiomi Pinot Noir has 7 g/L of residual sugar.  Now you know why these brands are so popular!

As always, what's most important is that you drink what you like. And, if your taste buds steer you in the direction of sweetness, there are plenty of wines to explore and enjoy. Cheers!