Ever Had a Peppery Zinfandel?

Zinfandel is a very popular California wine. One that can take on two very different flavor personalities.

Zinfandel that is grown in warm places usually results in grapes that get very ripe and produce big jammy “fruit bomb” flavors. High alcohol levels are usually included in these wines. But, Zinfandel that is grown in cooler climates can result in wines with lots of herbal flavors.

While Zinfandel can have a variety of herbal flavors, the primary one is usually described as “peppery.” A recent article in Wine Spectator (June 2018) featured California Zinfandels with descriptions that included “…pepper…savory cracked pepper…green peppercorn…white pepper aromas…fresh pepper aromas…cracked pepper notes…white pepper flavors…loaded with pepper…smoky pepper flavors.”

The reason for these peppery flavors in wine is a bit technical, but let’s give it a try. It has to do with physical chemical compounds. And, the compound rotundone is responsible for contributing the spice qualities similar to the experience of cracked peppercorns. Now, just to take this one step further down the technical path, rotundone is part of a larger class of aromatic terpenes called sesquiterpenes, which is the primary compound found in black or white peppercorns.

But, there is no where near the quantity of rotundone found in the skins of wine grapes than in peppercorns. They are so few that they are not perceivable in the grape off the vine (that would be a bit weird to bite into a peppery grape!). But the tiny amounts of this compound often become perceivable in the taste of wines following the process of fermentation. And, yes, there’s a lot of chemistry going on there too.

Now, this peppercorn flavor from rotundone is not to be confused with bell peppers. This is also a flavor that is commonly found in wines. These are due to methoxypyrazines which are commonly occurring compounds that result in subtle vegetable or herb-like aromas and flavors, such as bell peppers, asparagus or mint. Methoxypyrazines (usually referred to as pyrazines) are found in numerous wines, including Zinfandels, when the grapes are picked slightly underripe or “green,” or when the grapes are fermented with grape stems, which are high in methoxypyrazines. So, it is not uncommon to find lighter, earlier picked or stem-fermented styles of Zinfandel that are also slightly herbal due to pyrazines.

So, bell pepper and black pepper flavor compounds are not the same but they can appear in wines for different reasons. Nonetheless, next time you get to enjoy a Zinfandel, try to determine which of the two flavor personalities it has — jammy or peppery. And, which peppery flavors you are experiencing.

Cheers!

What are Jammy, Buttery & Earthy Wines?

Ever wonder how terms like 'Jammy,' 'Buttery,' and 'Earthy' can be associated with wine? A product that made with grapes?

Previously we looked at "How do all those flavors get into wine?" There we learned that taste and smell come from the combination of senses from your tongue and your nose that your brain puts together to form flavor. We also learned that aging a wine, especially in oak barrels, can impart flavors that go beyond the fruit flavors from the grape.

So, let's briefly explore the terms 'jammy,' 'buttery,' and 'earthy' with respect to wines.

The first, jammy, is probably the easiest to understand. Just like a jar of fruit jam that you may spread on toast, jammy wines have very concentrated fruit flavors. And because jammy wines are made from very ripe fruit (i.e., high in sugar content) they can end up with just a slight hint of sweetness to go along with the concentrated fruit flavors. Hence, a jammy wine.  Zinfandel is best known for having jammy characteristics.

Next is buttery. Seemly an odd term to be associated with wine. But buttery flavor can be created in wine in one of two ways. First, putting the wine through the process of malolactic conversion (often referred to a malolactic fermentation) turns the naturally formed malic acid that you might associated with tart green apples into lactic acid that is most commonly associated with cream or butter.  The second process that can add buttery flavor to a wine is oak aging.  While most red wines go through malolactic conversion and oak aging, it's Chardonnay that's best known for showing buttery flavors.

Finally, earthy wines are those that have subtle aromas of damp earth, forest floor, mushrooms or a bit of a dusty aroma. Earthy wines include Pinot Noir and Petite Sirah. These should not be pungent aromas, you should just get a hint. If these aromas are strong it usually indicates that the wine has become tainted.

While these descriptors may sound a bit odd when associated with wine, they really can be wonderful enhancements to your wine drinking experience. So, remember to swirl and smell your wines in the glass, then sip. And then see if you can pick out these interesting nuances. Cheers!