Wine Beyond Taste
By: Allen R. Balik
Taste is usually the first sense that comes to mind when thinking about wine and is the basis of the common, “I like it or I don’t like it” response to that first sip. There’s nothing wrong with this simple and personal reaction as it’s hard to enjoy anything – a glass of wine or a beautifully prepared dish – that doesn’t taste good. But wine actually appeals to all five senses and taste is typically the third, or in some cases the fourth, we encounter.
First, we visually appreciate a wine’s color, clarity and concentration before enriching our experience by savoring its bouquet. A clink of the glass in a celebratory toast may come next or perhaps we go directly to the sensation of taste by taking a sip. Then we can delight in the textural mouthfeel expression and finish.
In looking beyond our experience of the five senses, we can appreciate two critical properties that separate the very finest wines (regardless of price) from the more commodity driven selections. Balance and structure are key elements in the enjoyment and age-worthy potential of any wine and truly rise to the occasion in the more sophisticated examples. Each may be difficult to precisely define but as the old saying goes, “You’ll know it when you see it.”
Balance is achieved only when the key elements – acidity, tannin, fruit and alcohol – complement rather than overshadow each other. In a balanced wine they simply meld together creating a seamless tapestry with the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. There is no formula for calculating or creating balance and the component levels will naturally fluctuate due to multi-faceted influences of vintage, growing area, varietal and vinification methods to name a few.
Wine lovers and professionals agree that balance as the ultimate arbiter of a wine's quality and must be present from infancy as a young unbalanced wine cannot achieve this attribute with age. And when a wine is in balance its structure will naturally follow as it is a product of the same components.
Structure is a bit harder to define. An analogy I usually suggest is to look at our own bodies in drawing some parallels. The definition should come into better focus when we think of acidity as the backbone and skeleton supporting the weight and dimension of everything else. Tannin represents the musculature holding the skeleton together while adding shape to the frame. Alcohol is the underlying tissue providing an additional measure of contour and fruit is the flesh contributing its own character to complete the picture.
It's easy to understand why wines without proper acidity become "flabby" and collapse on the palate. Acidity is considered by many as the key player in defining structure. It assumes a dual role (skeleton and musculature) in white, sparkling and rosé wines as they have very little if any tannin for support. Tannin is an integral part of all reds albeit at different levels for various varietals (e.g. lower in Pinot Noir and higher in Cabernet Sauvignon).
Alcohol contributes to the body and mouthfeel of wine by adding a softening touch, but in excess it results in heat on the finish and an awkward sense of sweetness to the palate. All the while, the aromatic and flavor impressions contributed by fruit round out the experience while playing an important role in defining the character of each wine.
Continuing our journey beyond taste we should take a brief look at the underlying chemical nature of wine that has lately become a serious area of research. A wine’s composition (especially red wine) is reputed to be by far the most complex beverage we encounter and many also agree it is the most complex food product as well. Though there is no precise number of chemical compounds present in wine, studies have shown at least 800 and perhaps more than 1,000 exist in red wine and somewhat fewer in whites.
Each of these elements, whether acting on their own or in combination with others, affects all aspects of wine including color, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel and finish, as well as contributing either positively or negatively to age ability and a wine’s beneficial anti-oxidant effect.
The 800 or so compounds are largely comprised of organic molecular structures containing carbon, oxygen and hydrogen but as a group (acids, glycols, phenolics and others) comprise only about 2 percent of volume in the finished wine. Since alcohol and water provide the remaining 98 percent, we can further appreciate the power and influence of this critical subgroup.
Truly great wines go far beyond just taste (a given) and are not necessarily a product of a critic's score or a lofty price tag. Rather they separate from the pack by exhibiting enticing aromatics, attractive mouthfeel, pristine balance and a well-defined structure that ensure not only early enjoyment but also an ability to stand the test of time as they age gracefully in the bottle.