Wine Acidity

Wine acidity is often misunderstood because we get all tripped up in the words...

In most areas in life, something being 'acidic' is usually a bad sign...a really bad sign.

Acid rain? No thanks.

An acidic personality? Aye.

But in wine it's a whole other story.

It gives wine much of its zing, structure, mouthfeel, and aftertaste.

And it doesn't matter which type of wine acid we're referring to - no need to worry about specifics. You won't be able to taste the difference, and unless you have a degree in chemistry, it's not all that thrilling to learn about anyways.

But let there be no doubt: wine always has a bite to it - it's not like a glass of tap water that's been sitting on the kitchen counter for three days...or at least, it really, really shouldn't be!!

Acidity plays an essential role in a wine's overall performance and character, and more interestingly, in how the wine complements food.

Quick Facts about how this all relates to Wine and Food Pairings

  • The higher the acidity in a wine, the easier it will be to pair with various foods, especially with heavy weights like meat dishes or tomato-based sauces.
  • That's because such highly acidic wines cut right through the deliciously fatty ingredients like butter, cream, and aninmal fats.
  • In fact, the acidity in such wines aide digestion of protein-heavy meals. So not only are you enjoying your wine during a meal, you're also enjoy your meal more during a meal!
  • Some of the top wine for food pairings are: Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, dry sparkling wines, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera due to its high acid/low tannin combination, Merlot, Pinot Noir, and Syrah.
  • As for rose wines...steer clear! They're almost never favorable choices when eating, unless we're talking about a fruit tart!
  • Click here for a very useful food and wine pairing chart.

Wine Tasting Notes
Wine Terms for Wine Acidity:

  • acetic
  • brisk
  • brutal
  • crisp
  • edgy
  • fresh
  • lively
  • mouthwatering
  • nervous
  • pungent
  • racy
  • refreshing
  • searing
  • sharp
  • snappy
  • sprightly
  • stinging
  • tangy
  • tart
  • vibrant
  • zesty
  • zippy

* * * * * * *

› Easy Wine Glossary › Wine Acidity

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