One word that gets thrown around during a wine tasting is the word “balanced.” What exactly creates balance in wine?

Wine is made up of five sensory components: acid, sugar, alcohol, tannin and concentration. For a wine to be called balanced, these factors must be equally distributed without one outweighing the other. Let’s take a deeper look into these wine components and how to recognize them:

Acid

Imagine biting into a lemon slice, I bet you start to salivate and your lips pucker. An overly acidic wine will have the same impact on your mouth. In contrast, a wine without enough acid will taste flabby and lack interest.

Acid is naturally found in grapes but can quickly disappear as the grape ripens. It’s important to maintain an appropriate amount of acid for crisp character.

Click here to read more about acid’s role in wine and winemaking: https://www.untamedwines.com/sipping-on-science-what-acid-where/

Sugar

A wine should have enough acid present without crossing the acidic boundary. One way to make sure this component stays palatable is to counterbalance the acid with sugar.

Sugar and acid are inversely related to each other: as a grape ripens, the sugar level increases and the natural acidity decreases. Likewise, when a wine has a higher amount of sugar, the wine can remain in “balance” with a lower pH.

Sugar in wine is represented by the concentration of glucose and fructose found in the natural grape juice. These residual sugars are converted to alcohol as the wine undergoes primary fermentation. To be considered dry, a wine must have less than 4.0 g/L of these residual sugars. Although 4 grams does not sound like a lot, the slight addition of sugar can drastically change the overall character of the wine. Too much sugar and the wine will taste sweet, not enough and the wine could taste harsh or bitter.

Click here to read more about sugar’s role in wine and winemaking: https://www.untamedwines.com/does-my-wine-have-sugar/

Alcohol

Alcohol probably contributed to your choice in drinking this beverage over water. Although “the more alcohol the better” could be argued, having too much ABV results in a wine tasting hot or having a burning characteristic on the back of your palate. Not enough alcohol and you could mistake your glass for a juice box.

Tannin

Tannins come from grape seeds, grape skins, and exposure to wood barrels. Although they’re found in all wines, red wines are notorious for containing tannin because of their longer grape exposure during the wine making process. Tannins are great for wine structure and soften as the wine ages, but having too much tannin will suck all of your tastebuds dry.

Concentration

Concentration relates to the fruit flavor versus water. A glass of wine can contain up to 85% water, but the concentration of fruit flavor can contribute to the wine’s overall structure and balance.

Finding Balance

If you’ve taken a tour with us, you’ll discover that we believe winemaking is 50% science and 50% art. We test the wines to get a numerical result of acids, sugars, etc. to meet a general standard; however, not all wines will have the exact same result, nor should they. A balanced wine also considers consumer palates and the terroir of the grapes.

In summary, a balanced wine will contain all components in harmony with one another, equalize on your palate, express a sense of place, and most importantly, you enjoy it. It’s up to you to find your balance!