| Although millions of people across the
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| | if the other flavors are not sufficiently
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| globe enjoy wine, very few of them know
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| | powerful.
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| exactly what it is about a particular
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| | Acid
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| wine that they enjoy. By understanding
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| | Acid found in wine balances against the
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| each of the different components of wine,
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| | residual sugar that is left after the
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| you can quickly establish the parts you
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| | fermentation process has finished. There
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| prefer, and therefore choose your next
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| | are three key types of acid in wine,
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| bottle with more confidence.
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| | tartaric, malic and citric. All of these
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| Sugar
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| | acids are found in varying quantities in
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| Sweeter wines have more sugar than dry
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| | the skins of grapes
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| wines. During the fermentation process a
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| | Alcohol may react with bacteria within
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| lot of the natural fruit sugar is
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| | the wine to create acetic acid; this is
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| fermented. However, in some wines,
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| | not generally a good thing as too much
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| residual (remaining) sugar may be higher
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| | acetic acid will make a wine taste more
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| and therefore a sweeter wine is produced.
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| | like vinegar than anything else!
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| Alcohol
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| | Fruit
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| Most people know that one of the key
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| | This is what tends to differentiate one
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| components of wine is alcohol! Alcohol is
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| | wine from the other. Fruity tastes are
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| fundamental to the taste of wine. The
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| | what we look for in a wine and different
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| alcohol volume most wines range between
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| | grapes will produce a myriad of fruit
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| nine and fifteen per cent. Fortified wine
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| | flavors. It is the combination of tastes
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| can be as high as twenty per cent
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| | that makes each wine unique and special.
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| alcohol.
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| | Carbon Dioxide
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| Tannin
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| | During every fermentation process, carbon
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| Tannin comes from the skin of grapes.
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| | dioxide is produced. Most of this is
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| Therefore, tannin is much more
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| | normally released, however, in some wines
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| fundamental as a taste component in red
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| | a degree of fizz can be left in a wine to
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| wine than in white.
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| | add a little extra to an otherwise very
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| Too much tannin in a wine is not a good
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| | ordinary wine. Of course, in sparkling
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| thing and can result in the wine tasting
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| | wines, the carbon dioxide is retained and
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| spoiled.
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| | is fundamental to the taste.
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| However, tannin helps to preserve a wine,
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| | Oak
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| which means that some wines can be kept
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| | No longer an essential component of
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| for years and even improve with age.
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| | everyday quaffing wines, oak barrels are
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| A small amount of tannin is also a
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| | still used on occasions to add a vanilla,
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| positive taste characteristic to regular
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| | oaky flavor. Oak barrels can add an extra
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| wine drinkers, if a little over-whelming
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| | dimension to plain wines that will make
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| for novice wine drinkers.
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| | them much more saleable and enjoyable.
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| Water
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| | All of these components make the wine
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| All wines contain water that has been
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| | that we see in our glasses. Next time you
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| extracted naturally from the grapes from
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| | pour yourself a glass of wine, take some
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| which they were produced. Very rarely, if
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| | time to think about which elements are
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| ever, would extra water be added to a
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| | supporting your enjoyment, and which you
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| wine. In fact, some wines will be
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| | could do without.
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| criticized for being excessively watery
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