Acidity Levels in Wine

March 11, 2023

Acidity in wine is one of the four fundamental traits of a good wine (Acidity, Tannin, Alcohol and Sweetness). For a wine to be considered “good,” each of these traits must be in proper proportion or ‘balance’ to each another. If there’s too much of one part, the wine will be off. And, if there’s not enough of a specific component, the wine will be lacking.

So, the acidity of a wine must play its own fine balancing act. While there are no magic “right” numbers for the level of acidity in a wine, there are generally accepted ideals. But, as usual, personal taste is still the simplest determining factor.

As a quick review, pH is a measure of acidity and is a logarithmic scale. So, a pH of 3 is ten times more acidic than a pH of 4 (the lower the pH the more acidic).

Wines lie on the acidic side of the pH spectrum, and most range from 3 to about 4.5 pH. This is compared with water, which is neutral, with a pH of 7 (not acidic), milk at a pH of 6.7, coffee at 4.5-5.0, and lemonade at 2.6 (very acidic).

Acid is important in wine because it acts biologically as a preservative. A red wine with a pH of 3.5 to 4 protects against most spoilage bacteria allowing it to age over years rather than months and allows it to develop deeper more complex flavors. In white wines there is generally stronger acidity with the pH being between 3.0 to 3.5.

In addition to the pH level of a wine, its “Titratable Acidity” or “Total Acidity” (TA) is another way of measuring acidity. And, this is a measure that usually appears on a wine’s Tech Sheet that is generally available on-line from the winery.

Most red wines will have a total acidity of about 0.6 to 0.7% TA that converts to 6 to 7 grams/Liter (g/L) – that is 6 to 7 grams of acid per liter of wine. A white wine will have a higher TA between 6.5 to 7.5 g/L

Dry White Wines – 6.5 – 7.5g/L
Sweet White Wine – 7 – 8.5g/L
Dry Red Wine – 6 – 7g/L
Sweet Red Wines – 6.5 – 8g/L
Sherry – 5 – 6g/L

So, keep those taste buds perked up and see if you can detect an acidic wine (e.g., Sauvignon Blanc) over one that is not (e.g., Viognier), or a wine where the acidity is out of balance with its other components. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Winter White Wines (Part 2)

March 8, 2023

In Part 1 of “Winter White Wines” we looked at a dry Riesling from Austria and a Verdejo from Spain. Here are two more nice “Winter Whites” involving Chardonnay:

2021 Chateau Domecq White Blend ($13.99)

Chateau Domecq is one of the leading brands in Mexico. The Chateau Domecq wines offer exceptional value in the growing category of Mexican wines from the Valle de Guadalupe which is located inland from Ensenada in Baja California. The Mediterranean climate, morning fog from the Pacific Ocean, and valley topography is similar to parts of California.

This Chateau Domecq White is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Viognier. The Chardonnay is fermented and aged in 2nd use French oak barrels for 6 months with periodic bâtonnage (stirring the lees or, dead yeast, during the aging and maturation of wine) to give body and smoothness. The Viognier adds some richness and a smooth mouth-feel. The Chardonnay and Viognier are blended just before bottling. It is deep gold in color with subtle aromas of pear. On the palate it has great richness and smoothness with flavors of peach and pineapple.

2019 Ritual Chardonnay ($20.99)

This wine is from the Casablanca Valley of Chile, a cool climate area on the northwestern side of Chile’s coastal range that is less than 20 miles from the Pacific Ocean.

This wine is produced from 100% Chardonnay grapes. A portion of the fruit is whole-cluster fermented in concrete eggs (20%) to increase the wine’s texture and fruit flavors. The rest is fermented in oak barrels (20% new/60% neutral) which delivers structure, complexity and silkiness. After fermentation, the wine is stirred on-lees regularly in order to achieve its maximum expression.

This Ritual Chardonnay is medium gold in color with aromas of baked apple, pear and citrus along with some earthiness. On the palate, this dry Chardonnay (1.3 G/L residual sugar) has bright citrus fruit flavors and bold acidity (7.79 G/L).

Remember, as we learned previously, to get the fullest and richest flavors from these wines, serve them a bit warmer, in the 50-55° F range. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Gonzalez Byass via Donna White Communications

Want Your White Wine to Have More Flavor? Don't Serve it So Cold!

March 4, 2023

Some people really like don’t care for white wine. They say it just doesn’t have as much flavor as red wines.

But, maybe, your experience with white wines has all been with very cold white wines. If you are drinking white wine right out of a standard refrigerator (which is typically 35-40 degrees F) you’re serving it too cold. Heavily chilling wines does cause them to have less flavor.

But, a lightly chilled white wine (50-55° F range) will allow you to experience the wine as it was intended by the winemaker.

A rule-of-thumb that I’ve always used for white wine is that if you are using a standard refrigerator to chill your wine, you should take the bottle of white wine out approximately 30 minutes before you want to serve it. That should leave a light chill on it. Or, if you own a wine refrigerator, you probably already know that it should be set to approximately 50 to 55 degrees F for white wines.

While serving a white wine at a warmer temperature does help to bring out more flavor, remember, the serving temperature of your wine a matter of personal preference. Whatever your preference, enjoy!

Behind the Cork™ - Winter White Wines (Part 1)

March 1, 2023

Standard convention says that during the colder days of winter, a hearty red wine is the one to pick. And, while that’s not wrong, there are also white wines that are well-suited for winter drinking.

Winter white wines are not the bright, fruity and refreshing ones that you may normally think of, such as Sauvignon Blanc, but rather whites that are a bit bigger and more powerful in flavor such that they pair well with heartier winter dishes.

And, these winter whites don’t need to be extra chilled in a standard refrigerator. Winter whites should be served in the 50-55° F range.

Here are a couple of nice examples:

2021 Domäne Wachau Riesling ($18.99)

This Domäne Wachau Federspiel Terrassen Riesling is from the Wachau Valley on the Danube River in Austria where Riesling is famous. It comes from sustainable and increasingly organic principles. It is hand-picked, pressed and then fermented on lees in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fruit flavors. It is medium straw in color with delicate aromas of lime and green apple. On the palate, this dry Riesling (1.2 g/L residual sugar) has flavors of peach, apricot and bee’s wax.

2020 Beronia Rueda ($13.99)

Rueda is a wine region located on the Duero river in Spain just northwest of the Spanish capital, Madrid. And, it is known for its white wines made predominantly from the Verdejo grape variety. This 100% Verdejo wine is fermented in both stainless steel (which preserves the complexity and intensity of the aroma) and concrete tanks (which promotes contact with the lees and helps to a full-bodied wine). This Beronia Rueda is pale yellow in color with green hints. On the nose it exhibits rich fruit flavors and fennel which is typical of the Verdejo grape. On the palate, this dry wine (<2 g/L residual sugar) has the flavor of grapefruit pith which leads to a slight touch of bitterness on the finish which is also typical of the Verdejo grape.

Both of these wines are fine examples of white wines that can be enjoyed with winter meals and, again, can be served in the 50-55° F range. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received these samples at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples Provided by Gonzalez Byass via Donna White Communications