Ever Wonder? What is Wine Body?

The wine world will refer to a wine’s body, saying things like the wine is light-bodied, medium-bodied or full-bodied. And, while describing a wine’s body is common, it is not always well understood. So, what does wine body mean exactly and why should you care?

To sum it up in a few words, a wine’s body is a description of how bold or rich the wine tastes. And, this “simple” term is really associated with several characteristics of the wine:

• The Grape Variety Used in the Wine - Grape varieties produce different bodied wines (see the examples below).

• The Climate Where the Grapes are Grown: Typically, grapes grown in warm climates produce more full-bodied wines. These warm climates allow the grapes to become well-ripened, which means lots of natural sugar in the grapes.

• Alcohol Level: The amount of sugar in a ripe grape is directly related to the level of alcohol produced during fermentation. Usually, wines with 14% alcohol or higher are described as more full-bodied.

• Residual Sugar: Sugar that remains in a wine after fermentation can increase the body of a wine without actually tasting sweet. Residual Sugar (RS) levels in ‘dry’ wines are typically 1 - 10 grams per Liter (g/L).

• Oak Aging: Wines that are aged in oak are typically more full-bodied. But, this depends on the type of oak used (new, used or neutral) and the amount of time the wine is aged in oak.

A Few Examples:

• Light Bodied-White Wines - Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), Albariño, Grenache Blanc, Vinho Verde and un-oaked Chardonnay.

• Light-Bodied Red Wines - Rosé (yes, rosé is a red wine!), Gamay, Beaujolais Nouveau

• Medium-Bodied White Wines - Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, Sémillon, Viognier and Chardonnay

• Medium-Bodied Red Wines - Pinot Noir, Grenache, Carménère, Carignan, Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Sangiovese, Zinfandel, Rhône Blends of Grenache, Syrah & Mourvèdre (GSM), Merlot, Zinfandel

• Full-Bodied White Wines - Chardonnay that is oaked and undergone Malolactic Conversion, Marsanne, Russane, Chenin Blanc

• Full-Bodied Red Wines - Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Petite Syrah, Malbec, Tempranillo, Petite Verdot, Tannat

Finally, understanding wine’s body is important to knowing how to pair wines with specific foods. We’ll get to that next time. Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Trivento Malbec

2021 Trivento Malbec ($11)

On April 17, wine lovers around the world will celebrate Malbec World Day, an international tribute to Argentinian Malbec. At Bodega Trivento, this day honors the rich history of Mendoza as well as looks forward to pioneering the future of sustainable winemaking.

 Trivento is the largest B Corp certified company in the Argentinian agricultural sector and Argentina’s #1 wine brand worldwide.

One of only five certified B Corp wineries in Argentina, Trivento adheres to rigorous business, social and environmental standards within its operations, supply chain and community—a triple-impact model that is a rarity and triumph for a brand operating at this scale. The winery’s commitment to the people and land of Mendoza makes it a shining example of what the region has to offer.

This Trivento wine is produced from 100% Malbec. Half of the grapes come from the Uco Valley while the other half are from Luján and Maipú, Mendoza. It spends 20 days of fermentation in stainless steel tanks and 4 days of post-fermentation maceration. It then undergoes natural malolactic fermentation followed by aging for 6 months in French and American oak barrels. It is medium-purple in color with aromas of dark red fruit and plum with some herbal hints. On the palate, this full-bodied Malbec has flavors of red fruit (raspberry and cherry) along with black fruit flavor of plum and blackberry.

This Vegan-certified Trivento Reserve Malbec is perfect for celebrating Malbec World Day on April 17th and a great value that fits right in as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week! Cheers!

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

Sample Provided by Bodega Trivento via Jarvis Communications

Ever Wonder? What is Corked Wine?

Photo by Andreas Haslinger on Unsplash

In the wine world, there is such a thing as “Corked” wine. And, no, it doesn’t mean that the cork has been removed from a bottle of wine. Pulling the cork is usually a good thing. But, a “Corked” wine is actually a bad thing.

You may have had “Corked” wine and not even noticed. But, usually it’s quite apparent. That is, if you know what you’re looking for.

“Corked” wine refers to a wine that has been contaminated with ‘cork taint.’ This can happen if the wine is bottled with an infected cork. This infection occurs when natural cork fungi come in contact with certain chlorides found in bleaches and other cleaning products. This combination forms Trichloroanisole (TCA) which is what is responsible for ‘cork taint.’

This cork ‘infection’ can have two very different effects on a wine. The one that is easiest to detect is an odor that’s been compared to the smell of wet cardboard, wet newspaper, a damp basement or even a wet dog! The other less detectable effect is that the wine will seem to lack aromas and have little or no taste. This seems to be from the fact that TCA has a way interfering with your sense of smell.

So, if you pull the cork on a wine and get a musty aroma, or if you are very familiar with a wine, and this bottle just doesn’t seem anything like it should, you’re likely dealing with a “Corked” wine. Now, there’s actually no harm in consuming a “Corked” wine. But, the musty aroma or the complete lack of aroma may strongly affect your enjoyment of the wine. The literature suggests that as much as 3% of wines that are sealed with a cork will be “Corked.” So, always remember to practice the 5 S’s of wine, with one of those being ‘Smell.’ And, here’s to drinking un-tainted wine! Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Vitis Ridge Viognier

2021 Vitis Ridge Viognier ($22)

Vitis Ridge is currently owned and operated by Chris & Sharon Deckelmann.  What started as a hobby in their garage over 20 years ago has evolved into one of the North Willamette Valley's most popular wineries. Vitis Ridge is part of the Cascade Foothills Winegrowers, a consortium of wineries on the East side of the Willamette Valley.

Established in 2005, Vitis Ridge is a boutique Oregon winery producing about 3,000 cases annually. They focus on unique wines and specialty blends and are currently offering 30 varietals.

Their Estate vineyards are comprised of nearly 150 acres and include Pinot Noir, Maréchal Foch, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chardonnay, and Muscat.  They also bring in grapes from vineyards throughout the Northwest to provide a broader range of offerings and interesting terrior differences.

This Vitis Ridge Viognier is sourced from the Rattlesnake Hills AVA in Yakima Valley Washington. It was processed entirely in stainless steel tanks. It is medium gold in color with bright citrus aromas. On the palate it has the classic “oily” mouthfeel that make it smooth tasting with flavors of apricot, peach and tangerine on its delightful finish.

Vitis Ridge keeps their prices affordable so you can open the bottle you want to drink anytime...not just for the special event. That makes this Vitis Ridge Viognier a perfect fit as this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week! Next time you are in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, stop in at Vitis Ridge and meet their Tasting Room Manager, Brian Everest, to check out all their great wines. Cheers!

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Disclosure: This wine was purchased directly from Vitas Ridge. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Ever Wonder? Should You Decant a Wine, Use an Aerator or a Blender?

Photo by Theme Photos on Unsplash

Both the use of an aerator and the process of decanting a wine provide the wine with further exposure to oxygen. This typically helps a wine to release any undesirable odors and, more importantly, to help soften the tannins in a red wine.

Young red wines often have bigger, bolder tannin and benefit the most from decanting. Sometimes for hours. But, older red wines are usually a bit more delicate and can quickly lose their character, or go flabby, if decanted.

So, if you are dealing with a young red wine whose tannins are too bold, try pouring it into a wide-base decanter. Then, re-sample it periodically. Usually after an hour or two, the decanting process will have calmed the tannins and you’ll find a noticeable positive difference.

If you are dealing with an older bottle of red wine, try it immediately after pulling the cork. If you detect something odd or the tannins are still too bold, then pour it into a decanter (being especially careful to avoid pouring any sediment into the decanter) and give it 10 to 15 minutes. Then, re-try the wine.

As for an aerator, they are fun pouring accessories, and they do add a bit of oxygen to the wine during the pouring process. But, for really giving a wine some breathing space, give it some time in a broad-based decanter.

And, by the way, forget about “hyper-decanting” a wine in the blender. It may be a trendy on-line thing, but it’s really unnecessary. It can ruin a nice older wine or turn a young red wine into a frothy red drink that has lost its character. Cheers!