I do not go by the chemistry of wine. We only talk perceptions essential taste: fruity, creamy, fresh, tannic.
The wine is the grape variety (cepage)
The grape variety is the vine and grapes. The wine is fermented grape mainly. If the taste of wine is varied to infinity, it is first that there are many varieties, grown in a myriad of situations and climates.
Aromas:
The aromas are the smells. It collects in the upper nose. They can climb glass or mouth (by retro-olfaction). They are therefore perceived before, during and after the presence of wine in the mouth.
The red wines are first and foremost aromas of red fruits. The white wines have aromas of fruit and vegetables. In winemaking, livestock in oak barrels adds hints of caramel or vanilla.
Smoothness and alcohol :
The red wine gives a feeling of creaminess in the mouth which is due to the presence of alcohol, sugar (natural or added), glycerol. This impression of fat or soft may be low and depends on the fermentation (is that all sugars have been converted?) And quality of wine (we prefer the smoothness).
Specifically substances sweet wine eventually either unfermented sugars, or body having one or more alcohol functions. Among these predominate (density) ethyl alcohol and glycerol.
Alcohol may also provide a feeling of fullness (in red) or width (in white).
When you drink wine, the back of the mouth feels a burning due to alcohol.
This fire has little to do with alcohol content of wine. It is not a sign of quality, rather it shows an imbalance of wine too many returns, too many chaptalization (addition of sucrose during the fermentation), and so on. That the burn can be overlooked is a sign of quality: they say that alcohol is integrated.
The oiliness and burning sensation have more to do with quality wine as the production region or grape variety. The opposite is true for the freshness and tannins.
Freshness :
A wine is more refreshing than it collects its acidity. This is not the title chemical acidity of wine but a sensation on the tongue.
In addition, a wine will be even less pleasant meals that offer low acidity (beware of Australian wines at the table). I book a round for wine as an aperitif.
From the viewpoint of freshness, we can describe the wine: nervous, lively, fresh, firm, frank, soft or round, soft or heavy. For a red wine research on classical balance franc.
Tannins :
It is said that a wine is tannic when he procures a sensation of roughness or drying on the tongue or palate. This is a similar perception that when you drink tea that has been brewed too long.Tannins induce the sensation in the mouth and bitterness.
Polyphenols are antioxidant compounds. Thanks to their ability to capture free radicals, some polyphenols are known for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. It is found that the tannins in the grape skin of a young wine.
During the aging of wine polyphenols are recomposed, which explains the decrease in bitterness and the feeling of drying.
The winemaker can transmit tannins to the wine in several ways.
- By the material means seeds, the skin of grapes and the stalk (ie the party that holds the wooded bays of grapes to the vine).
- By breeding in oak barrels.
- By contact with oak chips.
- By the addition of tannins in the form of powder or tanning extracts (but not prohibited in France).
