(from http://antiwinesnob.com/wine-articles/whats-the-difference-between-tannins-and-acidity/)
". . .Tannins are often described as bitter, puckery, drying, astringent or akin to the sensation of rubbing a swab of cotton down your tongue. I actually tried this and did see a connection between the two sensations. The flavor of tannin has also been described as the flavor of steeped black tea. (Which also has a high tannin content.) I tried this, too, and found the comparison very helpful in understanding the sensation and taste of tannins in my wine. . .
There appear to be four predominate types of acid found in wine: Tartaric Acid, Malic Acid, Lactic Acid and Citric Acid. These acids add what is called “structure” and help shape the flavors and aftertaste (also called a wine’s “finish”). Acids also act as a preservative. Another acid-Acetic Acid (vinegar)-is usually present in only trace amounts and contributes to a sweet/sour vinegar taste. Too much acetic acid in wine is not a good thing and can often be detected in super duper cheap table wines. . .
When distinguishing tannins from acidity, it is easier to start by comparing a white wine that has not been aged in oak (perhaps a Riesling-it is usually quite high in acidity) with a deep red wine (perhaps a Cabernet Sauvignon from California or Australia). When you try the white wine, you’ll notice the tart, zingy flavor that makes your tongue salivate a little. Kind of like drinking orange juice. When you try the red wine, you might have that tart, zingy feeling, too (the acid), but what you’ll also notice is that drying, puckery feeling that seems to roll down the middle of your tongue and coat your mouth. The wine feels deep and … complex. That’s the tannins in the red wine. . . "
OHO's
"Ocean City Ditty," the
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(and, if
you're in town, at Trax On Wax on Frederick Rd. in Catonsville, MD) OHO is Jay Graboski, David Reeve & Ray Jozwiak
My latest solo release, '2014' of original, instrumental piano music, can be downloaded digitally at:
(or you can copy-and-paste this URL directly to
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(from http://www.erobertparker.com/info/glossary.asp)
Robert Parker's Glossary of Wine Terms
aggressive: Aggressive is usually applied to wines that are either high in acidity or have harsh tannins, or both.
angular: Angular wines are wines that lack roundness, generosity, and depth. Wine from poor vintages or wines that are too acidic are often described as being angular.
astringent: Wines that are astringent are not necessarily bad or good wines. Astringent wines are harsh and coarse to taste, either because they are too young and tannic and just need time to develop, or because they are not well made. The level of tannins (if it is harsh) in a wine contributes to its degree of astringency.
austere: Wines that are austere are generally not terribly pleasant wines to drink. An austere wine is a hard, rather dry wine that lacks richness and generosity. However, young Rhônes are not as austere as young Bordeaux.
backward: An adjective used to describe (1) a young largely unevolved, closed, and undrinkable wine, (2) a wine that is not ready to drink, or (3) a wine that simply refuses to release its charms and personality.
barnyard: An unclean, farmyard, fecal aroma that is imparted to a wine because of unclean barrels or unsanitary winemaking facilities.
big: A big wine is a large-framed, full-bodied wine with an intense and concentrated feel on the palate. Most red Rhône wines are big wines.
brawny: A hefty, muscular, full-bodied wine with plenty of weight and flavor, although not always the most elegant or refined sort of wine.
briery: I think of California Zinfandel when the term briery comes into play, denoting that the wine is aggressive and rather spicy.
chewy: If a wine has a rather dense, viscous texture from a high glycerin content, it is often referred to as being chewy. High-extract wines from great vintages can often be chewy, largely because they have higher alcohol hence high levels of glycerin, which imparts a fleshy mouthfeel.
closed: The term closed is used to denote that the wine is not showing its potential, which remains locked in because it is too young. Young wines often close up about 12-18 months after bottling, and depending on the vintage and storage conditions, remain in such a state for several years to more than a decade.
decadent: If you are an ice cream and chocolate lover, you know the feeling of eating a huge sundae of rich vanilla ice cream lavished with hot fudge and real whipped cream. If you are a wine enthusiast, a wine loaded with opulent, even unctuous layers of fruit, with a huge bouquet, and a plump, luxurious texture can be said to be decadent.
dumb: A dumb wine is also a closed wine, but the term dumb is used more pejoratively. Closed wines may need only time to reveal their richness and intensity. Dumb wines may never get any better.
extract: This is everything in a wine besides water, sugar, alcohol, and acidity.
exuberant: Like extroverted, somewhat hyper people, wines too can be gushing with fruit and seem nervous and intensely vigorous.
fat: When the Rhône has an exceptionally hot year for its crop and the wines attain a super sort of maturity, they are often quite rich and concentrated, with low to average acidity. Often such wines are said to be fat, which is a prized commodity. If they become too fat, that is a flaw and they are then called flabby.
flabby: A wine that is too fat or obese is a flabby wine. Flabby wines lack structure and are heavy to taste.
fleshy: Fleshy is a synonym for chewy, meaty, or beefy. It denotes that the wine has a lot of body, alcohol, and extract, and usually a high glycerin content. Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Hermitage are particularly fleshy wines.
green: Green wines are wines made from underripe grapes; they lack richness and generosity as well as having a vegetal character. Green wines are infrequently made in the Rhone, although vintages such as 1977 were characterized by a lack of ripening.
hard: Wines with abrasive, astringent tannins or high acidity are said to be hard. Young vintages of Rhône wines can be hard, but they should never be harsh.
hollow: Also known as shallow, hollow wines are diluted and lack depth and concentration.
hot: Rather than meaning that the temperature of the wine is too warm to drink, hot denotes that the wine is too high in alcohol and therefore leaves a burning sensation in the back of the throat when swallowed. Wines with alcohol levels in excess of 14.5% often taste hot if the requisite depth of fruit is not present.
(from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nero_d%27Avola)
Nero d'Avola (Italian pronunciation: [ˈnero ˈdavola]; "Black of Avola" in Italian) is "the most important red wine grape in Sicily and is one of Italy's most important indigenous varieties. It is named after Avola in the far south of Sicily and its wines are compared to New World Shirazes, with sweet tannins and plum or peppery flavours. It also contributes to Marsala blends.
(from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nebbiolo)
Ampelographers believe that Nebbiolo is indigenous to the Piedmont region though some DNA evidence suggest that it may have originated in Lombardy. In the 1st century AD, Pliny the Elder noted the exceptional quality of the wine produced in Pollenzo region located northwest of what is now the Barolo DOCG zone. While Pliny does not explicitly name the grape responsible for these Pollenzo wines, his description of the wine bears similarities to later descriptions of Nebbiolo-based wines, making this potentially the first notation of wine made from Nebbiolo in the Piedmont region. The first explicit mention of Nebbiolo dates to 1268 where a wine known as "nibiol" was growing in Rivoli near Turin. This was followed by a 1303 account of a producer in the Roero district described as having a barrel of "nebiolo" (sic). In the 1304 treatise Liber Ruralium Commodorum, the Italian jurist Pietro Crescenzi described wine made from "nubiola" (sic) as being of excellent quality. In the 15th century, statutes in the region of La Morra (in what is now the Barolo zone) demonstrated the high esteem that the Nebbiolo vine had in the area. According to these laws, the penalties for cutting down a Nebbiolo vine ranged from a heavy fine to having the right hand cut off or hanging for repeat offenders.
