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Learn about acidity in wine on Day 10. Where does acidity in wine come from? How do you evaluate it, and why is it so important to the structure and lifespan of the wine.
WINE OF THE DAY
Guidobono Barbera d’Alba 2017.
Find a Barbera on Wine.Com.
MATERIALS
Cherries, cherry pie filling, a lemon
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VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
**THUMBNAIL**
EP10_ Describe Acidity in Wine Tasting (File name)
Wine: Barbera D’Asti
Scent: Black Cherries (can of cherries)/ Blackberries/ something acidic like lemon (props)
TITLE/SCREEN: DiVino Wine School (animated logo)
Hi everyone!
(HOOK) Today we are going to talk about something you can do right now to learn more about wine tasting. Stick around to learn more about acidity in wine tasting!
TITLE/SCREEN: 21 DAYS TO WINE
TITLE/SCREEN: DAY 10 – Learn about Acidity in Wine
Welcome back to DiVino Wine School. I’m Annie and we are diving right back into the actual tasting part, or GUSTATORY evaluation of wine.
Today’s episode is all about acid.
Acidity in wine tasting is as much about taste as it is about texture.
TITLE/SCREEN: Acidity in wine tasting is as much about taste as it is about texture.
Whereas tannins, which we’ll cover in the next episode, are more a feeling than a flavor. That can be confusing, but that is why I am here. And as usual, if you have questions, please comment below. I promise to read them and do my best to reply.
So how do we talk about acidity and what does that mean for your wine?
Think of lemon juice, the way it tingles on the tip and along the edges of your tongue. Better yet, if you want to grab a lemon slice, press pause. I’ll wait!
TITLE/SCREEN: Grab some Citrus! *Optional Graphic.
For those of you have one, rest it on your tongue and see how that feels.
BROLL – me doing something cute/funny with lemon.
TITLE/SCREEN: Grab some Citrus! *Optional Graphic.
Acid, citric acid in particular, works like a naturally occurring preservative. You’ve probably seen it as an additive in all kinds of things.
TITLE/SCREEN: Citric Acid is a naturally-occurring preservative.
The younger the grapes and the younger the wine, the more acidity is present.
And some grapes are naturally more acidic than others. Like some people….
TITLE/SCREEN: The younger the grapes and the younger the wine, the more acidity is present.
Remember all those words for Acid we talked about in DAY 3? (Insert title)
TITLE/SCREEN: Day 3 – (Insert Title)*
When a wine is described as being extremely crisp, bright, fresh, or having a lot of energy or verve, that means it is young, or still very exuberant for its age. (Like me?) Just kidding.
Go ahead and pour yourself some wine now, if you’ve got it. Let me know in the comments what you brought.
We evaluate acidity in a few ways.
1) Is it intense?
TITLE/SCREEN: Intensity (individual or bullet list to my side).
Is it the first and primary thing you feel or notice about the wine when it hits the palate or is it a bit of an afterthought compared to the other sensations like the body or the sweetness?
2) Is it long-lasting or does it fade pretty quickly?
TITLE/SCREEN: Finish
Even after you swallow and exhale, do you feel some tingling in your throat and the back of your mouth? Sometimes you can feel the acidity bouncing around on your tongue. That’s when we use words like zesty and lively or long, clean finish.
Acidity is a distinguishing characteristic of a lot different grape varieties, as well as growing areas.
You can expect wines from cooler, or mountainous areas to have high acidity.
TITLE/SCREEN: Cooler climates often produce higher acidity.
Wines that are made to age for a long time, like Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, and Brunello, are made from grapes grown and harvested in such a way as to insure high acidity while they mature in the cellar.
TITLE/SCREEN: Wine that are made to age, contain higher acidity.
When you are drinking a wine known for its acidity, like Riesling, remember that is an important and positive quality.
Sangiovese, the Brunello and Chianti grape, as well Nebbiolo, the Barolo grape, can come across as very sharp when they are young. That’s a nicer way of saying acidic. “Extremely crisp” is even nicer.
TITLE/SCREEN: Wines made with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo can come across as “sharp” when they are very young.
Acidity works as a balance to sweeter wines, extremely aromatic wines and very dense, full-bodied wines that really sit on your palate.
TITLE/SCREEN: Acidity works to balance sweeter wines.
We will get into this more and more in the upcoming episodes, but remember, the key to FINE WINE is balance.
TITLE/SCREEN: Fine wine = balanced wine.
A harmony of every aspect of the multisensory experience. From what you see and smell to what you feel and taste.
I brought a Barbera d’Asti with me today. I also brought some tart black cherries, fresh and canned to practice smelling (TBD or blackberries)
The Barbara grape is notoriously acidic, but it also has some other distinctive qualities, like aromas of piquant black cherries wild, brambly blackberries. There’s a rustic earthiness to it which when accompanied by this very bright acidity gives a juicy, almost chewy quality.
TITLE/SCREEN: Barbara has a way of really filling up your palate while never weighing it down.
Barbara has a way of really filling up your palate while never weighing it down.
Have you ever had an aged and intensely aromatic aged Riesling? Riesling connoisseurs love the way the wine glistens in the glass, exudes a luscious bouquet of fruit and floral aromas, blankets the palate like pure satin and explodes with sweet peach and apricot flavors.
But the finish is pristine, and clean with a perfect, pin-prick of acidity that keeps you wanting another sip.
TITLE/SCREEN: Acidity can make your mouth water.
Along those same lines, acidity is also important in wine and food pairing.
Food and wine work together to bring out the best in each other, something we discuss more in the videos to come.
TITLE/SCREEN: Food and wine work together to bring out the best in each other
Acidity, along with bubbles, and tannins helps to clean your palate after every bite, especially if you are eating something creamy or fatty or saucy. Likewise, the creaminess or fattiness in food helps to temper the acidity in wine, which makes for a smoother finish.
Let me know in the comments what you drank today and if you have any questions. And make sure to subscribe and give the video a thumbs up if you liked it.
**TITLE/SCREEN // Graphic THUMBS-UP OR Subscribe & Enroll!
See you next time!
Cheers!
END TITLE/SCREEN: Wine is a language. Learn how to speak it.
