Tartaric Acid
Tartaric Acid
Tartaric acid is the primary natural acid in grapes and wine, essential for providing a refreshing, sharp and crisp taste. Unlike other wine acids, it remains stable during fermentation, determining the wine’s pH and protecting it against bacteria. Often, tartaric acid combines with potassium to form “wine diamonds”, which contribute to long term aging. Winemakers often add it to low acid, warm climate wines to increase acidity and improve balance, color and flavor.
See Also
Length
A wine's length describes how long a wine's flavor, aromas and tactile sensations last on your palate after spitting it out or swallowing.
QPR
QPR in wine stands for Quality to Price Ratio, a metric used to assess a bottle's quality relative to its price. The higher a wine's QPR, the more quality you get for your money.
Flavonoids
Flavonoids are natural polyphenolic compounds gotten from grape skins, stems and seeds. They are found in high concentrations in red wine.
Nose
The "nose" in wine refers to the aroma, scent or bouquet it gives off before tasting. It is generally categorized into primary, secondary and tertiary aromas.
Hot
A "hot" wine is a wine with unbalanced, excessively high alcohol (>14.5% ABV) that creates a burning sensation in the throat and mouth.
Legs
Wine legs are the droplets and streaks of wine that form on the inside of a wine glass and resettle at the bottom after swirling.
ABV
ABV means alcohol by volume, referring to the percentage of alcohol in a wine, typically ranging from 11% to 15% for table wines.
Balance
Balance is the proportional relationship between acidity, alcohol, sugar, tannin and fruit concentration in a wine, where no single element dominates.