Ep 245: What is Acidity?

Sep 8, 2018

Acidity is one of the key components of wine, along with tannin, alcohol and sugar/dryness. This is a completely dorky look at acidity -- what it does, why it's important, and then dive into different types of acid and why it matters.

Here are the show notes: 

The Basics:

1. It’s one of the four elements of a wine’s structure: acidity with tannin, alcohol, sugar/dryness
2. It makes wine tart or sour 
3. All wines are acidic (whites and reds, dry and sweet), but the degree varies from a real and perception perspective
4. Acidity is in both grapes and in wine and it changes with winemaking
5. Euphemisms: bright, crisp, racy, nervy

 

What acidity does 

1. Influences wine color 
2. Balances sweetness, tannin/bitter sensation, aromas, mouthfeel
3. Low acid wines – no body, weak, flabby, brown in color
4. Protects the wine from spoilage, helps it age – stabilizes because spoilage bacteria can’t grow in high acid environments
5. Food and wine
   1. Great with acidic food – makes it smoother
   2. Contrasts/cuts the fat and lightens the dish up
   3. Sweet wine needs acidity

Climate/place

1. Cooler climates have grapes with higher acidity. Slow ripening will preserve acidity
2. Warmer climates need to add acid BACK through a winemaking technique – acidification
3. Acidity is a HUGE harvest consideration

 

Dork Out Section

About Acid

1. Types of Acid – in grapes: Tartaric (unique to grapes), Malic (fades fast), Citric (in small concentrations). In wine: Succinic, acetic (volatile acidity), lactic (milky acid)
2. We discuss pH v Total Acidity and the relationship between them
3. Malolactic fermentation: bacteria convert sugar and malic acid into lactic acid. Softer acidity than strong malic, wine is less acidic post MLF

Acidity Measurement

1. pH – Strength of the acid – 0 – 14, water is 7. Wines are usually from 2.9 -4.0. pH scale is logarithmic, meaning a wine with a pH of 3.0 is 10 times more acidic than a wine with a pH of 4.0.

2. Total Acidity/Titratable Acid – total of ALL Acids present, important to look at both

 

Acid is important -- pay attention and you'll see just how much!

 

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