White Wine Acidity vs Red Wine

1
Whtie Wine Acidity

• www.vinrac.com.au

2
WHITE WINE ACIDITY

• One of the reasons a fine white wine is so
  distinctive is because of its slightly tart or
  sour taste.
• Like a glass of lemonade, a fine wine leaves a
  refreshing taste in the mouth.
• This tartness is the result of acidity in the
  wine.
• In fact, all wines including red and white are on
  the acid side of the pH scale and acidity is one
  of the five distinguishing characteristics of
  wine.
• The other distinguishing characteristics are
• Sweetness
• Tannin
• Fruit
• Body

3
WHITE WINE ACIDITY

• Tartaric and malic acids (and their derivatives)
  are two of the key acids found in wines but there
  are others and the interplay of all these acids
  has a profound effect on the resulting taste and
  character of your wine.
• The balance of these acids can make all the
  difference between a superb light-bodied white
  and a glass of vinegar.

4
WHAT DOES ACIDITY TASTE LIKE?

• Acidity gives wine its lively flavour but too
  much acidity can make the wine taste very sour.
• On the other hand, if the acidity is too low the
  wine will taste flat and lack that sparkle, that
  bite that refreshes your palate.
• For the winemaker getting the acidity balance
  right involves working around complex
  interactions including the fact that the
  different acids in wine have varying affects on
  the resulting taste.
• For example, Tartaric acid increases the tartness
  of wine as well as adding colour and stability to
  the wine.
• Malic acid and citric acid have an even stronger
  effect on the acidity of a wine.
• But too much malic acid in the wine can leave a
  harsh taste and winemakers will sometimes alter
  the malic acid content to avoid this problem.

5
WHAT DOES ACIDITY TASTE LIKE?

• Citric acid may add a subtle fruit taste to the
  wine that can be really beneficial.
• Then theres that horrible vinegary taste in a
  really cheap and nasty white wine. This is caused
  by the presence of too much acetic acid.
• Acetic acid is the result of too much of the
  wrong kind of fermentation.
• Our perceptions of wine acidity can also altered
  by context. For example, the acidity of a white
  wine high in acidity will not be so obvious when
  it also has some sweetness.
• Our perceptions of the taste of a wine are also
  altered by the flavours of accompanying food.
• This interplay between the flavours in the wine
  and accompanying food is also what makes for such
  an interesting journey of exploration when we
  enjoy a fine wine and dining experience.

6
WHAT CAUSES ACIDITY?

• Acids occur naturally in grapes but the acid
  levels vary across different grape varieties and
  in different growing regions.
• Acid levels are at their highest in unripe grapes
  and gradually drop as the grapes ripen because
  the acids are used in the respiration process by
  the plants.
• This is why the timing of the harvest plays such
  a key role in the final taste of a wine.
• Acidity levels, especially of tartaric and malic
  acid, are generally higher (and sugar levels are
  lower) in cooler regions than in hotter climates
  and these factors also play a part in determining
  the final taste of any wine.
• However, a wine maker is also able to
  artificially remedy certain deficiencies in the
  normally occurring acidity levels

7
ACIDITY RED VERSES WHITE

• White wines generally have a higher acidity level
  than reds.
• A dry white wine will display an acidity level
  (TA) of around 65 to 75 and a sweet white wine
  acidity level could be as high as 85.
• On the other hand, a dry red wine will have an
  acidity level in the range of 60 to 70 and a
  sweet red wine will range somewhere between 65
  and 80.
• White wines tend to have higher concentrations of
  malic acid than red wines and its the malic acid
  in particular that gives white wine its
  characteristic sharpness.
• Sometimes a winemaker will encourage a
  fermentation process that will convert the malic
  acid to the milder tasting lactic acid.
• This might be the case if the growing season has
  been too cold for the grapes to produce
  sufficient natural sugars to offset the acidity.
• In red wines this process tends to happen
  naturally but in white wines the winemaker may
  need to initiate the process artificially.

8
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACIDITY AND PH?

• When we talk about acidity in wine we need to
  distinguish between acidity and pH levels.
• The pH scale measures the strength or intensity
  of the active acid content in a substance. For
  example, milk has a higher pH (weaker acid
  content) than white wine.
• On the pH scale, 7 neutral, 8 14 alkali,
  and 1- 6 acid so a wine with a high pH has a
  low acidity level and visa versa.
• If the pH is too low it can prevent the activity
  of essential microorganisms but if it is too high
  the microorganism culture can become unstable and
  unmanageable.
• A very low acid red wine will probably have a pH
  of around 4 whereas a white wine will have a pH
  of around 3.
• However, wine acidity (Total acidity TA) refers
  to the sum or concentration of the acids that are
  present and how they affect the taste.
• For example some white wines will have the same
  pH levels as vinegar but clearly do not taste the
  same (unless you are making your way through a
  really cheap white wine).

9
CAN ACID LEVELS BE ALTERED?

• Acid and sugar levels in grapes are two variables
  that many wine growing associations around the
  world permit winemakers to alter.
• Remember, cold climates produce grapes with high
  acid/low sugar content and warm climates lead to
  grapes with low acid/high sugar levels.
• Winemaker interventions may include
• Adding tartaric, malic, and citric acids
• Adding sugar
• Reducing the levels of malic acid through
  malolactic fermentation
• If the fermentation process converts lots of the
  malic acid to lactic acid the acidity levels will
  be lowered and the resulting wine will not be so
  tart.

10
CAN ACID LEVELS BE ALTERED?

• Lactic acid is the acid found in milk and
  winemakers may artificially encourage this
  naturally occurring fermentation process known as
  malolactic fermentation (MLF).
• Thus, a Chardonnay from a cold climate may need
  to undergo MLF to lower the sourness while still
  retaining the essential character of a
  Chardonnay.
• Who would have thought that so much went into
  that bottle of wine in your hands?
• Having some understanding of the marvellous
  complexities of fine wines only adds to the
  pleasure of enjoying a glass of your favourite
  wine.
• Knowing what it is about your favourite wine that
  you like so much will help understand that its
  very important to give careful consideration for
  your wine storage racks, the environment and
  also, how to explore other wines.
•  
• This article was first published on
  https//www.vinrac.com.au/wine/wine-acidity/