A Question of Balance

You like wine, but aren’t sure what to look for or wonder how to tell a good wine from a mediocre one. As with anything else in life, the key is balance. There are four key elements that contribute to taste in wine: acid, alcohol, fruit, and tannin. When all of these elements are in harmony, no one element stands out; each blends seamlessly with the others, leaving the wine tasting smooth and elegant. Let’s explore these elements.

Acid. It’s no secret wines contain acid, some more than others, based on the choice of grape used. High acid wines lacking balance get your attention immediately; the acidity burns your mouth and tastes sour or tart. Nevertheless, acidity is good; it increases saliva, readies your palate for food, and makes wine a wonderful food complement.
White wines contain higher levels of acidity than reds. In both, acidity must be nicely integrated with all other elements. Good winemakers strive to balance acidity with fruit to craft quality wines. Sauvignon blancs tend to have higher levels of acidity. For a perfectly balanced Loire Valley Sancerre, I was amazed by a 2006 Domaine Cherrier ($23) at Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio in Las Vegas.

Alcohol. As grapes ripen, sugar levels increase. Fermentation creates wine as yeasts convert sugar into alcohol. The more sugar in the grape must, the higher the percentage of alcohol in the resulting wine. Alcohol levels also vary by grapes, with Rieslings weighing in at lower levels (8% to 10%) and Zinfandels coming in at 14% to 17%. Formerly averaging 12% to 12.5% alcohol, now global warming is elevating levels to 13.5% or more.

However, it isn’t the level that matters as much as whether the alcohol level is harmonious with a wine’s fruit and structural elements. Alcohol balanced with all other elements doesn’t call attention to itself. Conversely, too much alcohol creates a burning sensation in the mouth and throat. Quality wines never provide a burning sensation due to their finesse and balance.
I recently opened a 2003 La Garrigue ($16) from Domaine la Casenove in Roussillon. Smooth and delicious, it was a masterfully balanced wine. Amazingly, its alcohol is 14.5%, but you’d never know it.

High alcohol also presents another dilemma. Wine is meant to be consumed with food. Classic European wines are food friendly due to their historically lower (12% to 12.5%) alcohol and balance. As alcohol rises, wine’s food friendliness decreases. High alcohol wines overwhelm most foods, making them an unsuitable match for dining.

Fruit. Wine varies from subtle to vibrant in terms of the intensity of its fruit flavor. Rich, ripe fruit adds both complexity and texture to wine and contributes to the wine’s character. The same balance principle applies: fruit flavor and intensity should not dominate the wine.
Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon ($10) offers a nicely balanced wine at value pricing. No wonder, it’s made by one of America’s best winemakers.

Tannin. Ever tasted a red wine that made your mouth feel astringent and dry? Or, have you experienced the harsh, mouth-puckering bitterness of a strong cup of tea? That’s the effect of tannin, a component of many, but not all, red wines. While good quality cabernet sauvignons can be highly tannic when young, other red grapes (think pinot noir) contain negligible amounts of tannin.

Tannin is important to the aging of wine; it provides structure and preserves the wine as it ages. Tannin must be balanced with fruit, however. A wine with lots of vibrant, ripe fruit, as New World wines often contain, can compensate for higher levels of tannin, making the wine softer and easier to drink young. Because tannin comes largely from the grape skins that provide red wines their color, white wines do not contain tannin.
With time in bottle, tannins ripen and become polished. Until then, tannin can be high in a young wine and it’s perceived as bitter. Techniques for reducing the impact of tannin are aging the wine, decanting it for an hour or more prior to serving it, and serving it with high protein foods, such as steak, which cut the tannin.

For another wonderful example of balance, try Chapoutier’s 2006 Petite Ruche Rouge ($25) unoaked Croze Hermitage. It’s awesome.

Make balance a key principle of your life. But remember, balance is subjective due to individual taste thresholds and perceptions of wine.

Enjoy.

Celebrate Life With Some Bubbly

Nothing epitomizes the celebratory nature of sparkling wine better than World Series victors, showering each other with bubbly. Personally, I’d rather drink champagne than watch grown men spray each other with it. My girlfriend adores champagne and doesn’t believe in waiting for special occasions to drink it. She introduced me to its wonders several years ago.

Undoubtedly, Champagne’s most avid fan was Madame Bollinger, who said in an oft quoted perspective on it, "I drink it when I'm happy and when I'm sad. Sometimes I drink it when I'm alone. When I have company I consider it obligatory. I trifle with it if I'm not hungry and I drink it when I am. Otherwise I never touch it, unless I'm thirsty." I completely understand and share her enthusiasm.

Upon drinking an occasional sparkling wine before dinner, I discovered that it makes a great aperitif. Its refreshing crispness (dare I say “acidity”) makes it an ideal cocktail beverage and prepares the palate for dinner. Perfect for warm summer weather, serve chilled, but not too cold.

One favorite is Mont Marcal Brut Reserva cava ($12.00), available at Highpoint Wines (Westboro) and the Vin Bin (Marlboro). Cava, from Spain is less acidic and smoother than champagne. While lacking champagne’s reputation and elan, cava offers consumers one of the best values in sparkling wine and seldom disappoints. Mont Marcal has a fragrance of pear and apple and subtle pear and almond tastes.

Another I like is Pol Roger Vintage Brut champagne ($39.00) available at Fifth Avenue (Framingham) and Julio’s (Westboro). Also a favorite of Prince William and the late Winston Churchill, it’s medium dry and tastes floral, creamy and smooth.

Like most Americans, I never considered sparkling wine with dinner until we tried it. A perfect match for many foods, it pairs well with fish, seafood, vegetables (nothing works better with mushrooms), pasta and risotto, white meats, spicy Asian cuisine and egg dishes. Egg dishes are a challenging match for any wine, and sparkling wine works superbly. A Westport Rivers Westport Brut 2002 ($17.00) from Panzano (Southboro) perfectly complemented a recent Sunday brunch, featuring mushroom quiche. I was pleasantly surprised by its rich, creamy taste and thought this Massachusetts-produced sparkler tasted like a far more expensive one.

Due to its celebratory association, I’ve experienced how popping open a bottle of any sparkling wine transforms any event into a special occasion. It creates a festive mood, and nothing sets the atmosphere for romance like sparkling wine.

Sparkling wine is unique, beginning with how it’s made. An initial fermentation creates still wines, which are blended to maintain the producer’s house style, and followed by a secondary fermentation in bottle that creates bubbles. The words “Methode Champenoise,” “Traditional Method,” “Classic Method,” or “Champagne Method” on labels designate sparklers fermented in bottle, the preferred way. In contrast, most very inexpensive sparklers are fermented in tanks, not in bottle. With a few exceptions, Italy’s Prosecco most noteworthy, avoid those.

France’s Champagne region remains the apogee of sparkling wine. By international trade agreement, only wines made there may be labeled as “champagne.” Delightful sparkling wines are also made elsewhere in France, California, Australia, and Italy. Most sparklers are non-vintage; no year is identified on the bottle. Each is based upon a house style, consistent from year to year. Vintage wines, ideal for special occasions, are made only in the best years, tend to be expensive, and are well worth the money.

There’s a myth that champagne can’t be aged. Not only do the best defy this, even non-vintage sparklers benefit from two to three years of aging. I recently uncorked a Veuve Clicquot purchased in 2006. Two more years made it smoother, creamier and absolutely heavenly. If only we all aged like champagne.

Despite the temptation to drink it sooner, age all champagne 18 to 24 months if you can. You don’t need a wine cellar or special wine cooler. A cool dark place in the basement or in a closet can work fine. Never store any wines longer than a week or so in the refrigerator due to the ill effects of vibration and the lack of humidity over time.

Don’t want for a special occasion. Pop open a bottle of bubbly today. Celebrate life and do it often. You’ll live longer and better.

Wine Wisdom's Mission

My goal is simple: to simplify the world of wine for consumers and to increase Americans' consumption of wine for the following reasons:

1). Wine is one of the healthiest beverages humans can consume. Study after study shows that people who consume wine regularly and in moderate amounts live longer and healthier than either abstainers or abusers. For example, several studies show that regular consumption of moderate amounts of red wine reduces the risk of stroke by over 40%.

2). Wine is a better alternative than spirits and beer. Its consumption in preference to other forms of alcohol would reduce some of the social problems and issues that stem from the consumption of spirits and beer (which I also consume on occasion).

3). Wine is a perfect complement to food. Wine changes food and food changes the taste of wine, making for a better dining experience at home, at a restaurant or at a picnic on the beach.

4). Wine is a social drink that enhances our ability to relax and enjoy each other's company. Drinking it brings us together and creates an atmosphere conducive to fun, enjoyment, and social interaction. Wine loosens our inhibitions to enable us to share of ourselves and to communicate with those we spend time with.

Wine Simplified

Despite the wonder and joys of good wine, today's wine world is often a minefield for the consumer. Facing a plethora of brands and wines (believed to number over 500,000), the average consumer is confused and intimidated. Wine snobs abound. Critics and writers talk and write about wines as if they were speaking a foreign language. Wine gods write about wines the typical consumer will never see and very likely couldn't buy even if they found them. They distance themselves from those of us who just want to find a good wine to drink and to share with our friends.

My goal is to make wine simple and understandable and to encourage people who don't drink wine to try it. I want to inspire people who already drink wine to try different kinds of wines, exposing them to new wonderful and enjoyable moments. Wine is an adventure and making it a regular part of our lives - in moderation, of course - will enhance our experience and enrich our lives in a profound number of ways. Let the adventure begin.