Structure in Wine steiia thiAst

What is Structure?

• So what is this thing, structure? It*s the sense you have that the wine has a well-established form,I think ofit as the architecture ofthe wine. A wine with a great structure will often remind me ofthe outlines of a cathedral, or the veins in a leaf...it supports, and balances the fiuit characteristics ofthe wine. The French often describe structure as the skeleton ofthe wine, as opposed to its flavor which they describe as the flesh.

• Where does structure come firom? In white wines, it usually comes from alcohol or acidity; in red wines, it comes from a combination of acidity and tannin, a component in the grapes' skins and seeds. Thus, wines with a lot oftannin (like cabernet) also have a lot of structure. Beaujolais is made from gamay which does not have much tannin. As a result, Beaujolais can lack structure; it feels soft, flat or simple in the mouth (though its flavors can certainly still be attractive).

• While structure is hard to articulate, you can easily taste or sense it —^and the lack of it.

• Understanding structure is critical to understanding any ofthe ''powerful" red varieties: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah, nebbiolo, tempranillo, and malbec, to name a few. I just don't think you can understand these wines unless you understand structure, and how it frames and focuses the powerful rush of fruit. It adds freshness, and a "lightness" to the density ofripe fiuit.

Structure matters when pairing wine and food. Foods with a lot of structure themselves— like a meaty, thick steak-need wines with commensurate structure (like cabernet), or the food experience can dwarfthe wine experience.

What is happening when structure interacts with food? The tannin and acid in wine are chemical compounds that are associative. They want to combine with other compounds. The single most 'attractive' compounds are proteins. Olive oil, butter, and animal fats are all mouth coating, and rich by themselves, but the elements of structure will bind with them, and precipitate them off the palate. Leaving the palate refreshed, and ready for another bite. Magic!

Thirst Wine Merchants| (405) 942-WINE j [email protected]| www.thirstwine.com / Structure in Wine Stella thiAst Acidity

The acids we encounter most in wine are malic and lactic. The major acid we encounter in white wine is malic acid. It's the acid in a green apple, and is tart and bracing. Most whites are driven by malic acid. Some bigger, richer whites and most reds will introduce a bacterial fermentation after the alcoholic fermentation that will convert malic acid into lactic acid, which is the acid in milk. Lactic acid is creamy and mouth coating, and adds to a red wine's sense of"richness" or "weight". This malolacticfermentation is the key difference between the majority ofred and white wines, and how the acids in those wines are sensed by our palates.

Acidity in wine has a negative footprint. Huh? That is very simply the idea that the acidity isn't the key factor in flavor, but the lack of acidity will have a decided impact on the final flavor of a wine. Carbonation in soda has the same overall negative footprint as acidity. Without carbonation soda is syrup...simple, sweet and cloying. Acidity in wine acts the same way. It lifts andframes thefruit flavors, and addsfinish and length offlavor. Without acidity, good wine lacks its most distinctive characteristic. The sense ofbeing "alive**, and "active**.

Two factors drive acidity in wine: grape variety and climate. Some grapes produce naturally more acidity than other grapes will. Sauvignon Blanc will naturally have more acidity than Pinot Grigio and so on. The second, and more important, factor is climate. Very simply, cooler climates produce less sugar and more acidity while warmer climates produce more sugars and less acidity. The long slow ripening of a grape firom a cooler climate doesn't allow as much respiration to occur, and so less of the acids will be converted into sugars. Fewer sugars will mean less alcohol in the final wine, and will contribute even more to the feeling of a cleaner, lighter and fresher flavor for the wine from the cooler climate.

This relationship makes it easy to translate a wine list in its most simple terms based upon grape and area of production. A chardonnay from Napa versus a chardonnay from France is the prime example of this relationship. The warmer climate ofNapa willproduce a bigger, heavier and more alcoholic wine than the cooler climatic conditions in France, The French chardonnay will be lighter, more acidic and have less alcohol

Thirst Wine Merchants| (405) 942-WINE | [email protected] | www.thirstwine.com Structure in Wine SteMa t h i As t

Grape Variety Structure

LOW ♦ ■►fflGH

Rich Focused

Ripe Clean

Powerful Sharp

Full Bodied light

Voluptuous Crisp

Deep Fresh

Opulent Citrus

Intense Clarity

Roasted Astringent

Sweet Tart

Spicy Energetic

Saturated Taut

WARM ^ COOL CLIMATE

Thirst Wine Merchants | (405) 942-WINE | [email protected] | www.thirstwine.com