“This is a structured and full-bodied wine.” - How many times have you heard this description before? And how many times have you actually understood it?
What exactly do we mean when we say that a wine is of good structure and of good body? In order to understand this, we must first distinguish between volatile and non-volatile substances in wine – digging into oenological terms.
Every wine is composed of these two substances. Volatile substances in wine typically evaporate when they reach a temperature of 100°C. Water and alcohol are characteristic of this – both found in wine. Non-volatile substances will remain untouched in both shape and consistency no matter what the temperature. This is characteristic of acid, polyphenol, glycerine, pectin, sugar and other components also found in wine.
Once the volatile substances evaporate, the non-volatile remain and those are in essence the dry residue of a wine. This is a parameter which will define the body and structure of a wine. It is the basis that will define whether a wine is weak-bodied, full-bodied, robust, heavy. This means that when we say a wine is structured, it simply means that non-volatile substances blend perfectly together to generate aromas, flavors, color and robustness, producing our favorite drink!
One value we can use to talk about this residue is in terms of sugar levels which is expressed in grams per liter. Italian law specifically states that white wines must be a minimum of 14 grams of dry residue per liter of wine, and 18 grams of dry residue for red wine which are generally the more structured wines.
What exactly do we mean when we say that a wine is of good structure and of good body? In order to understand this, we must first distinguish between volatile and non-volatile substances in wine – digging into oenological terms.
Every wine is composed of these two substances. Volatile substances in wine typically evaporate when they reach a temperature of 100°C. Water and alcohol are characteristic of this – both found in wine. Non-volatile substances will remain untouched in both shape and consistency no matter what the temperature. This is characteristic of acid, polyphenol, glycerine, pectin, sugar and other components also found in wine.
Once the volatile substances evaporate, the non-volatile remain and those are in essence the dry residue of a wine. This is a parameter which will define the body and structure of a wine. It is the basis that will define whether a wine is weak-bodied, full-bodied, robust, heavy. This means that when we say a wine is structured, it simply means that non-volatile substances blend perfectly together to generate aromas, flavors, color and robustness, producing our favorite drink!
One value we can use to talk about this residue is in terms of sugar levels which is expressed in grams per liter. Italian law specifically states that white wines must be a minimum of 14 grams of dry residue per liter of wine, and 18 grams of dry residue for red wine which are generally the more structured wines.
