Wine knowledge: the more acidic the red wine, the better? What effect does acidity have on red wine

Think back to the first time you sipped a wine: crisp and slightly acidic, the word “crisp” quickly comes to mind. What is it about this wine that gives you such pleasure? Acid! The acidity is often the same as in tea, where the more you drink the stronger the taste, and the more you drink the wine, the more you appreciate the acidity.Acid is very important to wine and is one of the four essential elements of red wine quality, along with alcohol, tannins and sugar. It is also important for winemakers and wine enthusiasts to understand the acidity of wine.

The pH of wine.

Firstly, without exception, all types of wine are ‘acidic’, with the majority of wines having a pH between 3 and 4 (ideally between 3.0 and 3.4 for white wines and 3.3 and 3.6 for red wines), lower than coffee but slightly higher than lemonade. The pH of a wine reflects the strength of its acidity; the lower the pH, the stronger the acidity and the crisper and more vibrant the taste it presents.

As well as influencing taste, pH levels have other guiding values for winemakers. As most bacterial organisms cannot survive at low pH, winemakers can reduce the use of additives for sterilisation such as sulphur dioxide when making high acidity wines. Conversely, wines with high pH (low acidity) tend to be rich in flavour but more susceptible to bacterial attack.

Bacchus de France dry red.

During the winemaking process, wines with high acidity (low pH) ferment more quickly and the acidity also enhances the wine’s ability to age.

In addition, the pH level affects the colour of the wine. The colour of a wine is mainly influenced by the combination of acetate and lactic acid. The ionisation process and the level of acidity in the berries determine the colour of the grapes. Red wines with high acidity levels have a dark red colour, while those with low acidity levels have a light brown colour. The same is true of white wine, which also tends to be a little brown and has low acidity.

The source of acidity in wine: the “acids” in wine come partly from the grapes themselves and partly from the winemaking process. Three of them, tartaric, malic and citric, come from the grape fruit; the other three, amber, lactic and acetic, are formed by alcoholic fermentation and bacterial activity.

TA values in wine.

In addition to pH, which reflects the strength of the acid, the acidity of a wine can also be measured in terms of TA (Total Acidity), which reflects the amount of acid in the wine. If a wine has a total acidity of 0.6 %, this means that 100 ml of the wine contains 0.60 g of acid.

Most wines have a total acidity of 0.6 to 0.7%; however, if a wine has more than 1% total acidity, it will be too sharp and unpalatable. A wine with too little total acidity (less than 0.4%) will taste bland and too barren.

However, the taste of a high acid wine can also be balanced by sweetness. For example, ice wine has a high total acidity of 1.5%, but it is also sweet enough to still be consumed with a balanced taste and, thanks to its high acidity, it also has the ability to age well for decades.

High acidity, high sweetness ice wine.

By combining pH and TA values, we can initially determine the taste and style of a wine. For example, if two wines have the same pH, the one with the higher TA will taste more ‘acidic’. However, the effect of acidity on the taste of a wine is much more complex than a simple numerical value, as different types of acid can also affect our perception of acidity. For example, as Chardonnay ages in oak barrels, its malic acid gradually transforms into lactic acid, so the taste gradually changes from sharp and acidic to smoother.

In short, acidity plays an important role in a wine’s antibacterial properties, taste, colour and ageing ability.

However, it is not advisable to isolate acidity and evaluate a wine solely on the basis of its acidity, as the value of acidity does not accurately reflect the sensations that a wine produces in our mouth.

It is wonderful to enjoy a glass of wine with your loved one on some romantic occasion, and it is even more perfect if the acidity of the wine in your hands is still good. However, whatever the case, drinking we are pursuing healthy drinking, and not alcoholism, healthy drinking, the whole family is happy, to eliminate alcoholism Oh.