Wine Dimensions April 2007 |
Dear Friends of Monolithos, |
| This month we continue exploring the wine-tasting vocabulary by examining the sensation of astringency and its relationship to tannin. |
| Astringency is one of the things our mouths detect which falls outside of the five main flavours recognised by science, but which undoubtedly makes a big difference to the way things taste. Indeed, it is one of the five tastes alongside sweet, salt, sour, bitter and the savoury flavour known as “umami” which was added relatively recently. Astringency is a sensation we can all recognise but which few of us can define easily, as it is commonly found blended with other sensations such as acidity and bitterness. Astringency produces a drying, roughing and sometimes puckering sensation. Our senses become accustomed to the normal state of stimulation, and just as we do not continuously feel our clothes on our body, we are mostly unaware of the slipping and sliding inside our mouths as we breathe or speak normally. However, if the lubrication is altered, we notice it right away. Instead of the moist, slippery feeling certain foods or drinks make, the tongue drags on the palate, teeth and gums. |
| The increased friction is recognized as astringency. Wines rich in tannin are, to a great extent, astringent. In fact, all the truly great red wines of the world produce soft, supple, mouth-coating astringency. Tannins are a group of chemicals that occur in the bark of many trees: cinnamon is an example, and also in fruits, including grapes. Tannins are also present in black tea, and produce the astringent, drying taste that you experience after several cups of strong tea. You'll also notice a dry, sandpapery effect in your mouth after eating a whole bunch of table grapes. |
| When we drink red wine, it contains not only water and organic acids, but also tannins and several other components such as alcohol. Together the tannins, acids, alcohol and water alter the lubrication affecting the degree to which we experience astringency. To reiterate, astringency is not a taste like sweetness, bitterness, sourness or saltiness. It is a feeling of dryness or roughness that is sensed by the tongue as a result of increased friction between the tongue and the surfaces inside the mouth. |
| Wine is such a mysterious beverage. We sniff it, quaff it, swizzle it, and then come up with all these wild descriptors: cassis, meadow, mushroom and leather. All these elusive aromas and flavours come partly from the grape, partly from ageing in oak, partly from our perceptions and partly from tannin. Tannins are a family of natural organic compounds that are found in grape skins, seeds, and stems. The skins also impart colour to wine, which is why red wines typically have a lot more tannin than whites. Red wines are fermented while in contact with the skins and seeds. Wines can also take on tannins from the oak or other woods used in wine barrels for storage. Different woods in different countries affect the type of tannins in the wine. |
| Modern winemakers take care to minimize undesirable tannins from seeds by crushing grapes gently when extracting their juice. Red wines are rich in substances called phenolics. These substances are almost exclusively located in the skins and seeds of grapes, and are extracted from them during fermentation. There are hundreds of different types of phenolics in red wine, however, depending on their chemical structure, these substances play quite different roles in the way a wine looks, tastes and feels. One class of phenolics called the anthocyanins give red wine its colour, another called the catechins is bitter. Another type, officially called the polymeric flavan-3-ols, but better known as tannins, are primarily responsible for astringency. |
| A small amount of astringency is expected in some wines, especially young red wines made from powerful varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon. Tannins help prevent oxidation, an important role in a wine's ageing potential. As age-worthy red wines mature, tannin molecules gradually accumulate and precipitate out of the wine into the harmless sediment (that black sludge at the bottom of older red wines). Tannins are an excellent antioxidant and natural preservative, also helping to give the wine structure and texture. They provide an important flavour dimension in wine. |
| Winemakers know, from sensory experience, that all tannins aren't created equal. Some are harsh and bitter; others are round and pleasing. Realizing that the public wants wines that taste good on release, winemakers now talk about tannin-management practices that encourage desirable tannins while minimizing harsh ones. These winemakers have changed how they grow, harvest and vinify grapes to alter their wines' tannic structure. Modern winemaking technology offers a good degree of control over the amount of tannin that can be introduced into a wine. Winemakers use specific juice extraction techniques to reduce or increase the amount extracted. Specifically, they can very gently squeeze the grapes to extract the juice, thereby not releasing much of the tannin dimensions in the wine. |
| In the cellar, winemakers have replaced their equipment and adjusted their methods to minimize harsh tannin extraction. Wineries use more gentle pumps to deliver the wine to barrels and tanks. And many have changed the way they pump the fermenting wine over the cap – the floating layer of skins and seeds – a method of extracting colour, tannin and flavour. Winemakers have other ways of influencing tannin extraction: by altering the temperature or speed of the fermentation, and by macerating the wine for days or weeks with the skins, rather than pressing the wine off the skins after fermentation. In red wine making, on the other hand, winemakers like to play with the amount of contact the grape juice has with the skins and pips. If the grapes are ripe, and the pips have turned brown, then the tannic flavour and texture can add character to a wine. It is also one of the elements that is needed, along with a balance of fruit and acidity, in a wine that is intended for long cellaring. Smaller grapes have a higher skin-to-juice ratio, resulting in wines with colour, flavour and tannin. |
| There are a number of terms used to describe tannins. 'Soft, supple, velvety' describe a smooth texture in the mouth. This is a sensation that can be found after several years of ageing as the harshness of the young wine softens. But it can also be found in young wines, depending on how the winemaker handles the grapes. The evocative term "slippery" has been used by some wine-writers to describe the pleasurable feeling of a high quality astringent sensation. Many words have been used to describe the impression of dryness and roughness associated with astringency and tannin in wines. They include those that have been evoked by the feeling of having fine particles on the surface of your mouth (powdery, chalky, grainy), those that relate to the roughness of the feeling inside the mouth (silky, emery, velvety, furry), and others can be related to the fact that the very astringent wines often cause your mouth to move (pucker, chewy, grippy and adhesive). Other positive terms include soft, supple, fleshy, and rich, and on the unpleasant downside, there are sensations of coarseness and hardness. Too much tannin, however, makes the wines hard, firm, rough, stiff, austere, severe, and coarse. A wine described as “big” is often tannic and deep in colour. The tannin of fine grape varieties and fine wines is called “noble”. In contrast, a harsh wine, lacking character, is described as “common” and “vulgar”. Such wines are generally the product of mediocre vines or bad soils. |
| As mentioned in previous newsletters, the balance of tannin, acidity and sugar is very important in determining wine quality. However, you should remember that tannin isn't the only component responsible for the age-ability of wines. Acids play a significant role in a wine's ageing process. So just because a wine has a lot of tannins doesn't necessarily mean it will age gracefully. Establishing a good balance between the tannins and the fruit poses one of the greatest challenges in the making of red wine. |
Wine News and Information |
| The news from the Sixth International Wine & Heart Health Symposium is even better than expected. After extensive analysis of research on the subject and their own patients, doctors at Kaiser Permanente have found that not only does moderate consumption of wine reduce the risk for deaths from coronary and vascular disease, but it also reduces the risk for ischemic strokes, diabetes and even gallstones. An extensive recent and carefully conducted large-scale unpublished study in Nancy, France, further confirms the positive findings. |
| Other research demonstrates that low to moderate use of wine helps suppress E. coli bacteria. It may reduce the incidents of colorectal and gastric cancer, and it even improves cognitive function as you age. So, the traditional advice to drink less as you get older doesn't seem true after all! And, perhaps most comforting, is the notion that moderate drinking may be more than the typically recommended one or two glasses per day. Benefits seem to increase with three to five glasses of wine a day for an average man. Also, contrary to some earlier research and claims, beer, spirits and unfermented grape juice do not provide as much protection as wine. |
| The bad news is that excessive drinking can exacerbate these and other conditions. Unlike, say, smoking, where every increase causes more risk, some alcohol effects like alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver are not affected until they hit a threshold, and for wine, benefits actually increase with moderate consumption before reversing and becoming negative. Also, some medical researchers report that it's very difficult to prove that red wine is more effective than white. Recent research minimizes the theory that natural anti-oxidants in red wine "cleanse" free radicals. The mechanism is far more complex, and, in any case, widely feared sulphites are the most potent antioxidants in most wines, and there are more in white than in red wines! |
| The data was presented at the symposium for physicians and researchers held last month at Silverado Resort in Napa Valley. It was organised by Dr. Tedd Goldfinger, and among the guest speakers were Dr. Serge Renaud, who discovered the "French Paradox," and Dr. Curtis Ellison, who has been a leader in promoting the health benefits of wine. |
| Poorly-performing corks are the main culprits behind prematurely aged white Burgundy, says Clive Coates MW. The Burgundy guru says that changes in the way corks are produced have led to poorer wine isolation and oxidisation. Coates was prompted to examine the phenomenon following an inexplicable and seemingly random spate of oxidised white Burgundies from the late 1990s – in particular the 96, 97 and 98 vintages. He was forced to reject several bottles due to oxidation. “The growers were just as puzzled as we were,” says Coates. “And, being concerned, were all too happy to share their experiences.” Coates admits that there are many possible reasons for premature oxidation including certain winemaking techniques such as battonage (the stirring of the lees in the barrel) and reduced sulphur content. However, he says, poor corks are the main culprits. |
| To back up his findings, Coates points to top Chablis producer Raveneau, which covers the cork and bottle neck with sealing wax, and is one of the few domains which did not experience oxidation problems. |
| Collectors are knowingly putting counterfeit wine up for auction, witnesses in the ongoing FBI investigation into wine fraud say. The US Department of Justice is working with the FBI to gather evidence into allegations that counterfeit bottles are being sold. Collectors William I Koch and Russell H Frye, who are helping federal authorities investigating wine counterfeiting and are both plaintiffs in counterfeiting cases, say “Buyer beware” is the watchword when bidding at auction. Christie's said, “Christie's will not sell any lot that we know or have reason to believe is inauthentic or counterfeit. We take all appropriate steps to establish authenticity. We have been cooperating with officials and will continue to do so. We will not be making any detailed comment while the matter is subject to legal proceedings.” |
Monolithos Monthly News |
| Early in March, the grapevines begin to come out of their dormant stage as the juice in the roots begins to flow. Any wood cuttings left over from pruning are removed or burned in the vineyard. The first buds start to open as leaves begin to develop along with the new growth. In spring, the warmer weather brings weeds. The soil is worked with machines and unwanted vegetation is removed. The worked soil helps to aerate and uncover the base of vines. At Monolithos Winery, general annual vineyard maintenance work was completed as well as the burning of cuttings. However, the threat of frost has not departed with winter. This threat can last for the months of March and April, and is one of the most dangerous times of year for the vines. One prolonged period of cold weather, frost or a storm with hailstones can damage the vines and affect the year’s crop. |
| In the Winery, this is the time to finish anything that should have been done earlier. Racking of all the previous year’s wine is close to completion. Topping up of tanks continues. April is also the time to complete bottling of previous vintages. Based on certain problems experienced during the last few years with the quality of the bottles and their matching with corks, we decided to select a new type of bottle for most of our wines. |
| We thank you for your continued support, take care and remember Ernest Hemingway’s words in “A Moveable Feast”: |
"In Europe, we thought of wine as something as healthy and normal as food and also a great giver of happiness, wellbeing and delight. Drinking wine was not a snobbism, nor a sign of sophistication, nor a cult; it was as natural as eating, and, to me, as necessary." |
| If at any time you are passing near the village of Pachna and wish to visit the winery or purchase any of our products, Martin Wood will be pleased to meet and assist you at his “Fig Tree Villa” in Pachna, so do not hesitate to phone him at 25-816212 or 99-165995. |
| Regards from all of us here at Monolithos |
