What Determines Taste Of A Wine

It’s very true that wine speaks of its origin. In fact, not many drinks can offer such a colourful sense of place as wine. So what determines taste of a wine? Well there are four primary factors, of which three are related to the origin of the wine. These are: soil, climate, grape variety, and the skill of the winemaker, also known as vintner. Quite clearly, the first three factors are dependent on the location of the vineyard.

Wine making involves the use of thousands of different grape varieties, most belonging to the Vitis vinifera species. The grape variety determines the basic taste of wine. For instance, grapes like Muscat and Gewurztraminer impart their own unique flavour to wine. Earlier, grape varieties used to be topographical, but now they have travelled internationally and the same grape is being produced in different places. However, the same grape grown in different places might taste differently. This is where climate steps in.

The climate must be optimal for wine making: not too wet or dry, not too hot or cold. In essence, wine attains a rich taste and aroma when the climate is less certain with only brief stints of sunshine (excessive sunshine results in insipid wines). There are several regions across the globe with climatic conditions favouring wine making: Capelands of South Africa, Argentina, central Chile, most of New Zealand, a small region of Western Australia, Rhineland of Germany, a major chunk of Europe, and several states of the USA. And then you may also find vineyards in the most incredible of places; places where climatic conditions are not that suitable for wine making: Alice Springs in the heart of Central Australia and the Sahyadri mountains near Mumbai in India. It is the climate in Bordeaux, one of the great red wine hubs of the world, which allows the production of excellent grape varieties like Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

Chardonnay, one of the most versatile of grape varieties, is a superlative example of taste varying depending on where the grape variety has been grown. The right climate at the right time during the cultivation of grapes is crucial to attain a superb harvest. Cold weather or excessive rain detriments the ripening of the fruit. Potentially great harvests have been ruined by a hailstorm days before the harvest. But these are mishaps you really can’t prevent by taking preemptive measures.

Though in an indirect manner, the vineyard soil also determines the taste of wine produced. Certain grape varieties require a particular soil type for optimum growth. For instance, granite soil works well with acidic grape varieties like Gamay. Ideally, vines need a thin topsoil and subsoil that drains moderately so that vine roots are not exposed to excessive water stress. In France, the term terroir has long been used to define the collective factors that determine the taste and quality of wine. The terroir covers several aspects of the vineyard environment. It includes altitude (the height above the sea level for the vineyard), the degree of the slope (this affects the intensity of the sunlight), the aspect (whether the vineyard is north-facing or south-facing), the prevailing winds, and the water retention (the water retaining ability of the vineyard), among others.

And finally we talk about the skill of the winemaker (or vintner), who plays a crucial role in determining the taste of a wine. Much like different chefs cooking a single dish in their own unique styles, wine makers lend their own unique flavour to a wine. In Chablis, the northernmost wine district of Burgundy, France, almost all grapevines are chardonnay and the climate does not vary much across the town. And yet, there are as many different tastes of wine as there wine makers in Chablis. In a gist, there are several steps involved in the wine making process, and a single variation in the way of execution of one of these steps can result in a different taste for the wine. There are winemakers who are experimental; there are those who go by the book; those who bottle wine as early as possible; and those who leave it to age in oak barrels. There are endless permutations and combinations and hence several different tastes of wine.