Delicious Wine? What is it? 

Shouldn’t all wine be delicious?

Delicious wine, please.”

This is one of the most frustrating requests to salespeople in stores and sommeliers in restaurants. It is akin to requesting “delicious food” in a restaurant. How can a waiter know your taste? Restaurants compile their menus to suit a range of tastes in the belief that all their dishes are delicious, for at least some diners. Everybody’s taste is different. Furthermore, it’s not easy even for yourself to understand your exact preferences on any specific day. Not many people ever try to analyze their tastes objectively and for most there is really no need.

While taste itself is subjective, attempts have been made to objectively measure the taste of wine.

Andre Vedel created a triangle in 1972, classifying the taste of wine on three axes: Astringency (Bitterness), Sweetness (Softness) and Acidity.

The “best” wines will cluster around the center where the balance is best. Wines that are on the heavier side of the spectrum and may have higher alcohol, will be further from the center. Bolder, richer wines tend to fall further away from the center.

If you enjoy higher acidity in a red wine, you prefer a wine with a long acidity axis. If you like to drink sweet wine, you will prefer a wine with a long softness axis. If you love to drink heavy and robust wine, your triangle’s bitterness axis will be longer.

The same holds true for white wine but astringency (bitterness) becomes less important. Acidity and softness become relatively more important.

There is no absolute position in the triangle for “a delicious wine” which will satisfy every consumer. Understanding this triangle and other classifications may help you to understand your taste preferences and will help you when you order a bottle of wine in a restaurant.

However, never forget that your taste preference changes, not only throughout your life but on a day-to-day basis too.

Want to experience a well-balanced-wine, nestling in the sweet spot of the Vedel Triangle? 

Click on the bottle below.

Selected by Peter Koff MW

.

Want to receive additional complimentary articles?

Click on the Subscribe Button below.

Copyright © 2018 GreatWine2U.com. All rights reserved.