Wine Word of the Week: Acidity


By Kori ~ December 6th, 2011.

This week’s Wine Word of the Week is acidity.

Official definition from Jancis Robinson’s The Oxford Companion to Wine:
Acidity is a general term for the fresh, tart, or sour taste produced by the natural organic acids present in a liquid. Wines, together with most other refreshing or appetizing drinks, owe their attractive qualities to a proper balance between this acidic character and the sweet and bitter sensations of other components. All refreshing drinks contain some acidity, which is typically sensed on the human palate by a prickling sensation on the sides of the tongue.

Layman’s terms from Kori:
A mark of acidity is saliva production in your mouth. The more saliva produced in your mouth after you spit or swallow a wine, the higher the level of acidity. Too little acid and wine is “flat.” Too much acid and wine is “tart.” In between, wine is “crisp.”


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