No Stupid Wine Questions: What is Wine Structure?

How can a fluid have a structure, and why does it matter?

I talk about wine all day for a living. For the most part, I’m fairly good at getting past the specialist language that often gate-keeps wine, and breaking down complex ideas and methods so curious drinkers can understand them. But I confess that there’s one word that comes out of my mouth a lot, that I am not always entirely sure makes sense to my guests. And indeed, recently one of them did ask for clarification: “You keep referring to structure in wine, but what does that mean? How can a liquid have a structure?”

A good question, and one that deserves a more thorough treatment!

The Supporting Framework of Wine

Many descriptions of wine are reasonably straightforward, referring to familiar fruit flavors, floral or herbal aromas, oak characteristics, and sweetness or lack thereof. Body and complexity are a bit more complicated, but most people can get the sense of what these concepts mean with just a little explanation. Structure is more abstract. It refers to the components that hold the flavor, body, and complexity of the wine together, giving the wine balance, depth, and aging potential. I think of these components as the framework of a house - the beams that may not be immediately visible, but hold up the walls, floors, and windows - or the rhythm that undergirds a melody and harmony in a musical piece.

When I refer to structure, specifically I’m usually talking about these elements:

• Acidity

• Tannin

• Alcohol

• Sugar

Not all of these are always present or present in the same proportions; for example white wine generally doesn’t contain tannins, and not all wines include sugar. But to make a quality wine, you need at least a couple of these support beams.

Photo by Olenka V on Unsplash

1. Acidity: Acidity gives wine its energy and liveliness. It makes your mouth water so you want to drink more of it, and also makes the wine a good accompaniment for food. It is also a natural preservative and helps highly acidic wines like very good quality Riesling or Chardonnay age well. Good wine will hold its high acidity in balance with its other elements, so it feels bright and appealing and not sour or bracing.

   
   Want to test the acidity in wine? Swirl it around your mouth and spit or swallow, then hang your head forward and pay attention to the saliva that gathers around the sides of your mouth. I’m sorry, but learning to taste wine well is learning to look ridiculous. The longer you keep salivating, the higher the acidity!

2. Tannin: Tannins are naturally occurring compounds found in grape skins, seeds, and stems, and in oak barrels. Fun fact: tannins actually exist in all plant life, and function as the natural mechanism that keeps plants or their fruit from being eaten before they’re fully ripe and ready to distribute their seeds. In wine, tannins give red (and sometimes orange and rosé) wines a drying, grippy, or astringent feeling. High levels of tannins can contribute to a wine’s ability to age well, such as in Cabernet Sauvignon or Nebbiolo, but ideally, tannins will provide backbone and texture without overpowering the other elements in the wine.
   
   Run a red wine around your whole mouth including the gums and roof of your mouth. How does it feel? Does your mouth feel drier? Is there a stickiness or grip to the wine? Does it feel like sand, fabric, paper, or leather? Those are tannins.

3. Alcohol: Alcohol gives body and warmth to a wine, and this is why it’s difficult to make a non-alcoholic wine that feels balanced or well-structured. The right amount of alcohol gives fullness and richness to a wine, but too much can dominate the wine and make it taste hot and feel heavy.
   
   Higher alcohol levels will give you a warming sensation in your throat or at the back of your palate. You can also smell alcohol clearly if you sniff from the bottom rim of the glass, where your upper lip would be while drinking. Higher alcohol will also often make the wine appear more viscous in the glass, so if you swirl it around and watch how the wine drips down the glass, it will develop distinct “tears” or “legs.”

4. Sugar: Most dry wines have little or no residual sugar, but in wines with some sweetness, sugar can be another structural pillar. It adds body and balances high acidity that might otherwise be abrasive, but it’s crucial that the sugar content not overwhelm the acidity, or the wine can become cloying.
   
   Sugar and fruitiness can sometimes be confusing in wine, because your nose tricks your brain into expecting sweetness when you smell fruit. If you can’t tell whether it’s sugar or fruit aromas, plug your nose while tasting! I did tell you this was a process of learning to look ridiculous.

These support beams come together in the way a wine feels in your mouth. Is the acidity too mouthwatering and tart, or does it make you want more? Is the texture pleasant or abrasive? Does the liquid feel too light, too heavy, or find that Goldilocks just rightness? Is the sweetness appealing and balanced, or do you get the sense that you don’t want more than a sip or two? Do all the elements of the wine seem to be in balance, or is something overwhelming the experience? When you’ve swallowed a sip, do the pleasant things about the wine linger, or do they drop off quickly?

Why Does It Matter?

In terms of drinking now, structure is what differentiates a good wine from a boozy Welch’s grape juice. In theory the latter will get the job done, but you’re going to get more enjoyment out of a wine that holds multiple elements in balance and hits all the pleasure points with its aromas, flavors, feel, and overall experience.

Structure also enhances wine’s compatibility with food. Acidity cuts through rich or fatty foods, tannins help a wine stand up to robust cuts of meat, and sugar can complement desserts. Balance in a wine is necessary to pair well with the complex flavors present in some dishes.

Finally, structure makes a wine age well. Without some or all of these elements to help the primary aromas and flavors of wine endure age and oxygen, the wine quickly fades in flavor or turns to vinegar.

Appreciating Structure

You don’t have to be an expert to experience or appreciate structure; you just need to be attentive to what is behind the basic aromas and flavors you might initially notice. Structure is what makes the difference between a drinkable wine and a good one, and between a good one and a great one. Cheers to great wines!