The Cyprus Wine Blog: February 2010

Wine plays a role in our lives and in our identity. It has changed from a
local product meant to accompany food and to celebrate social gatherings
into a consumer commodity. The pleasures of wine cannot really be compared
with anything else. Furthermore, there is culture in wine. It can be found
in appreciating the craft of the winemaker, in understanding the
site-specific differences, in learning the diversity of grape varieties, in
comprehending geography and local traditions and participating in the ritual
of drinking wine.
When we eat, we describe food as being “delicious” or “satisfying” or
“overcooked”. A fish tastes and smells like fish and a steak tastes like a
steak. Wines, on the other hand, are different. It is very rare that wines
smell or taste of the fresh grapes they are made from. Wines often have an
aroma of exotic fruits, apples, blackberries, white pepper or even smoked
meats, cinnamon or leather. And that’s one of the strange beauties of vitis
vinifera, the wine grape: with absolutely no additives, and minimal
intervention by the winemaker, nearly all vinifera varieties will yield
wines that taste and smell nothing at all of grapes. When we say that we
taste strawberries, we mean a personal perception of the taste - not that
strawberries were somehow added to the wine. It is simply that all the
factors which have contributed to the making of the wine have resulted in a
beverage that has a strawberry flavour as part of its personality.
Everyone knows we have five senses (vision, hearing, taste, smell and
touch). The eyes are more exact witnesses than the ears (Heraclitus). Sight,
hearing, smell, and taste depend on some sort of “intervening substance”
such as air or water through which stimulation can be facilitated. Touch,
on the other hand, places the sensing organ in direct contact with the
sensed object. The sense of touch is the most important of all our senses in
terms of its contribution to our physical development and growth. From
infancy to adulthood, touch is central to our emotional, psychological and
physiological development. Another distinction of the sense of touch is that
it is identified with the real. There are times when you can’t believe
your eyes, or your ears, and taste is personal and subjective, but touch is
proof.
Touch is the first sense and, as such, our first teacher. Each tactile
sensation gives us some fundamental understanding of the world around us. In
practice, various touch receptors throughout the body gather data about our
world. The brain records these sensations and compares them to our
experiences - good and bad. The comparative process leads to our perception
of that which is touched. For centuries it was commonly asserted that beauty
could only be apprehended by means of the senses of vision and hearing. Some
researchers however group touch, taste and smell together in terms of
“mouth-sense”. These senses have always ranked low in the hierarchy. The
“lower” senses are considered as merely physical and sensuous.
With respect to the taste process, touch holds an important place. The word
“taste” itself is derived from the medieval English word TASTEN which
means “to examine by touch”, wherein the tongue is central to the process.
Full taste experiences require conjunction with smell and touch as well.
Taste requires intimate, first-hand acquaintance with its objects. One
cannot judge the taste of food or wine from second-hand reports, and the
same may be said of an object of beauty. Furthermore, taste is a sense that
nearly always has a value valence - that is, one either likes or dislikes
what is tasted.
Our impression of the wine is based on visual, olfactory, gustatory and
tactile sensations, and the appreciation of the wine comes as the mental
synthesis of these sensations. Touch being a primary sense enables us to
distinguish various textures, temperature and tactile sensations, each of
which influences our perception. Texture is not commonly discussed, but it
is an important component in the experience of tasting wine. Texture refers
to how wine feels in the mouth. It is the feel of the fluid as it interacts
with your tongue, your cheeks, and your throat. It changes from the moment
the wine enters your mouth and lingers after it is swallowed. It can be
dynamic, moving in a linear fashion from the back to the front of your
mouth, or it can ricochet from side to side. It can be fine and delicate or
forceful. It can be pleasant or abusive. It can also be almost entirely
absent. Such sensations interact with aromas and flavours to create the
complex interaction we call “tasting”.
The idea of texture in a liquid is so difficult, in fact, that wine experts
cannot even agree on what to call it. Some experts (wine writers,
winemakers, wine marketers) settle for the awkward term “mouthfeel”, while
others call it body, structure, density, weight and viscosity. These terms
attempt to differentiate by placing more importance on a particular
component of the tactile sensory stimulus.
The texture, mouthfeel and balance are commonly referred to as the wine’s
structure. A good beginning point to getting a grip on structure is to
remember that a typical wine is made up of 80-85% water. If we consider
water to be basically neutral where our tactile impressions of wine are
concerned, then we’ve just made our jobs slightly easier, since we only
have to look at what remains of the wine’s composition. That remaining
15-20% is where we find the alcohol, tannin, acid, sugars, and so forth.
It’s these components that give wine structure and texture, and it’s the
way they make our mouths feel that we attempt to describe.
The seven components of importance in structural/textural balance include:
volume (body), acidity, roughness, tannin, intensity, astringency, dryness
and bitterness. At its simplest, wine texture begins with two components:
glycerine and tannin. Glycerine gives wine a syrupy viscosity with a mild
sense of sweetness and is a natural product of fermentation. “Legs” on the
sides of your wineglass are largely caused by the interaction of glycerine
and alcohol. Tannins are found in grape skins and seeds. Even with immediate
gentle pressing of white grapes, some tannin is extracted. Tannins give wine
astringency and bitterness. This can be a mild dryness on your palate or
frank bitterness throughout your mouth. Tannins lend a sense of weight and
power, especially when they are in balance with other components in the
wine. As wine ages, tannin molecules coalesce to form larger molecules that
are less bitter and may eventually drop out of the solution as sediment.
Tannins can help a wine age if the strength of fruit behind them is powerful
enough to outlast the tannins.
There are several sources of texture in wine. Barrel fermentation and ageing
in new oak barrels add texture. Ageing on the yeast lees is an ancient way
to build texture, the extreme example being vintage Champagnes, which are
often aged in excess of five years on the yeast lees. In some locations,
vineyards produce grapes that are especially textural. Winemakers
continually make decisions that change the textural signature of their
wines. Racking (moving wine from barrel to barrel), fining (adding products
that bind tannin), and the length of ageing before bottling, all affect
texture. Achieving the correct texture will result in a more complete wine -
a wine with a clearer sense of its location, region or country of origin.
The tactile sensation of body, or consistency, is that physical perception
which allows the definition of the nature of the substance in the mouth to
realize whether it is a liquid, viscous or solid substance. The sensation is
perceived in the whole oral cavity and allows the body to “decide” the
best treatment for the substance which is in the mouth before being
swallowed. In wine, it is usually determined by its fluidity, that is by its
consistency, and this sensation makes possible the definition, as we will
see later, of the body or structure of wine.
Wine induces a wide range of tactile sensations:
● Mechanical sensations: Indicate the wine’s texture.
● Heat sensations: Index of the wine’s temperature.
● Pseudo-heat sensations: Due to the presence of alcohol that causes
burning and heat.
● Physical sensations: Create an impression of dryness, and roughness.
How a wine feels in our mouth (or its “mouthfeel”) plays an important role
in how much we like it. Just like velvet feels smooth and sandpaper rough,
the surfaces of our mouth detect astringency from tannin, bite from carbon
dioxide and the dual effects of high alcohol - heat and viscosity.
Mouthfeel is associated with the physical and chemical interaction in the
mouth, an aspect of rheology (the study of the deformation and flow of
matter). It is a concept used in many areas related to the testing and
evaluating of foodstuffs, such as wine-tasting. It is evaluated from initial
perception on the palate to swallowing and aftertaste. In wine-tasting, for
example, mouthfeel is usually used with a modifier (big, sweet, tannic,
chewy, etc.) to the general sensation of the wine in the mouth. Most
mouthfeel descriptors are related to texture; for example, silky, smooth,
velvety and rough. Mouthfeel is influenced by wine components, as acidity
can be sharp, alcohol can be hot, tannin can be rough and sugar can be thick
or cloying.
Mouthfeel is often related to a product’s water activity, hard or crisp
products having lower water activities and soft products having intermediate
to high water activities. Some common words we use to describe mouthfeel
are: “astringent”, “austere”, “creamy”, “chewy”, “dry”, “fat”,
“flabby”, “harsh”, “hollow”, “hot”, “juicy”, “lean”, “lush”,
“heavy or dense”, “delicate or light”, “plush”, “sweet”, “tannic”
and “tingly or bubbly” but, again, there are no specific rules. Mouthfeel
is a concept undergoing increasing study as winemakers seek to enhance these
sensations to create more pleasurable wines - and wines that score higher in
critics’ ratings. Not long ago, mouthfeel was just something that happened
to good wines; now it can be micro-managed in exquisite detail, if that’s
needed or desired.
Body or viscosity is another tactile sensation. The body of a wine refers to
the fullness, weight, concentration and total mouthfeel and is typically
qualified as “light bodied”, “medium bodied” or “full bodied”. For
example, skimmed milk could be considered “light-bodied", whole milk
“medium-bodied” and cream “full-bodied”. The impression of weight,
fullness or thickness on the palate is the result of a combination of
alcohol, sugar, and dissolved solids (including sugars, phenolics, minerals
and acids) and, to a lesser extent, glycerin. Although a fuller-bodied wine
makes a bigger impression in the mouth, it is not necessarily higher in
quality than a lighter-bodied wine.
Body is one of the most often misunderstood components of wine. The
description “full bodied” is frequently applied to wines that are high in
either alcohol or tannin or in both, without the actual texture and weight
of the wine being “full” at all. Body should be thought of as the relative
“thickness” or viscosity of the wine. Wine has a lot of stuff dissolved in
it that, together with dry extracts, contributes to the weight or body:
sugars, flavanoids, alcohol, etc. In fact, over 400 different compounds have
been identified in red wine, and we are still counting. One indication of a
wine’s body is its colour - the deeper the colour, the fuller the body. A
wine’s body is measured by swirling it around the glass and seeing how long
it takes the wine to flow down the sides. Full-bodied wines are heavy and
come down the sides of the glass in sheets. Medium-bodied wines are less
thick and break into “legs” (lines of colourless glycerine) as they flow
down the sides. Light-bodied wines are not heavy and will not cling to the
sides of the glass when swirled. Wines lacking body are often described as
thin or lean. Those with too much body, making them tiring and unpleasant to
drink, are referred to being fat or heavy.
These days, everyone seems to be searching for great body, even in their
wines, and wines from hot climates tend to have more body. Thermal tactile
sensation, caused by temperature, besides influencing the perception of
flavours and taste, mainly represents a defensive response. Its purpose is
to detect dangerous conditions for the body in case a too hot or too cold
beverage or food is being ingested: the typical reaction is to expel the
content of the mouth before being injured. The temperature alters the
perception of flavours and, in certain cases, the perception of other
tactile sensations. In sparkling wines, temperature influences the
development and action of carbon dioxide, which is responsible for pungency.
A low temperature favours a slow release and pleasantness of this gas, while
high temperatures favour a sudden and rapid release.
Although tactile sensations cannot be defined or considered as flavours,
they contribute anyway to the general perception of taste and, particularly,
to the gustatory evaluation of a wine. They allow the determination of this
beverage’s balance and, lastly, the grade of pleasantness. Tactile
sensations are perceived in every part of the oral cavity and in the tongue,
in particular the central area.
A pseudo-caloric tactile sensation, or causticity, is experienced in wine by
the presence of alcohol. The more the quantity of alcohol, the more will be
the perception of this tactile sensation which can be described as a dryness
of the oral mucosa which in turn responds as a “burning” sensation in the
whole oral cavity.
Astringency is another tactile sensation which is detected when in the mouth
is perceived a certain dryness and “roughness” in the whole oral cavity
and tongue seems not to move in the mouth with its usual easiness. This
sensation is usually caused by tannins present in wine which have the
property of combining with some proteins of saliva and coagulating it,
therefore the saliva lose its typical lubricant effect. The sensation of
dryness is also because of the inhibition of saliva secretion which is the
response to the stimulus of astringency.
Concluding this short article on the role of tactile sensations in the taste
of wine, it can be stated that harmony in a wine depends on the way tastes,
aromas and tactile sensations combine. The overall balance is related to the
harmony and equilibrium of the competing tastes, textures and aromas in the
wine.
Wine News and Information
Asia’s wine consumption is set to grow by 25% in the next five years in
stark contrast to a predicted fall in European wine drinking, according to
new figures released recently by Vinexpo. It predicts the Asian wine and
spirits market will be worth $6.4 billion by 2011, with wine consumption
growing to nearly 1.3 billion litres between 2009 and 2013 - a rate five
times faster than the rest of the world.
By contrast, the figures compiled in association with International Wine &
Spirit Record predict that European wine consumption will fall by 0.7% over
the same period, with the United States the only other big winner with
consumption up by 7.6%. In the next five years, a 3.6% increase in the
global wine market is expected, relatively lower than the period 2003 to
2008 which registered 4.8% increase. Vinexpo also predicts sparkling wine
sales (including Champagne) will increase faster than still wine in the next
five years (over 1% against a below 1% increase for still wine). However,
the Asian markets and particularly China and India will really drive global
wine sales and consumption. The scale and significance of the Asian market
is why Vinexpo is to hold its next exhibition in Hong Kong.
Red wine not only goes well with a nice meal, it helps the stomach convert
potentially harmful chemicals into less dangerous molecules before they’re
circulated in the body, according to a new study slated to be published in
an upcoming journal of Toxicology. A team of Portuguese researchers found
that specific polyphenols in red wine trigger the release of nitric oxide, a
chemical that relaxes the stomach wall, helping to optimize digestion.
A new study released by the Nielsen Company shows a 28% jump in imported
rose sales in the United States in the past year, nearly eight times faster
than the overall growth of wine sales in the U.S. According to Nielsen,
this is part of a trend that’s been accelerating for the five years the
company has measured rose consumption. Overall, U.S. wine consumption
continues to grow because “people see it as an affordable indulgence”.
There is a demand by consumers for moderately priced wines at $10 to $20.
Apparently there is an increase in pink wines produced by red-white blush
blends. Imported rose is hitting a sweet spot of consumer trends: an
increase in drinking moderately priced wines at $10 to $20, wine pairing
with lighter world cuisines and a thirst for dry light wines. The reasons
for the surge are twofold - the result of improvements in winemaking,
coupled with changes in lifestyles. Until recently, rose wines were produced
by removing fermenting juice with the primary goal of concentrating colour
and aromas in the remaining red wine. Rose is now the goal, not simply a
by-product. Vineyards are now managing to produce grapes ideal for rose.
Since the 1980s, there’s been a general push to increase the quality and
complexity of rose. At the same time, lighter Mediterranean-style cuisines
and Asian influences have been a food-pairing advantage for rose in France
(where in the past two decades rose consumption has doubled and shot ahead
of white wine) as well as much of the wine drinking world.
Monolithos Monthly News
While vines may lay dormant in silent vineyards for much of the winter, the
season is not without its activity. Most of the work centres on pruning the
vines for the coming year, and that can begin as early as December. What is
left after the pruning becomes the basis for the next year’s crop. If
pruned too severely, the vine’s fruitfulness and strength may be
compromised. Conversely, if pruned too little, the vine will push out too
many shoots and leaves, producing too much fruit and becoming unbalanced. In
general, growers cut away most of the canes left over from the previous
year’s activity, leaving a few which will, in turn, produce shoots that
grow into canes which produce fruit. The general idea is to cut away enough
of the vine so its energy can be focused on ripening fruit efficiently.
In winter, wine resembles the vines from which it came: it too is dormant,
quietly clarifying, pulling to the bottom the yeast and sediment from the
autumn winemaking. Slow crystallization of the excess acidity occurs in the
chill of winter, a process that softens wine for its future consumption.
In the winery, all wines are clarified and stabilised before bottling.
Clarification may be racking by gravity, or filtration. Tartrate
stabilisation is achieved by chilling the wine below 4°C.
Blending occurs when all the wine has completed primary and secondary
fermentation and has been protein and tartrate stabilised. Each wine is
blended to achieve the winemaker’s objectives. Blending is the intricate
part of winemaking. Winemakers generally try to maintain consistency from
vintage to vintage. However there is a growing trend, particularly with
single vineyard wines, to allow them to express their site and season, so
there may be some variation between vintages.
The first wines scheduled to be bottled by the end of February are the rose
and white dry types. However all last year’s vintage wines are available
for tasting.
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.
We thank you for your continued support. Take care and remember there are no
standards of taste in wine… Each person’s own taste is the standard, and
a majority vote cannot decide for you nor affect, even to slightest degree,
the supremacy of your own standard.