🍷 Acidity
The fresh tartness of wine that makes your mouth water.
Acidity is the fresh tartness of wine that makes the mouth water. Every wine needs it: without it, a wine feels flat and heavy. The main acid in wine is tartaric acid; there are also malic, lactic, citric and acetic acids.
Acidity depends on climate and grape variety. In cool places berries ripen more slowly and keep more acid. In hot places there is less. High-altitude vineyards also keep acidity thanks to cold nights. It is measured by acid content and by pH.
If there is too much acid, the wine is deacidified, and if too little, it is acidified. Acidity is one part of the balance of a wine, next to sweetness, alcohol and tannin. Good acidity helps wine keep and pair with food: it refreshes against fatty dishes. That is why acidity is an important word in describing wine. Acidity should not be confused with the sourness of spoiled wine or with bitterness: it is a pleasant refreshing note.
What it includes
How it connects to Wine
Links
- Previous step
- 🌿 Cool climate, 🌿 High-altitude vineyards, 🍷 Deacidification
- Next step
- 🍷 PH of wine
- Where it is found
- 🍷 Wine
- What affects it
- 🍷 Ageing potential
- Part of
- 🍷 Wine taste and composition
Frequently asked questions
What is wine acidity?
The fresh tartness of wine; without it wine feels flat and heavy.
Which acid is the main one in wine?
Tartaric acid; there are also malic, lactic, citric and acetic acids.
What does acidity depend on?
Climate, grape variety and ripeness: cool places usually give more.
What to read next
- 🍷 Ageing potential — How many years a wine can improve before it starts to fade.
- 🌿 Cool climate — Places with short summers: wines are fresh, tart and lower in alcohol.
- 🍷 Deacidification — Reducing excess acidity in wine from a cold year.
- 🍷 PH of wine — A number showing how acidic a wine is, usually between 3 and 4.
Similar
🍷 Tannins · 🍷 Glycerol · 🍷 Alcohol in wine · 🍷 Polyphenols · 🍷 Wine tasting · 🍷 Tears of wine