🍷 PH of wine

Wine pH is a number that shows how acidic the wine is. The lower the number, the more acidic the wine. The scale runs from 0 to 14, but for wine it is usually between 3 and 4. For comparison, pure water has a pH of about 7.

PH should be told apart from acidity in grams per litre, which is not the same thing. Acidity shows how much acid is in the wine, and pH shows how strongly it acts. The scale is logarithmic: a difference of one unit means a tenfold difference. So even a small change in pH is noticeable.

pH matters to winemakers for several reasons. At low pH the wine is more stable: less risk of bacteria, sulphur dioxide works better, and red wines have brighter colour. At high pH the wine is softer but less protected. A wine with pH below 3.3 usually seems fresh, and above 3.7 softer. pH is measured with an instrument, a pH meter.