Everything you need to know about how wine feels – not just how it tastes.
Silky. Crunchy. Pillowy. Waxy. Chalky. It might sound like we’re trying to find the best prize in the lucky dip, but we’re talking about the textures of wine. A term like ‘texture’ might seem an odd way to describe a liquid, but it really does come in handy when it comes to wine.
Knowing the basics of wine texture can be helpful when you’re trying to tell people the sorts of wine you like to drink (and your mates will get a kick out of you asking for the most ‘plump’ chardonnay at the restaurant). But it can also help you refine your own preferences. Flavour is important, of course, but if you can add identifying texture to your bag of tricks, you’ll end up drinking more wine that you really enjoy. And isn’t that always the goal?
Texture is how a wine feels in the mouth. It’s not taste – it’s more of a physical impression of the wine. Does it feel sharp? Dusty? Oily? Dry? Sometimes these things are obvious and sometimes they’re not, but the important thing to know is that texture is how we talk about the sensations in the mouth that go beyond taste or temperature.
Next time you try a wine, think about how it physically feels for a second. You might think it has some ‘weight’ to it, or maybe it leaves a slight grippy feeling in your mouth after you drink it. That’s texture.
Texture might not be the first thing that attracts you to a wine, but it’s an important way for winemakers to really take a wine to the next level. Having a physical component – the impression of creaminess or tannins that leave a dry feeling, perhaps – can add complexity to a wine beyond flavour. Wines without texture can feel a little flat or two dimensional, but textural wines will often seem deep and luxurious.
Texture in wine comes in a few different forms. It can be the result of the alcohol level in the wine, sugar content, tannins, acidity, lees (which are yeast cells) and additional winemaking techniques like malolactic fermentation or barrel ageing.
While we won’t go too deeply into each of those concepts (we’ve already done deep-dives into tannins, acidity and malolactic fermentation, if you’re interested), here’s a quick rundown of how some of those characteristics above give wine texture:
Tannins: Tannins are mostly found in red wines because they usually come from grape skins (which also give red wines their colour). Tannins are a type of acid and, if you’ve ever had a red wine and felt a drying or gripping sensation, you’ve got tannins to thank. Other tannin textures include chalky, dusty and coarse.
Sugar: If you’ve ever made sugar syrup, you’ll know how sugar can give water a silky-smooth thickness. Wines can have sugar, too, and wines with a high sugar content can feel heavy and viscous on the palate.
Alcohol: One of the big issues for makers of non-alcoholic wine has always been matching the texture of alcoholic wine. As it turns out, alcohol adds body and mouthfeel to a wine, which is why those big 14.5%-plus reds can feel so full and rich.
Acidity: Acidity can make a wine feel juicy, zesty, sharp, mouthwatering (literally) and plenty of other good, textural things.
Lees: When yeast cells finish fermenting and fall to the bottom of a wine that’s still being made, they’re called ‘lees’, and keeping them in the wine can add textures like creaminess. Winemakers sometimes use a technique called ‘batonage’, where the lees are stirred to give even more texture.
Malolactic fermentation: Also known as malo or MLF, this technique turns malic acid (which is a little like a bright, tart green apple) into lactic acid, which can make the wine soft, creamy and buttery.
So, you want to talk texture? The fun thing about texture in wine is there’s really no right and wrong – we’re just describing sensations, after all. And everyone will experience that slightly differently. So, don’t be afraid to explain what you feel in your own words (we’re really big on breaking down those exclusive barriers to enjoying wine) because that’s a great way to start.
If you did want to add a couple of extra terms to your personal wine dictionary, though, we’ve got you covered. Here are some good’uns:
Silky, velvety, satiny: This can describe red wine tannins (usually on the softer side) but any wine with a smooth, rich feeling on the palate will suit. Pinot noir, with its soft tannins, can be a silky fellow.
Plush, pillowy: With white wines, these are great terms for when the wine feels a little heavier or more viscous, and with red wines, when they have a full and rounded mid-palate. Sweet wines with a lot of sugar (like stickies) are often plush, as are barrel-aged chardonnays.
Sharp, crunchy: Acidity can add texture, and some wines feel like gentle little pokes on your tongue. Think of dry Aussie riesling or young semillon here.
Grippy: Tannins can have a drying effect on the mouth, leaving you feeling like your tongue has an extra bit of grip. Cabernet sauvignon or shiraz with strong tannins can leave this impression.
Creamy, buttery, oily: Wines with body can be plush, but sometimes they can have an extra layer of luxurious texture that is heavier like cream or butter on the tongue. Chardonnay that has had malolactic fermentation or barrel ageing is a good example.
Thin, light, watery: Sometimes we need to describe the absence of texture, and this is where these terms come in. Think about these next time you drink a white wine with low acidity and not much body. Sauvignon blanc can sometimes fall into this category, but that’s not always a bad thing.
Chalky: An almost powdery sensation – usually from tannins in red wine, but sometimes from ‘minerality’ in white wine.
Learning to taste wine is an ongoing process – it’s not something you’ll always get right from the start. Just as most of us don’t immediately know how to pick out all the flavours in a wine, don’t expect yourself to have a talent for texture right off the bat. It is something you can learn, however, and the key is to think consciously about texture next time you sip a wine. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
How does the wine look? It might sound silly, but texture can be visual in some cases. Give the wine a swirl in your glass. Does it leave anything on the side of the glass, or does it all just pool back in the bottom? That residue is called ‘legs’ and can be a sign of viscosity. Of course, you can’t tell about most elements of texture visually, but it’s one clue.
How do two wines compare? If we’re talking about texture in terms of, say, weight (how ‘heavy’ a wine feels in the mouth), it can be good to do a side-by-side comparison. Take a sip of two different wines and think about the differences in weight or mouthfeel. Even taking a sip of water can help illustrate the point because anything without sugar or alcohol will feel ‘thin’ compared to wine.
- Is there acidity or tannin? Take a sip and swallow the wine. What lingers? Besides the flavours, does the sensation inside your mouth change? If you feel something that prickles or dries the inside of your mouth, these are likely acid or tannin-related textures.
