03/26/2026
Acid When your mouth waters. High acid = serious salivation. Low acid = softer, flatter… not mouthwatering. This is measureable and useful. Keep this one.
Body The weight of the wine on your palate. Light, medium, or full. Think of it like the “density stat” of the wine. Light wines go down like water. Medium bodied wines are a little heavier on the palate (like 1% milk). Full bodied wines have the consistancy of cream on the palate… they are heavy! You can learn to think about this consistently.
Tannin Mostly a red wine thing. That grippy, drying sensation on your gums and cheeks? That’s tannin. Low (smooooth), medium, or high (sandpaper).
Sweetness Not fruit flavor. Actual residual sugar. A wine can smell like a fruit bowl (RIPE) and still be bone dry. Separating these two things removes a ton of early confusion. You breath out fruit ripeness. Sweetness is a sensation on the tongue you feel immediately.
Alcohol This adds warmth and weight. Lower alcohol tends to feel lighter and fresher. Higher alcohol will give you a warmth down in your chest. Not always front of mind, but worth tracking.
Balance How all of the above coexist. Does one element dominate the others, or does everything feel proportional? Balance isn’t about personal preference, it’s about whether the wine is structurally sound.
Finish What lingers after you swallow. How long does it last? And is it a pleasant one or not so much?
