Organic
‘Organic’ wines are made using grapes that have been GROWN organically! This means that grapes were grown without the use of harmful chemicals (herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers), and very minimal amount of sulfites have been added... (ALL wines contain sulfites, as a byproduct of fermentation, and sulfites ARE needed to keep wines fresh and stylistic... all this to say, sulfites are not bad).
Organic wines allow for conventional winemaking practices, which occur in the WINERY, and may include the use of additives, which must be organically certified, and allows for fining and filtration. 'Organic' is different from 'Natural' because natural wines are made without adding any chemicals and low/minimal to zero intervention takes place in the winery, that includes no fining/filtration.
Organic wines can be certified, which will be indicated on the bottle by an organic symbol or the bottle will state "made with organic grapes". Being certified can be incredibly challenging for grape growers, so know, most are practicing organic farming :)
Biodynamic
‘Biodynamic’ wines are made with the concept that everything is interconnected, including celestial bodies (think moon, stars, and planets). Grapes are best grown in a homeopathic manner when the ecosystem is in harmony. A little hippie dippy!? We freaking love it!!
The biodynamic calendar can be split into 4 days: Root, Fruit, Flower and Leaf; Root Days are the best days for pruning the vines, Fruit Days are best for harvesting fruit, Flower Days are meant to be a day of relaxation for the vines, and Leaf Days are best for watering the vines.
No chemicals or manufactured additives are allowed in the vineyard or Winery. When looking for Biodynamic, they can be distinguished by the 'Demeter' symbol.
Dry
'Dry' is used to describe wines that have minimal to no residual sugar. Residual sugar is the sugar that was left-over, and not converted to alcohol during the fermentation process. In the case of dry wines, fermentation is completed after all the sugar has been consumed by the yeast and converted to alcohol. Just because a wine is DRY doesn't mean that it isn't fruitful (or JUICY) it just doesn't taste sweet. When describing a wine, dry is often misused and confused as a sensory descriptor because we assume our mouth should "feel" dry. In this case, the drying sensation is actually tannin (so much to learn, I know....)
Dry Varietals: Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, and Cabernet Sauvignon
Sweet
'Sweet' wines in my opinion are the most under-rated! When paired well with cheese or a lesser-sweet dessert, sweet wines can be the most magical...
Grapes that contribute to sweet style wines have to have a higher sugar content, which can be achieved through:
1. Late Harvest: Leaving the grapes on the vines, a bit longer in the season, to concentrate
2. Noble Rot (Botrytis): An intentionally grown fungus, allowing for water evaporation and grape juice concentration
3. Passito: A drying out process, of already harvested grapes (ensuring high acidity)
Wines are considered to be "sweet", when there is residual sugar leftover from fermentation. Fermentation can be stopped in the winery by cooling the wine, adding SO2, or by fortification (the addition of grape spirt). Identifying sweetness can be tricky and easily confused with fruitiness or oaked characteristics. In most cases, sweet wines have to be balanced by high acidity (think of a Riesling!). The high acid gives the wine some structure and balance.
Some well known sweet styled wines: Sauternes (Botritized Semillion), Spatlese Riesling (Late-Harvest), Tokaj (Late-Harvest or Botrytis)
Juicy
‘Juicy’ wines are exploding with flavors and smells of fresh fruit, but are balanced with HIGH acidity and tend to have LOW tannin. After a single sip, your mouth is left watering and you can't wait to sip again! Juicy can be used to describe all wines! In the case of red wines, think of bright red fruits like sour cherry, strawberry, raspberries... and in the case of white wines, think fresh citrus and stone fruit like peach, lemon, lime, and grapefruit.
Wines tend to be young, meaning that they were bottled directly after fermentation, and maturation is avoided in order to preserve the vibrant and fresh fruit flavors. You can also anticipate wines of a slightly lower alcohol content.
Some grape variety examples, that may come in a Juicy style include; Gamay, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling
Full
‘Full’ bodies wines are usually dark in color (deep red, purple, or gold) and can be intense in texture (higher tannin, higher alcohol, lower acid). When evaluating a wine in the glass, full wines tend to opaque and deeply color throughout the glass. Wine making practices and environmental influences, that may contribute to a fuller style wine, include:
Oak Aging: With the use of new oak, rich flavors like vanilla, cedar, and chocolate can be added
Malolactic Conversion (occurs in almost all red wine): converts malic acid to lactic acid, which gives wine a more creamy and round flavor
Warm Climates: most grapes, that are grown in a warmer climate, produce full-bodied wines, with higher sugar content. The increase in sugar allows for a higher alcohol content, typically 13.5% or more (more sugar to convert to alcohol)!
Some full bodied wines and grape varieties include: Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Zinfandel, Oaked Chardonnay
Light
‘Light’ bodied wines are usually lighter in color, and can be delicate in texture (lower tannin, lower alcohol, higher acid). When sipping a wine that is light in body, your tongue is met with a zippiness and spice, that leaves you feeling refreshed! Rule of thumb, almost all light-bodied wines make for great food wines.
The light body style is more easily achieved in cool climates, where grapes have thinner skins, retain fresh acidity, and tend to contain less sugars (less to convert to alcohol). Most wines that are “light” have an alcohol content of 12.5% or less.
Both red and white wines can be light-bodied in style, think of: Pinot Noir, Gamay, Zweigelt, Grenache, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Albarino
Toasty
‘Toasty’ wines are those that have been aged in oak (specifically newer oak), or wines that have aged on the lees (dead yeast). When sipping on a toasty wine, you can expect aromas and flavors of brioche, baked goods, cheese, honey, vanilla, cedar, caramel, chocolate, coconut and hazelnut (sounds like dessert in a glass…!!) After fermentation, wines can sur lie, age in oak, or both!
Wines that sur lie (on less), mean that they age on the dead yeast, which creates bread-like notes, creamy, toasty and yeasty flavors.
Oak barrels go through a “toasting” process (over open flame), which can be light/med/heavy, that imparts the flavors of the wood. When wines age is barrels, it binds to these flavors creating flavors like caramel, vanilla, coffee, and chocolate.
Toasty can be used to describe both white and red wines… think specifically Oaked Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Champagne
Crisp
‘Crisp’ or ‘crispy’ wines are usually used to describe white, rose, or sparkling wines that are high in acid and dry… the kind of wines that make your lips pucker (just a bit)! However, we are seeing more and more red wines being described as crisp! These are the type of reds one might CHILL… Crisp wines are simple and usually very refreshing, which make them great for summer-time and excellent food pairing wines.
While crisp wines are normally light-bodied, high acid, and dry, they are normally NOT very fruity. Primary aromas and flavors would include, lemon, lime, passionfruit, and grapefruit! These wines are made with grapes that have a relatively low sugar content, which can be achieved by harvesting grapes early (before being fully ripened), or harvesting grapes in cooler climates.
Some crisp grape varieties to explore include; Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Chablis (Burgundian Chardonnay), Rose, Prosecco