10/11/05 Structure

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and today we are going to examine the somewhat imprecise term "structure" often used when describing a wine. The wine taster is often searching for adjectives and terms to more accurately describe the impressions that come from smelling and tasting wines. It sometimes confuses the consumer when a wine is described as having a firm structure or a weak structure. What the taster is referring to is the tannin in the wine, and its influence along with acid, alcohol and glycerin that contributes to the feel of the wine. They are visualizing the wine in a three dimensional way. Similar to a structure and they are describing the structural components of the wine. When the description is of a firm structure the wine is probably quite tannic with good acid to back it up. If it is described as having a weak structure, it is just the opposite, not possessing strong tannins or acids. If you are drinking red wines that are young, or have aggressive tannins, you can soften the impact by serving soft cheeses. Serving youthful Syrah or Zinfandel with cheeses is usually a safe bet at a casual party. And although white wines don't usually have strong tannins, the acids will make up the emphasis when structure is used to describe them. They also respond well to very sweet or nutty ripe soft cheeses. So take note of the structure of your next glass of wine and remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to Wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.