The four characteristics

A VinoType is comprised of the four main characteristics of wine - body, tannins, sugars, and acidity. Of course, there are many other characteristics and components that make up the complex flavor profiles of wine. But by understanding these four characteristics, you should be able to start to better understand what it is you like about certain types of wine. Below are definitions and charts that explore how the wines in our database compare.

Body

Body is used to describe the feel of a wine’s intensity or richness from light to bold. Think of coconut water versus coconut milk, or skim milk vs whole milk. Whole milk or coconut milk is going to have a "full" feeling. The same concept goes for wine. A full-bodied wine tends to have a bolder, fuller feeling. This means that you may experience stronger flavor undertones. Hover and explore the graphic below to see if you recognize any bold or light wines.

Tannins

Tannins are naturally occurring polyphenols found in plants, bark, leaves and fruit skins and are known to have various health benefits. You may recognize these other foods and drink such as tea, chocolate, and whole nuts. A wine with a high amount of tannins will give off that astringent “dry” feeling that makes your lips stick to your teeth. Hover and explore the graphic below to see if you recognize any wines with high tannins.

Sugars

When we talk about sugar in wine, we're referring to Residual Sugar. Residual Sugar is essentially the leftovers in a wine after the alcoholic fermentation finishes. Unfortunately, humans are not very good at identifying sweetness, and many of the other characteristics such as tannins and acidity reduces the perception of sugar. A wine with a lower amount of residual sugars is considered dry, while wine with a larger amount of sugars is considered sweet. Hover and explore the graphic below to see if you recognize any dry wines.

Acidity

Acidity is what can give wine a tart or sour taste along with a tingling or mouth-watering feeling when you sip. While all wines live on the acidic side of the pH scale, some wines are more acidic than others. Highly acidic wines may taste less sweet and lighter bodied while lower acidic wines may taste bolder and sweeter. Hover and explore the graphic below to see if you recognize any acidic wines.