Airén (I-wren)

The most widely planted grape of Spain, grown mainly on the central plains of Castilla La Mancha, immortalized by Don Quixote. Used in blending (it’s often the base for inexpensive sparkling wine around Europe) and on its own. Grown and made by small family wineries, can make a fresh, lively, minerally white (not unlike pinot grigio, only better) that’s a steal.

A buttery flavor in wine is most often the result of:

A. Bâttonage

B. Extended contact with yeast lees

C. Malolactic fermentation

D. Aging in new oak

Buttery flavors in wine are the result of diacetyl, which is the organic compound that makes butter taste buttery. For its part, diacetyl is a by-product of malolactic fermentation, the process by which beneficial bacteria convert crisp malic acid in wine to softer-feeling lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation can happen naturally or be induced by the winemaker. It can also be prevented from happening (by the addition of sulphur dioxide). Malolactic fermentation is very common with Chardonnay, which in turn means that many Chardonnays have a buttery flavor. Red wine too goes through malolactic fermentation but other compounds in red wine (especially tannin) generally obscure any buttery flavor.

“Nostalgia is the most successful wine aging process.”–Bryan Miller, former restaurant critic for the New York Times

–Bryan Miller, former restaurant critic for the New York Times

Get WineSpeed