Viscous

The character some wines possess of being somewhat syrupy and slow to move around in the mouth. Alcohol gives a sense of richness to wine only up until the wine is about 13.5% alcohol by volume. Higher in alcohol than that, wines actually taste thin. Neither alcohol nor glycerin makes a wine viscous. However, the ripeness of the grapes, residual sugar, yeast extracts, additives, peptides, polysaccharides, and proteins could all play a role.

Why do some Australian red wines have a eucalyptus flavor?

A. Because early Australian pioneers historically added small amounts of eucalyptus oil to fermenting wine, believing it to impart health benefits

B. Because the species of American oak now grown in Australia takes on a slight eucalyptus flavor when the barrels are toasted

C. Because many vineyards are planted near eucalyptus trees, the leaves of which sometimes end up in picking bins and ultimately in fermenting vats

D. Because shiraz, Australia’s main red wine, naturally has a eucalyptus flavor

Eucalyptus trees are native to Australia, and many vineyards are planted in close proximity to them. The leaves of the trees contain an essential oil which itself contains the volatile compound 1,8 cineole, commonly known as eucalyptol. Eucalyptol has a fresh, cool aroma and flavor evocative of camphor and mint. According to the Australian Wine Research Institute, when vineyards exist near eucalyptus trees, the leaves of the trees often end up in picking bins, especially in vineyards that are machine harvested. The leaves both secrete their oil onto the skins of grapes, and some leaves may end up being fermented along with the grapes themselves. In a survey the Institute conducted of commercially available Australian wines, eucalyptol was found above sensory detection threshold in 40% of red wines.

Infused for Summer: Vermouth

Vermouth is a fortified wine infused with botanicals, herbs, spices, fruits, and sometimes vegetables. Among the ingredients is usually the aromatic plant wormwood (from which the word vermouth is derived). Each vermouth producer has his… Continue reading

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