Balance

The balance of a wine refers to the combination of tannins, acid and sugar in a wine. A balanced wine is when these ingredients, and their by-products, complement each other and no single element dominates the wine.

Although the term seems simple enough, balance is quite difficult to achieve in a wine. There is no scientific method with which to measure balance; it is all relative. For example, big tannins are balanced by low acidity, and vice-versa. Too much or too little of one, two or all three main ingredients, in relation to the others, can expose an abundance of flaws. Furthermore, the determination of a wine as balanced can fluctuate based on the color of the wine, the temperature at which the wine is drunk or the palate of the taster.

There are, however, many obvious characteristics of an off-balance wine. One with overwhelming acidity will taste harsh. If too much sugar ferments into alcohol, the wine will seem hot in your mouth. On the other hand, large amounts of residual sugar without a high level of grape extract can lead to a cloying wine. The combination of big tannins and high acidity will produce a hard and rough tasting wine.

Balance tends to improve as the wine matures and the components intermingle and settle. However, no wine that is strikingly off-balance when young will completely overcome this flaw.

A balanced wine can also be referred to as round or supple.