Wine Tasting Terms: Structure

                             And redder still on old stone walls

                            Are leaves of woodbine twining;

            In October there is something in the air—brilliant clarity, changing light—that makes my heart rejoice. The carefree warmth of summer's party has ended and a comforting quiet steals into our homes and hearts. Perhaps no month can rival October's bright blue weather, as Helen Hunt Jackson wrote in her eponymous poem but neither perhaps do any rival October's elegant structure: perfect temperatures, perfect clarity of light and a blaze of color.

            As with anything—a building, a human—the components (slate and stone or muscle and bone) help create the structure, so too in wine do the components (alcohol, tannin, acidity, glycerol) make up its structure. Think of a wine's structure as its backbone. And when the components all work together, the wine is considered well structured; its foundation is sound and offers a clue to how well the wine will age, if not necessarily how well it will taste. Structure has more to do with body, texture or mouthfeel than with flavor. Think about swirling water in your mouth and then swirling honey. Forget about the sweet taste of sugar, and focus on the texture of the liquid you're swirling (or trying to swirl, in the case of honey.)

            Balance is another way of saying the components are all working in harmony, but balance differs from structure in that it is greater, more encompassing. A balanced wine includes a well-defined structure, as well as the right amount of fruit, extract, acidity and so on.

            To help you practice, a group of wine tasters and I have chosen an Aglianico. Just back from Italy where we found the reds of Umbria, particularly Sagrantino, well-structured, with the whites of Campania equally elegant: Falaghina, Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo. And while these worked wonders as we sat sipping, gazing out to an azure sea in Carpi, for the month of October let's focus on the bold and beautiful Aglianico, that perfect fireside red.  

            Mastroberardino, Iripinia, Aglianico, 2014 – Aglianico is the signature red grape of Campania, and the principal grape of the DOCG Taurasi. And if anyone deserves credit for revitalizing Campania's ancient varietals, it's Antonio Mastroberardino, who heads one of the leading wineries and wine families in Italy. Look for dark fruit notes, with smoke, ash, leather, tobacco, and spice. Dark and rich, with nice acidity and tannins allowing for good aging potential. Pair with lamb or strong dishes.

Kay Pfaltz