When a wine is crisp, balanced, and harmonious in the glass, it is rarely a matter of luck. It is the sum of precise decisions made in the vineyard and in the cellar—always in harmony with the fruit of the year, the climate of the year, and the nature of the grape. These are the choices that determine whether a wine shines—or falls short.
Acidity – when a few grams change an entire vintage
Acidity is one of the most defining elements of wine. It shapes the wine's liveliness, aromatic clarity, and the way it moves in the mouth.
An example from a Pinot Noir clone study in a cool climate, conducted by Dr. Brian P. Kemp (Brock University), shows how dramatically acidity can vary—even when everything else is the same: same field, same clone material, same vinification. The only difference was the year.
2015: approx. 10.3 g/L titratable acidity
2016: approx. 7.1 g/L titratable acidity
Titratable acid is the total amount of acid measured by titration, where the acid is neutralized with a base to determine the exact amount.
A difference of around 3 g/L in the same field is significant, and in the glass, it resulted in two very different wines:
The 2015 vintage appeared lean, precise, and acid-driven. The 2016 vintage appeared rounder, broader, and more mature in its fruit.
A single year changed the entire expression – and became decisive in determining whether the wine would shine in the glass or risk falling flat.
Maceration – when color, tannins, and texture begin to take shape
When fermentation begins, the grape skins and seeds are in contact with the must. This is called maceration, and it is here that colorants, tannins, and aroma molecules move from the skins into the wine.
Maceration reacts directly to the condition of the fruit: skin thickness, phenolic ripeness, grape health, temperature, and fermentation rate.
Small changes make a big difference:
- Higher temperature → increases extraction of tannins and color
- Lower temperature → produces softer tannins and more aromatic finesse
- Longer maceration → gives greater structure
- Shorter maceration → produces a lighter, more delicate profile
Maceration is not a fixed program. It is an ongoing choice – guided by how the fruit behaves day by day.
Color – when pigments find their place
Anthocyanins are the color pigments found in the skin of red grapes. At the start of fermentation, they are free colorants —pigments that have not yet bound to tannins. This gives young wines their clear, youthful appearance, which can be purple, ruby red, or more subdued, depending on the grape variety.
As fermentation progresses, anthocyanins begin to bind to tannins. This creates more stable color complexes that last longer and develop from youth to maturity.
Longer maceration may even reduce the amount of free pigments initially, but result in a deeper and more durable color later on.
Color is therefore not just about intensity – but about the interaction between grape variety, phenols, tannins, and fermentation.
Phenols and phenolic maturity – the internal architecture of wine
Phenols are the structural molecules of grapes: tannins, anthocyanins, and other flavonoids. They affect the texture, color, astringency, and storage potential of wine—but always in conjunction with acidity, alcohol, fermentation, and oxidation.
Here, the difference between two types of maturity is key:
Technological maturity
Sugar level (measured in BRIX) and acid balance.
Phenolic maturity
Maturity in skin and seeds:
- the quality of the tannins
- the ability of the skins to release color and phenols
- the color and crispness of the kernels
- the ability of tannins to polymerize (become soft over time)
A grape may be technologically ripe but phenologically immature. This results in tannins that feel harsh and angular.
In the cellar, the winemaker can mitigate the consequences through shorter maceration, lower temperatures, gentle pressing, yeast contact, micro-oxygenation, or wood aging—but phenolic ripeness cannot be created after harvest.
The starting point in the vineyard is crucial in determining whether the wine will have a structure that shines – or risks appearing harsh and uncompromising.
Fermentation – the wine's first major structural transformation
The field determines the starting point. Fermentation determines the direction.
Temperature affects how much color and tannin are extracted. The pace of fermentation shapes the amount and type of aromatics. Oxygen conditions affect whether tannins develop toward softness or hold onto their edge.
Oxygen can be supplied naturally during pumping, through oak wood, or via micro-oxygenation—a controlled dosage of micro-oxygen.
Too little oxygen can keep the tannins short and sharp. Too much can cause oxidation. The right amount promotes polymerization and a softer structure.
Fermentation is thus one of the most crucial transformations in wine production—a phase where it becomes clear whether the winemaker's choices will elevate the wine or cause it to fail.
Why it matters in the glass
When two vintages from the same vineyard taste very different, it is often due to differences in:
- acid level
- phenolic ripeness
- condition of grapes at harvest
- temperature and speed of fermentation
- length of maceration
As in the example of 2015 and 2016: natural conditions were different, and the winemaker's choices followed suit.
A wine that hangs together is rarely a coincidence. It is the result of precise choices made at the right time – with respect for the nature of the grape and the expression of the year.
That's where a wine shines. And that's where it avoids falling through.