If you enjoy wine, which I’m sure you do because you’re reading a wine blog, I’m almost 100% certain you’ve seen the term balance. Maybe on the back of a wine label, in a tasting note online, or spoken about at a restaurant or cellar door. The word “balanced” is one of the most thrown-around wine terms I think I’ve ever seen. But what is balance in wine, exactly? And how important is it really? In this wine terms explained post, we’ll dive into what it actually means.
Balance is extremely important in wine, and it’s one of the most sought-after characteristics you’ll come across. Because when a wine is balanced, you’re in for a great drinking experience.
What Is Balance in Wine?
Balance is the harmony between all the different components of a wine and how well they come together. It isn’t about the absolute levels of each component on its own, but how they integrate to create a whole experience.
There are five components of wine: acid, alcohol, sweetness, tannin and concentration. To achieve balance in wine, these components need to exist in the right ratio to each other. Every component plays an essential role in creating a good bottle of wine, and too much of any one of them will throw the whole thing off. Each one needs to be just right.
The winery can influence these components, but the most balanced wines tend to start with grapes that are intrinsically balanced in the vineyard.
Let’s dive into each of these components and what they bring to a wine.
Acidity
Let’s start with acidity. As strange as it might sound, acidity is an essential component in wine. Wines with too little acidity taste flabby, heavy or flat. But if there’s too much, the wine will taste overly tart. Acidity and sugar balance each other, with the acid offsetting the sweetness of sugar.
To get the acidity right, grapes need to be harvested at exactly the right time so sugar and acid are in harmony. Harvest too late and the grapes may have too much sugar; harvest too early and there’s too much acidity. Cool climate regions also tend to produce wines with higher acidity.
Learn more about acidity in wine here.
Alcohol
Alcohol is another very important component when it comes to balance in wine. If the alcohol level is too high, you’ll notice a burning sensation on the finish. Too little, compared to the other components, and the wine might taste hollow or thin. Alcohol is also a product of yeast eating sugar during fermentation, so if alcohol levels are low because fermentation was stopped early, the wine might end up tasting too sweet.
Sweetness
A grape’s sugar content is at its highest when the grape is optimally ripe, which is when it’s ready to be harvested. This sugar is what’s converted into alcohol during fermentation, and any sugar left over afterwards is called residual sugar. Too much residual sugar and the wine will taste sickly sweet; too little and it might taste harsh. As mentioned above, sweetness plays a critical role in balancing out acidity.
Tannin
Tannin is another important piece of the balance puzzle, though it’s not always fully understood. Tannins leave the mouth feeling dry and come from grape skins and seeds, as well as oak barrels, predominantly in red wines. They soften over time, which is part of what makes tannin so crucial to a wine’s ageing potential. But if there’s too much tannin, the wine will feel overly dry and astringent. There needs to be enough fruit concentration in the wine to balance it out.
Learn more about tannin in wine here.
Concentration
Having enough fruit concentration is essential in every wine. Fruit fills out the structure of the wine and is critical to balancing all the other components. If there isn’t enough fruit concentration, the wine will taste thin or weak in flavour, no matter how well the other elements are dialled in.
Why Balance in Wine Matters: A Quick Summary
Balance in wine is incredibly important, which is why so many wines mention it in their tasting notes. A wine that’s balanced is genuinely enjoyable to drink, but if even one component is out of step with the others, the wine can fall flat. Getting every component right is what separates a good bottle from a forgettable one.
Understanding what balance in wine means is also a great way to deepen your appreciation as you taste. Next time you pour a glass, try to pick out each of these five components, acidity, alcohol, sweetness, tannin and concentration, and notice how they work together. The more you practise, the more you’ll start to recognise balance for yourself.