Finding balance

Smooth, silky, seamless, elegant and yes, balanced. In our time talking to folks about wine and learning what they like, the lion's share prefer wines that are balanced, regardless of the term they use to describe it. The important thing for wine consumers is to find wines they like the taste of, and as wine professionals our job is to find those wines that meet those needs. Part of that is embracing wines of all styles (even though they may not be our favorites), looking at them objectively to ensure they are well made - and yes, balanced - but in assessing them, not to disassemble them into all the components that lead to a balanced presentation when you taste the wine.

There has been an ongoing debate between New World and Old World style of winemaking. The New World style embraces more ripeness, higher alcohols and more opulence in wine, while the Old World style augers for lower alcohol, higher acid and more restrained fruit. The truth of the matter is that both styles of winemaking can result in either balanced wines or ones that show some "sharp edges" in the component flavors.

We have a good friend and customer who is emphatic about his distaste for New World wines in general, specifically those from California. He likes his wines with the aforementioned lower alcohol and higher acids. At a recent event, we presented him with a glass of California Pinot Noir with alcohol posted on the label of 13.9 percent - he loved it! He said several times how well-balanced the wine was. And indeed it is. With it being from California, some might be tempted to disassemble the wine and judge it just on the alcohol level or its appellation of origin and say it was not for them. When tasting it, though, without this separated judgment, the wine is delicious to many palate styles.

We believe that for all wine consumers, trying before you buy is the best way to assess wine and to end up with a wine rack full of those you like to drink. This also avoids the ruling out of wine based on individual elements. Part of what makes California wine California wine is that most of the appellations are warm with consistently sunny days throughout the growing season, resulting in riper grapes with higher sugars that lead to higher alcohols and more opulent wines. It is part of the appellation characteristics.

The cooler climes of Old World appellations result in lower sugars and higher acids, which is what makes those wines what they are. Again, both worlds can produce balanced or unbalanced wines. When tasting, watch for those undesirable "sharp edges." Does the oak stand out too much? Are the acids too high, resulting in wines that taste astringent or have aromas of vinegar or acetone? Are the tight grip of tannins all you sense, with dryness in your throat? Are the alcohols too high, causing the wine to feel or taste hot in the mouth?

Or are the wines made in a style that most appreciate where they are smooth, leaving all of these individual characteristics undetectable? At the end of the sip, are you left with a sense of flavors and aromas of fruit, earth, wood and a juicy feeling in your mouth where you instinctually know they are all there, but can't say, "Wow, I really tasted a lot of...?"

We encourage wine consumers to seek out wines made in the style that appeals most to them. As you make those selections, it will likely be that the smooth, seamless, balanced wines will be the winners for most of you. When you can avoid eliminating wines due to where they come from and what the alcohol level might be, you will end up with a broad collection of wines you love.

One final technical note on alcohol levels. As labels must be approved by the government prior to the finished wine going into the bottle, the actual alcohol level can vary from what is shown on the label. For stated alcohol levels below 14 percent, they can vary by 1.5 percent. So if the label shows 13.9 percent, the actual alcohol level can be anywhere from 12.4 to 15.4 percent. For stated alcohol levels of 14 percent and above, they can vary by 1 percent, so a stated alcohol level of 14.5 percent can range from 13.5 to 15.5 percent. The stated alcohol level is what determines the federal excise tax that is due from the winery that produces the wine.

If there is a topic you would like to read about, or if you have questions on wine, you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com, or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party, a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George has also worked as a judge in many wine competitions; his articles are published around the country and is the wine editor for Coeur d'Alene Magazine (www.cdamagazine.com). You can learn more about the dinner party at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com. You can get all of these articles, as well as other great wine tips, by friending us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/dinnerpartyshop.