What Is Acidity in Wine?

What gives wine its energy, its lift, its mouth-watering edge? It’s not a beauty cream. It’s acidity, one of the key elements of the best wines.
Acidity in wine comes from organic acid, tartaric acid like in bananas, malic acid like in apple, or citric acid like in citrus.
You can feel acidity when tasting your wines by a tingling sensation like citrus zest, a rush of saliva that tells your brain: this is refreshing, and a sense of tension, especially in young and lively wines.
But why does acidity matter?
In white wine, acidity enhances the fruity aromas while keeping the sense of tension in the palate. In reds, it balances richness and tannins, still adding depth and lift. But balance is everything. Too much acidity will keep the wine sharp and edgy, while too little acidity will make it dull and flat.
Winemakers have different options to manage acidity. They can choose the terroir and grape variety to plant. They can play with harvest time by picking at different moments. They can decide to undergo malolactic fermentation to convert malic acid into lactic acid, a smoother one, or they can fine-tune their wines by little addition of natural acidity.
Everything is calibrated to preserve the natural and vibrant balance.
In conclusion, acidity is much more than a taste. It’s the backbone of freshness and balance of a wine. It preserves character, enhances aromas, and makes the wines feel alive.