Putting Wine into Words

Taste with TABS:

Tannin

Acid

Body

Sweetness

By Ricki-Lee Podolecki, DipWSET

You would think that it would be simple for me, a wine professional, to figure out what wines my mom enjoys. However, her ability to explain what she is tasting is a bit obscure. My only real clues are if she goes back for a second glass or, alternately, makes a face reminiscent of a kid being forced to eat broccoli. Breaking this communication barrier between the wine professional and professional drinker is one of the greatest challenges faced by Sommeliers—and one we take on happily.

Sommeliers are trained to taste using a systematic approach that allows objective evaluation of a wine’s quality. We smell, taste, and make our conclusions using a rigid checklist of criteria. However, the words we use to describe a wine don’t always make sense to our customers. For example, the word “fruity” often makes a customer think of sweetness, whereas to a Sommelier, it means that fruit characteristics are apparent even if the wine is dry.

So, if we are seemingly speaking different languages, how can you explain what you want in a wine to your server or wine expert? A good way to open these lines of communication is by using some simple technical wine lingo along with some more approachable ways of dissecting a wine’s flavours and structure.

While most people think that describing a wine is about pinpointing the exact flavours they detect, the most important consideration is actually how a wine feels on the palate—in other words, the structure. Structure can be broken down into four categories, using the acronym TABS, which stands for tannin, acid, body, and sweetness.

Tannin: Tannins provide texture and can affect the body of a wine. To detect tannins, focus on a drying feeling around the gums. Low or soft tannins can be described as silky; medium tannins are velvety; and high levels of tannins can be powerful and mouth-filling (on the good side) or aggressive or coarse, depending on the wine and your preferences. Tannin is most notable in red wine because it is derived from contact with the skins of grapes.

Acid: After you take a sip, how much does your mouth water? Does it remind you of lemon juice, or do you prefer something soft and creamy? Taking a moment to think about which of these interactions you prefer can open up the conversation.

Body: Describing the type of body you like in a wine can be difficult, but a simple way of explaining it is to compare the mouthfeel to that of milk. Skim milk is light-bodied, whereas whole milk is full-bodied. Now ask yourself, are you looking for a light-bodied, easy-drinking wine or a full-bodied sipping wine?

Sweetness: Many people automatically think they want completely dry wines (meaning the absence of any sugar). However, sweetness in a wine can help balance other components like acidity (think of how sugar balances the tang of lemons in lemonade). A better way of explaining sweetness would be to describe what balance of acid to sweetness you prefer: do you like your wine tart, sweet, or somewhere in between?

My mom understanding the TABS method means we not only speak the same language, but I no longer have to see her broccoli face. Next time you are tasting or explaining a wine, think about these categories. They open up a world of wines to discover and will make you an expert in asking for—and getting— the wines you love!