TEXTURE?

I'm sure you think of, or subconsciuously note, it when trying on new clothing, feeling a smooth rock, or perhaps while walking barefoot on a beach. However, not many think of texture when drinking a wine. I almost always do, yet am often guilty of not mentioning it when speaking about a wine.

Much of that is due to the fact that I'm not a wine writer with a plethora of adjectives at the tip of my tongue (more than three generally makes me cringe when describing a wine). Sometimes, however, it is well worth noting and thinking about how it influences one's appreciation of wine or other ingestibles.

Texture isn't present in just red wines but can be found in whites and rosés as well. I found myself thinking of this while tasting possible wines for the shop yesterday and finding more texture than I expected in an inexpensive 2015 Oregon Pinot Noir (ordered for next week). Although Pinot has fine tannins which help give it a light body, this wine from Foris in the Rogue Valley of Oregon had a silky but dusty feel to the tongue which made me first think that perhaps it hadn't been filtered. I looked more closely at the wine's color and clarity and didn't not any light haziness but sometimes it's hard to tell about fining/filtering ,so who knows. No matter the origin of the sensation, it made the wine more enjoyable than it would have without that lightly added dimension.

White wines can often present clear indications of their grape as well as reds. Think about the weight and feel in your mouth of a Chardonnay or Grenache Blanc (which, if you like slightly heavier whites, you should try) compared to that of a Sauvignon Blanc. They're very different due to a variety of factors including the glycerols and acidity of the grapes and this alters their "taste" and indirectly what you may want to pair them with.

I have to admit that the subject is far to vast and complex for the likes of me but perhaps give it a thought when enjoying your next glass of something nice - or, if it's not nice, consider if the texture is part of the problem.

😉