What does it mean for wine to be balanced, aged, and floral?

I’m back. And here to stay. But a lot has changed. Losing my Dad suddenly meant I spent a lot of time reflecting on my life choices.

And I made a lot of changes. One of them was deciding to focus Normal Taste Buds on a niche - wine. If that’s your thing, let’s have fun. If you are a whisky fan, I’ll understand if you unsubscribe.

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What does it mean for wine to be balanced, aged, and floral?

When wine experts say a wine is ‘balanced,’ this means the acidity, tannins, alcohol levels, or sweetness don’t overwhelm each other.

Everything seems in harmony. A good way to think of balance is a plate of jollof rice with goat meat, where all the flavors complement each other. Nothing is too salty, spicy, or sour. That’s balance in wine.

‘Aged’ wines are wines that have been stored for a period. Yes, some wine bottles are put on the shelves as they are made/bottled.

Wine is usually aged in oak barrels or stainless steel tanks. You can also age the wine in bottles. As wine ages, it develops more interesting and complex flavors and aromas. Aging also softens the tannins in red wines and helps with achieving balance.

Lastly, ‘floral’ is used to describe the aroma or flavor of flowers. The flavor is often imparted by the grape variety, the area or region the grape was grown (wine experts call this ‘terroir”), and the wine-making process. Floral wine will remind you of roses, jasmine, violets, or any other floral note the winemaker used while making the wine.

Pro-tip: To better detect wine notes, you’ll need to use your nose more often. Come across a new meal, try to find out what aroma it gives off. Making a cup of coffee, give it a hearty sniff as the flavors rise out of your hot cup.

Next week, I’ll share how to identify balance, the age, or the notes in your next glass of wine.

Go uncork a bottle. It’s Friday.

Dozie.