Tasting Tartaric and Malic Acids

cilck on drawing to enlarge

Acidity in wine composes an important part of the wines’ overall structure, encouraging aging potential, and drinkability alongside food. Acids are present first in the grape, and the levels resulting in the final wine reflect picking decisions on the part of the winemaker, as well as vinification techniques.

In considering acids levels, one can look at both titratable acidity levels, that is, a measure of the total acidity in the wine itself, and also at the pH, or the intensity (or strength). In addition, however, the types of acid present in the wine can also be considered. Different types of acid create different tasting experiences as they affect the palate in differing ways.

While there are more than a handful of acid types that can be present in a grape or wine, two are the most common and have the most apparent impact on the palate–tartaric and malic acids. Different vineyard sites tend to generate differing levels of each due to both climate and soil distinctions, with irrigation also impacting final levels. However, it is also possible to do acid adds during vinification.

Recognizing the apparent acidity level of a wine is one of the primary elements of a formalized wine tasting regimen. Parsing the two primary acid types adds a further layer of recognition in the wine experience, as well as insight into other aspects of a wine.

Tasting the Actual Acid Solutions

I was able to do a tartaric and malic acid tasting recently. Though the sheer taste experience wasn’t exactly obviously pleasurable, it was one of the funnest ‘wine’ tastings I’ve done recently. I’d already developed plenty of knowledge about acid types found in wine from study and conversation, including their apparent effect on the palate. As a result, I’d been able to track that information in wines tasted as well. But to then have a purely focused singular acid tasting where all that information EXACTLY lined up to the pure phenomenon experience struck me as hilarious. It was a weird form of pleasure to have intellectual knowledge click directly into place with experience. I don’t know how else to put it than to say that the precision of the tartaric acid doing to my mouth EXACTLY what I knew it was supposed to do was joyful. It was a joyful experience.

These types of acid concoctions are used in the production of candies like Fun Dip, Sweettarts, or Candy Necklaces and both the tartaric and malic acids offered a kind of powdery candy aspect without the sweetness. I had Junior taste both acids solutions as well. She remarked that the tartaric acid tasted like the inside of a Gobstopper, where as the malic was like a Candy Necklace. (She also hated it finding the malic acid especially hard to take.)

The two acids hit on markedly different parts of the tongue with tartaric acid at the tip or front quarter, and malic acid directly behind in the front portion of the mid-tongue. Both made the mouth water but tartaric acid gave that classic overt mouth watering-jaw clenching experience often described as acidity in wine (and that I consistently find in a vibrant blanc de blancs), and the malic acid had a less overt and more focused (to the particular area of the tongue rather than overall) watering effect.

In tasting the tartaric acid, it felt immediately salty with lime and lemon flavors floating to the surface after. The malic acid, on the other hand, gave a light green apple (without sweetness) flavor followed by an ultra long silvery metallic sensation.

In terms of sensation, the tartaric acid lit up my whole head like a light bulb in bright sunshine yellow light and a high note pitch of energy. The malic acid by comparison was a much deeper frequency feeling, with a more muted tone to it.

For bullet point notes on the acid distinctions, please see the above drawing. Enjoy!

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As a quick note: perception of acidity can be impacted by temperature of the wine, as well as other factors — so if it’s a warm day, cool your wine a bit to get it back to better drinking temperatures. Also, perception of wine does not translate directly to actual measurable acid levels in the wine itself, but nevertheless improving one’s recognition abilities over time is a valuable tool in formalized wine tasting.

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Thank you to Jason Lett.

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