How to Identify Mineral Aromas in Wines

This article will show you how to identify and understand mineral aromas in the wines you drink.

Things You'll Need

• Red Wine Glass
• White Wine Glass
• Bottle of South African Pinotage
• Bottle of Australian Riesling
• Bottle of Muscadet

Instructions

1. Where does the minerality come from? When most think of wine, the first image that is likely to pop into their heads is a bunch of grapes. This would then lead any logical person to immediately think about fruit, and fruitiness in general, when speaking in reference to wine. While almost all wine does have a certain amount of fruit taste to it (otherwise it wouldn't be very drinkable) there are a number of wines whose most notable feature isn't the fruit at all. It is the minerality of the wine, which translates to the minerality of its aroma. This may seem like an odd thing to look for in a beverage, but it is simply 1 component of the wines that adds to the whole. We will explore later why these aroma notes benefit the taste experience. First, however, let's explore why certain wines have the mineral aromas that they do.

2. Minerality comes from... well, the minerals! The wine growing region of South Africa is a booming, up and coming area for the world market of wines, and the growers there have created a booming, up and coming cross breed grape that is fast becoming the region's signature: Pinotage. The grape itself is a cross of the French blending grape, Cinsault, and the more fragile and flavorful Pinot Noir. Together, the hope was to create a grape with the flavors of the Pinot Noir, but with the durability of the Cinsault. The grape itself is unremarkable, but where it succeeds is when it is planted in the right places. Much of the growing areas in South Africa are full of volcanic soil, high in carbon and other dark minerals. The effect this has on the grapes is dramatic. If you pour a glass of PInotage straight from the bottle, you will experience aromas reminiscent of tar and charcoal, along with other dark notes like black tea and coffee. The dark minerality of the aromas in this wine are due entirely to the soil the grapes were grown in.

3. Minerality derived from wine making techniques. The Riesling grape is best known, worldwide, for the off-dry and sweet wines it produces in Germany and elsewhere. There is another side to this dynamic grape, however. Because the Riesling grape is so naturally high in acidity, the wines made from the grape are often times left with a significant amount of residual sugar in them to balance out this acidity. This started because the growing season in Germany is so short, the Riesling grapes often do not ripen completely, heightening the under-ripe acidity of the already acidic fruit. In Australia, however, there is nothing but sun and fertile ground, so the grapes mature to full ripeness without any trouble whatsoever. Thus, the wine makers of Australia began fermenting their Rieslings to full dryness, making a wine that resembles, in no way, the Rieslings of Germany. The focus now was on a lean, crisp wine that showcased citrus and mineral notes on both the palate and the nose. It is not unusual to smell a Riesling from this region and experience notes of flint and wet limestone.

4. Minerality stemming from the grape, itself. In the far western region of the Loire Valley, France, is an area that isn't exactly known for producing high quality, expensive wines. More known for oysters and seafood, the Muscadet region does make 1 wine that is simple but delicious, named for the region itself. The Muscadet wine is not made from the Muscat grape, but from a little known varietal called Melon de Bourgogne. This grape is really only grown in this particular area of the world, but the crisp and minerally wines it makes are simple and delicious. The grape itself produces nothing but wines that are, straight out of the bottle, laden with aroma notes of oyster shell and schist.

5. What purpose does minerality serve in a wine? As noted before, minerality and mineral aromas aren't necessarily the first thing that everyone looks for in a beverage, but it is important if you are pairing wine with certain foods. Most wines that are minerally in any way are referred to as "food wines" because they are most often better with food than on their own, but also because they make the food that they are drunk with even better. Pinotage is the ultimate barbecue wine, with its smoky charcoal notes. Try an Australian Riesling the next time you have any kind of poached fish. The minerality will serve as a great background for the fish's delicate flavors without overpowering it. And there is no greater wine made for drinking alongside raw oysters than Muscadet.