Acidity in Wine: Taste and Pairing Guide

Acidity is one of the four fundamental pillars of wine structure, alongside tannin, alcohol, and sweetness. It is the quality that makes wine refreshing, food-friendly, and age-worthy. Without acidity, wine would taste flat and lifeless. With the right amount, it sparkles with energy and keeps you reaching for another sip.

What Is Acidity?

In wine, acidity refers to the concentration of naturally occurring acids, primarily tartaric, malic, and citric acid. These acids are present in grape juice and are preserved or modified during winemaking. When you taste a wine and notice a bright, tart, crisp, or mouth-watering sensation, you are perceiving its acidity.

Acidity is measured in multiple ways. Total acidity (TA) measures the overall concentration of acids in the wine, typically expressed in grams per liter. A dry wine usually has a total acidity between 5.5 and 8.5 grams per liter. pH measures the strength of the acidity on a logarithmic scale; most wines fall between pH 3.0 and 4.0, with lower numbers indicating stronger acidity. A Riesling from Germany’s Mosel might have a pH of 2.9, while a ripe Merlot from a warm climate might be closer to 3.8.

Why Acidity Matters

Acidity is the backbone of balance in wine. In the same way that salt balances sweetness in cooking, acidity balances richness, sweetness, and alcohol in wine. A dessert wine with 150 grams per liter of residual sugar would taste cloyingly sweet without high acidity to provide counterpoint. A full-bodied red with 15 percent alcohol would feel heavy and hot without sufficient acidity to keep it fresh.

For aging, acidity is as important as tannins. Wines with high acidity maintain their freshness and vibrancy over years and decades, while low-acid wines tend to fade and become dull relatively quickly. This is why the world’s most celebrated aging whites, such as Riesling, Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley, and Burgundy Chardonnay, all share high natural acidity as a common trait.

Acidity is also the key to wine’s extraordinary versatility with food. The bright, cleansing quality of an acidic wine cuts through rich, fatty, and oily dishes, refreshing the palate between bites. This is why a squeeze of lemon makes fried fish taste better, and why a crisp Sauvignon Blanc is such a natural partner for creamy goat cheese or buttery seafood dishes.

Acidity in Practice

Climate is the single biggest factor determining acidity in wine grapes. In cool climates, grapes retain more natural acidity because lower temperatures slow the metabolic breakdown of acids during ripening. This is why wines from Germany, northern France, Oregon, and Tasmania tend to be bright and crisp. In warm climates, acids break down more rapidly as grapes ripen, resulting in softer, rounder wines with lower acidity. Wines from inland Australia, southern Spain, and Argentina’s lower-altitude vineyards often fall into this category.

Grape variety also plays a role. Some varieties are naturally high in acidity regardless of where they are grown. Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Barbera, and Sangiovese are all known for their bright acid profiles. Others, like Viognier, Gewurztraminer, and Merlot, tend toward lower acidity and a softer, rounder palate.

When tasting, you can assess acidity by noticing how much your mouth waters after swallowing. High-acid wines trigger significant saliva production, a natural response to the tart stimulus. You might also feel a tingling or zesty sensation on the sides of your tongue. Low-acid wines feel smoother and softer, without that refreshing zing.

For WSET students, acidity assessment is a critical component of the Systematic Approach to Tasting. You need to evaluate acidity on a scale from low to high and consider how it relates to the wine’s other structural elements. A wine with high acidity and high sweetness might be balanced, while a wine with high acidity and no fruit concentration might taste thin and austere.

In food pairing, match acidic wines with acidic foods (tomato-based dishes, vinaigrette salads), rich and fatty foods (fried dishes, cream sauces), and fresh or raw preparations (sushi, ceviche, oysters). Avoid pairing very acidic wines with delicate, sweet dishes, where the acid can taste harsh and jarring.

Explore with Sommo

Acidity is a skill best developed through guided practice. Sommo’s structured tasting notes help you evaluate acidity as part of the Systematic Approach to Tasting, building your ability to identify acid levels and understand how they shape wine’s balance, food-friendliness, and aging potential.