What Are The 5 Elements of Wine Structure

Wine structure is the absolute framework behind every wine, shaping the way each sip feels, tastes, and lasts on your palate. In the video below, I break down the five fundamental elements that create a wine’s unique structure: acidity, alcohol, sweetness, tannin, and body.

The 5 Elements of a Wines Structure

1. ACIDITY

The backbone of any wine is its acidity. It’s what gives wine its crispness and liveliness, often felt as a tingling sensation or a bit of saliva gathering under the tongue after a sip. This refreshing component is especially prominent in wines from cooler climates, such as Riesling or cool-climate Chardonnay, and is every food and wine pairing geeks friend. I also go so far as to argue that it is the most important element of a wines structure.

Acidity is the backbone of a wine.

2. ALCOHOL

Alcohol adds warmth and weight, influencing the wine’s mouthfeel and balance. Grapes grown in warmer regions typically produce wines with higher alcohol content because they ripen with more sugar, which converts to alcohol during fermentation.

3. SWEETNESS

Sweetness in wine, or residual sugar, varies widely, from bone dry to luscious dessert wines. Most wines are dry, but the right touch of sweetness can beautifully complement desserts.

4. TANNINS

Tannins are the grippy, sometimes astringent compounds in red wines derived from grape skins, seeds, and stems. They contribute to a wine’s texture and aging potential.

Firm tannins combined with good acidity often signal a wine that can develop complexity over years.

5. BODY

Finally, body is the overall weight and fullness of a wine on the palate, a sum of all the other elements working together.

Watch the full breakdown in the video above to become a more confident taster and food pairing pro.