Body is the impression of a wines weight, density, or its ‘mouth-feel’. Some wines feel weighty, or full bodied, while others feel light bodied. Wine runs the gamut from light to full, with most falling somewhere in between.
ACIDITY
Low
Moderate
Balanced
Crisp
High
Acidity is a foundational component in wine. In fact, low acidity, or ‘flabby’ wine (as the term suggests) is a negative. You can sense acidity mainly on the sides of your tongue. Acidity generally ranges from balanced to high. Crisp acidity adds freshness, making your mouth water. Acidity is a necessary element and helps to balance other components.
SWEETNESS
Dry
Off Dry
Medium Dry
Medium Sweet
Very Sweet
Most wines are characterized as dry to off-dry, but there are some grape varietals, like Riesling, that run the gamut from dry to sweet. The tip of the tongue mainly detects sweetness, which is why it is often the primary characteristic detected. Sweetness is derived from residual sugar that did not ferment into alcohol.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
Alcohol is the by-product of fermentation. Differing grape varieties have differing potential alcohol levels, but regardless warmer areas result in riper grapes resulting in higher alcohol. Alcohol level is an objective number, but its affect on its palate impression is largely determined with how well integrated and balanced it is with other components.
Verdejo may not be very well known internationally, but is a white grape varietal in the Rueda, in Castilla Leon in northern Spain, making high quality, dry, aromatic wines. In their youth, the wines have crisp acidity with refreshing flavors of citrus, including lemon, lime, and grapefruit, herbs, and citrus blossom. With age, the wine becomes richer and nuttier with bitter almond nuances/ bitter almonds.
Shaya is part of the Juan Gil family of wines which was started in 1916, in Jumilla, Spain, and is now in its 4th generation of family leadership.
The Shaya project puts the spotlight on 100% Verdejo in the Rueda. Shaya wines balance energy, power, and crisp acidity.
Shaya’s old vines are grown on sandy soils covered with rocky top soil, yielding wines with attractive minerality and depth of flavor that exhibits the potential of 100% Verdejo as a standalone, varietal wine of immense potential.