Acidity in Wine

The easiest way to show acidity is to bite into a lemon. There's acidity! It's bright, it's refreshing, it's tart, it makes your mouth water and sometimes even your eyes. Ever try to make lemonade without sugar? Whoa, that will make you pucker. You want to get just the right amount of sweetness in your lemonade to balance the effects of the acid, but to not drown it out. Hmm, might some wines do the same thing? Some of the higher acid white wines, like Riesling, do this.

Suffer from acid reflux? Maybe keep to the lower acid wines.

btw Coke has a pH of 2.6
image from Wine Enthusiast Magazine
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Wines

Grape varieties have different levels of acidity. Sauvignon Blanc and Sangiovese have higher acidity. Viognier and Grenache are examples of lower acidity. Red wines are generally lower in acid than whites.  

In winemaking, you want to get the balance right. Too high can make the wine taste sour, too low is often described as soft, flabby and uninteresting. A correct balance makes it refreshing and a good food match. Other words used to describe acidity in wine (and sometimes in other beverages) are crisp, bright, racy.

Food pairing

Lower acid wines pair best with grilled white meat, cream sauces, or anything with a sweetness, something with a sweet sauce, for instance. Think of something like fish or pork with a fruit salsa or chicken grilled with a sweet BBQ sauce.

With higher acid wines the first thought is anything with tomatoes, let's say spaghetti with a marinara sauce and a glass of Sangiovese/Chianti. These wines will also help cut through fatty meats or fatty sauces and will make the wine seem less acidic. Salty foods do best with higher acid wines.

What wines are high/low in acid?

How do you know if a wine is higher or lower in acids? If you have a chemistry background, you can look at the pH and total acidity numbers that many wineries will give on the bottle or a tech sheet on their website. For the rest of us you can go by the variety and where it's grown. Cooler climates give higher acids.

Generally higher acid climates: Alsace, Germany, Austria, Oregon, Washington, some coastal regions of California such as Anderson Valley, West Sonoma Coast, and Edna Valley.

Generally higher acid white wines: Albariño, Chablis, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Champagne and other sparkling wines.

Higher acid reds: Barbera, Gamay, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese.

Generally lower acid white wines: Most California Chardonnay, Grenache Blanc, Viognier.

Lower acid reds: Grenache, Malbec, Tempranillo.