What is the ViniCode™?

What is it about wine that makes it so mysterious? Is it the vocabulary that confuses and confounds? Or those European wine labels that leave us wondering what exactly is in the bottle? Is there really any difference between a cabernet and a merlot? We believe that the most important thing you need to know about wine is how to buy a bottle you will enjoy. This is the magic of the ViniCode™.

The ViniCode™ is a quick system of wine evaluation that was developed by A Big Slice. It characterizes a wine in six steps. Using the ViniCode™ will increase your understanding of wine, and allow you to determine those characteristics you like in a wine and those you don’t.   
As we mentioned, The ViniCode™ is broken down into six sliding scales. These scales describe the wine you are tasting. Unlike the systems used today, it does not assign a rating. It is simply a description of that particular bottle. The final impression is left up to you. But the beauty of the ViniCode™ is that patterns of preference will emerge. And as you taste and ViniCode™ more wines, your sense of flavors and textures will only get more acute.   

Wine is a very complex    liquid. During fermentation there are many chemical processes at work that affect the taste and the texture of the resulting beverage. The final impression will be your reaction to how all of these flavors and textures work together.

A description of this complexity is what the ViniCode™ is all about. Now let’s look at the six scales.

The six scales of the ViniCode™ are:   
1. dry to sweet   
2. rounded to edged   
3. oak to no oak   
4. fruit to no fruit   
5. earth to no earth   
6. full to light   

To more fully understand the physical characteristics of each scale, and what you can expect, let’s talk about each one separately.   
1. dry to sweet   
The apparent sweetness of a wine is due to the residual sugar left after fermentation. The actual taste of sweetness is not just dependent upon the sugar, but it can be affected by the acid and the alcohol in the wine. A crisp acidic bite can temper sweetness, and alcohol itself is slightly sweet and can add to that sensation in the mouth. The opposite of sweet is dry in winese. As you taste, focus on the balance of the wine. Does the sweetness predominate? But be careful not to confuse fruitiness with sweetness. A wine can be fruity and dry. If you feel the wine is sweet, give it a 1, 2 or 3. A dry wine will receive a 7, 8 or 9. If you feel the wine is moderately sweet, or moderately dry, give it a 4, 5 or 6.   

2. rounded to edged   
The vintners are looking for the perfect balance of sweet and acid when they pick the grapes. If the grapes are too sweet, the resulting wine can be “flabby” and lack backbone. But if the grapes are too acidic, the wine will be “green” and unpleasant. This scale focuses on the presence of acidity in the wine. Don’t assume edged is a bad quality. New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs have just the right amount of crisp acidity to make them clean and mouthwatering. If the wine is edged give it a 1, 2 or 3. If it is round, give it a 7, 8 or 9. Somewhere in the middle receives a 4, 5 or 6.    

3. oak to no oak   
It is important that the ViniCode™ addresses oakiness in wines. It is such a pivotal component because many buyers will decide whether or not to purchase a wine based on this quality. Of course, oakiness comes from the barrels in which the wine has been stored. To seal these barrels, vintners will actually burn the insides of them. This will release chemicals in the oak that have the characteristics of vanilla, or burnt sugar. Over time, the wood will transfer some of its flavors and smells to the wine. The oakier the wine, the higher the number on the scale.   
smells and tastes to look for: caramel, chocolate, leather, tobacco, smoke, toast, popcorn, vanilla, burnt sugar   
4. fruit to no fruit   
During fermentation many aromatic chemicals are produced. This is why wine smells of so many fruits, but rarely grapes. Fruits can offer a wide variety of experiences. Think of the crisp bite of an apple, or the mellow firmness of a pear. Remember the actual fruit tasted is very subjective. One person’s raspberry is another person’s peach. We also include floral smells and tastes in this category. This is a simple sliding scale to determine the fruitiness of the wine.   

smells and tastes to look for: apple, apricot, berry, citrus fruit, melon, pear, plum, sour cherry, fig, jam, prune, honeysuckle, perfume, rose, violets    

5. earth to no earth   
Some wines will exhibit distinct smells and flavors of the earth. They can add to the complexity of a wine, or they can easily overwhelm the wine and become unpleasant. As far as earthiness is concerned, sometimes the culprit is a yeast called brettanomyces. Once it works its way into the vat, it is very hard to get rid of. It can destroy an entire season’s yield, or, if the wine is of very high quality and the winemakers know what they are doing, it can add an interesting damp earth quality to the wine. But earthiness also includes the aromas and flavors of herbs and spices. Zinfandel is known as a particularly spicy grape. Again, this is another simple sliding scale. Decide on the level of earthiness in the wine and mark it on the ViniCode™.   

smells and tastes to look for:   
asparagus, bell pepper, grass, mushroom, petroleum, chalk, moss, wet leaves, black pepper, cinnamon, clove, licorice, mint, nutmeg   

6. full to light   
This scale is a determination of the body or weight of the wine and not the color. Often body is directly associated with the alcohol content of the wine. There are many alcohols produced during fermentation. The most common being ethanol, the inebriation factor. But there are other alcohols present and they can cause off-flavors in wine if they are out of balance. These out of balance wines can actually burn as they are swallowed. It makes sense that they are referred to as “hot”. As a rule of thumb, wines made from warm climate grapes will typically have more alcohol than cool climate grapes. Hold the wine in your mouth and try to determine whether it is full or light. Does it seem weighty and intense? Then give it a 7, 8 or 9. Is it light and breezy? Then give it a 1, 2 or 3. Somewhere in the middle receives a 4, 5 or 6.   
Once you have recorded your impression in each of the six categories, bring down the numbers to the squares at the bottom of the scales. This is your ViniCode™ for that wine. After you have tried several wines, you can begin to pick out patterns. Do you tend to like wines that are rounded and oaky, or light and edged? Once you have an idea of what you prefer, you have a better shot of guiding your local wine expert to the perfect wine for you!