Natural, cool, tight, and crunchy these are just some of the confusing terms used to explain red wines. However jammy, a newer word that s discovered its method into the lexicon of white wine lovers of late, is perhaps the most perplexing of the lot.
With a vocabulary as huge as its styles, red wine can seem like a challenging category to burglarize. That s why we consulted VinePair tastings director and White wine 101 podcast host Keith Beavers to break down the meaning of the term, how to utilize it when buying white wine, and which wine varieties are commonly thought about jammy. Jammy, to me, is what we red wine geeks call tactile sensations, suggesting that you re putting the red wine on your palate and beyond all the scents and tastes, you re picking up something texturally, Beavers states. That texture specifies whether you state things like jammy, smooth, or sweet. Don’t miss
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This textural element of red wine originates from recurring sugar or the leftover sugars that yeasts can not convert to alcohol during the fermentation procedure, which produces a greater understanding of sweetness on your palate.
Integrated with other components including acidity, tannin structure, and organic compounds, recurring sugar can produce a feeling of weight on the palate an essential consider jammy red wines. While acidity lifts up a red wine, Beavers states, residual sugar can weigh a red wine down. Right there in the middle, when it s on your taste buds and recurring sugar is not weighing your palate down and acidity is not lifting it too expensive, there s a gorgeous mean right there, and that s jammy. You can practically chew on it. That chewy texture is understood to those aforementioned red wine nerds as viscosity or the resistance of a liquid as you wash it around your mouth. Think: molasses versus water.
When talking with a somm in a dining establishment or a clerk at a white wine shop, utilizing the term jammy is a terrific way to explain brilliant, juicy reds perfect for chilling. Pinot Noir on the American market is the one big jammy red wine we have, says Beavers. Ranges like Gamay, Grenache, and American red blends are also considered jammy in the wider wine world.
That said, some American somms may see the term jammy as a more low-brow or pedestrian way to explain white wine but Beavers firmly insists the term is a completely acceptable way to describe this design of reds. If you re in a space with individuals and you say jammy and you re ridiculed, Beavers states, I just say, leave and leave the text thread.
Source: https://vinepair.com/articles/ask-a-wine-pro-jammy-wine/