WATER AND WINE

Februar 3rd, 2021 | Water and Taste

ALL IN ALL, THE RIGHT WATER MEANS THE MAXIMUM INDULGENCE

The best possible taste is achieved when tastes are combined. This is accomplished with the knowledge of professionals. A sommelier who understands as much about wine as he does about water and has the ability to blend tastes that complement each other. Deciding on the right water to go with water is a new discipline. Enjoyment can be influenced by the shape and weight of a glass, as with the sound and noise level of the environment. The wine waiter has long since become the sommelier. The search for the perfect symbiosis of wine and water for unforgettable enjoyment requires expertise.

Peter H. Müller is one of the pioneers. He has maintained the wine cellars in the legendary „Taubenkobel“. Now he is an old hand when it comes to wine – and water. We met him in Burgenland. „Only the right water does not grow here,“ Müller regrets. And laughs. “But how do you get the right water accompaniment? What do you do to find the perfect match of still, medium and sparkling with dry, tart or sweet? Which minerals help a wine drinker to experience full enjoyment with their individual tastes?

WATER ACCOMPANIMENT AND WINE ENJOYMENT

Perfect wine enjoyment is not possible without the right water accompaniment. „It’s like a puzzle of many pieces. If a few of the parts do not fit or are missing, the picture is not finished, creating a disturbing impression. A small element then determines the beauty of a large whole, it completes it or destroys it,“ says Peter H. Müller. But how does the perfect puzzle of water and wine come together?

RULES OF THUMB FOR ENJOYMENT

Peter H. Müller has the answers: The more acidic the wine, the less carbonised the water should be. So a Riesling usually belongs to a rather still water, at least one that is only sizzling and temperately mineralized. Tanning agents, phenols and tannins in wines are also more compatible with still water. This applies to most red wines. The expert explains: Still water dampens the acidity of a wine.

AT DESSERT, THE WINE MAY SPARKLE

Dessert, sweet or Light red wines with little tannin sourness and a lower alcohol content need a pearly, mineral-rich carbonised water. The sugar content of a wine is what determines whether to have a bubbling, mineral-rich water or not: A medium sparkling water fits to a less sweet Riesling cabinet or a late harvest. If you love carbonated and mineral-containing water, it is best to enjoy a well-cooled dessert wine.

“Water!” Peter H. Müller finally points out, “is also a clarifying element. A wine with many tannins and a high density likes to occupy the mouth. Water has a neutralizing effect here.“