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
13.4%
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.
As they say at Frog's Leap, "Time's fun, when you're having flies."
GRAPE VARIETAL(S)
Sauvignon Blanc
100%So-vee-NYON BLON
Sauvignon Blanc is grown throughout the world, and can have a wide range of aromas and flavors that vary depending on the terroir. It is most famous for White Bordeaux and the wines of the Loire Valley. The wines are typically Bright & Crisp, dry, and can vary from citrus fruit and pitted fruit, grass, mineral, herbs, and gooseberries. It is versatile with food, pairs particularly well with herbs and garlic, and is most famous for how well it marries with fresh goat cheese.
At Frog’s Leap they take wine seriously, but certainly not themselves. Even the estate’s origins are defined by serendipity. After graduating from Cornell, John Williams took a Greyhound bus to California, where he met Larry Turley while illegally camping on his property, a former frog-raising farm. After copious amounts of wine, they decided to start a winery together.
Harvest at Frog's Leap Winery
While Frog’s Leap would not become a reality until many years later, and Larry and John would ultimately go different directions, they were both pioneers in organic farming in the Napa Valley. All Frog’s Leap wines are dry-farmed with respect for the terroir and biodiversity in the vineyard of paramount concern.
Frog’s Leap wines are truly made in the vineyard, where the terroir of Rutherford comes through with balanced wines of bright acidity and restrained alcohol.
Melon
Boxwood
Mineral
Organic
