What is a salty wine?
A salty wine is a (typically) white wine with a perceptible saline character. In winespeak, this may also be described as mineral or savoury, or, more specifically, like oyster shell, sea spray or brine. In general, these wines are less fruit-forward, often have a chalky or stony texture, are lighter in body and higher in acidity. They are always refreshing, mouthwatering, and eminently food friendly.
What causes a wine to taste salty?
No, winemakers aren’t sprinkling salt into your wine. There are a couple of factors which can contribute to the salinity (or perception of salinity) in your glass, from the vineyard’s terroir to the chemical influence of grape skins, acid, yeast and lees.
One of the biggest factors is proximity to the ocean, where it’s thought higher levels of chlorides, phosphates, sulphates and other salts in the soil and air are absorbed by grapevines through their roots, leaves, and even directly through the fruit. Of course, it could also simply be that the image these seaside wines evoke make your wine taste saltier. Either way, salty whites tend to be associated mostly with coastal regions.
Soil may be another contributing factor. Certain soil types, such as limestone, granite or chalk, are naturally richer in calcium carbonate, sodium, potassium and magnesium, which might be why wines from inland regions like Chablis and Soave are often described as saline or mineral. The type of rootstock, how the vines are irrigated, and even the amount of sun the grapes were exposed to during ripening may also impact the amount of sodium in the final wine.
In the winery, fermentation plays a part, too. Salts are most concentrated in grape skins, so extended skin contact or maceration will result in a saltier wine. Oxidative wines, such as those from the Jura or Jerez, will also appear saltier due to how dry they are – with all detectable sugars consumed by the flor yeast, there’s no sweetness left to balance the salt.
What are some examples of salty white wines?
While there are many grape varieties that can, in the right growing conditions, show saline characters, the best examples include the Spanish albariño (or Portuguese alvarinho) grape, a zesty variety which typically shows salty white peach and pink grapefruit characters; vermentino, with its classic white grapefruit and salted almond characters; assyrtiko, particularly from its windswept island home of Santorini; picpoul from the Languedoc; melon de bourgogne from Muscadet; Etna Bianco from Sicily; and Manzanilla sherry. Chardonnay from Chablis and garganega from Soave are also often described as saline, as is fiano.
What makes salty white wine so delicious?
Beyond quite literally making your mouth water (salt activates your salivary glands), a touch of salinity can enhance a wine’s flavour and aroma – just as a sprinkle of salt makes food (even desserts) taste better. Saline-forward wines are also among the most food-friendly, acting almost as a seasoning for a range of dishes (particularly seafood) and, as they manage to be both interesting and easy to drink, they’re infinitely popular with both casual and serious wine drinkers.
Not convinced? Here are 25 Australian examples to try.
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