On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 11:22:10 -0500, Larry > wrote:

>I've read a basic level article from my wines store on tasting. It
>mentions that a sour(tart) taste is related to acidity and a bitter
>taste in the back part of the tongue relates to tannin levels.

More or less. The tannins are not exactly bitter, more like the mouth
puckering astringency of tea that has steeped too long.

>As basic as this is, is this a reasonable explanation. I just had a
>"wine of the month"
>
>I was hoping for a smooth easy drinking ,full bodied fruity wine but
>tasted a dry(seemed XD), peppery(spicy), medium bodied that was not
>"jammy" enough for me.
>Question: (finally) When I described this wine as too "dry" for my
>likes. Would I be referring to a too acidic wine or too tannic for my
>preference?

Too dry refers to a lack of mellowness, and as a result a wine where
one only notices the acidity and the tannicity. You might describe
such a wine as hard, severe.

Mike