Illustration by Alyssa Nassner
In most circumstances, juice is associated with fruity sweetness. The same isn’t true in wine.
“Juicy is more of a note that describes the presence of fruit flavors in the wine,” says Aamira Garba, CEO and winemaker of LoveLee Wine. “Sweetness is solely based on sugar content, not fruit flavors.”
A juicy wine is bursting with the aromas and flavors of fruit, and is often quite similar to the descriptor “fruit-forward.” In some circumstances, juicy wines are akin to “a fresh-fruit bomb complimented with some mouthwatering acid,” says Holly Berrigan, founder of MYSA Natural Wines. “When I think of ‘juicy’ I think of it as almost the fresh version of ‘jammy.’ Popping with fruit, but the fruit quality is fresh and vibrant versus intense and heavy.”
Examples of juicy wines might include young vintages of red grapes like Gamay, Grenache, Pinot Noir or Merlot.
“Youth is definitely a factor in juicy wine, since fruit is a key component of the primary characteristics of a wine,” says Berrigan, who adds that secondary and tertiary characteristics come from fermentation and aging, respectively. As a wine gains those other characteristics, she says, “fruit is typically the first to go, so logically the younger, the more juicy the wine is likely to be.”
