Vinhood: the new geography for drinking

CHARACTERS STAND FOR…?

If you already know Vinhood you have probably heard something about our #characters:

A linguistic revolution that introduces a new system of wine selection, through its taste and its color.

Why did we make this choice? The #Characters let you describe a wine reducing and consequently deleting the use of the traditional language, which isn’t often clear and easy to understand.

And… Which is the real turning point? Thanks to this classification, it’s easier to get an idea of the wines’ taste before trying it, even without being an expert!

Once drawn the taste map, we thought about creating a useful tool that could guide people inside this new world, so we came up with a test (today, three tests) that asked a few and specific questions. Thanks to them, you are now able to find out which wines are ideal for your palate and those that are more appropriate for particular recipes.

A real virtual sommelier just one click away! Try the test now!

Find out how easy it is to identify the wine #Characters and learn how they can help your choice during your future purchases.

HOW CAN WE DISTINGUISH CHARACTERS?

The #Characters have been chosen considering an analysis of the wine attributes, the sensations they give, and the ideal moments to enjoy them.

Every #Character corresponds to a group of wine, named with an adjective linked to a human character.

Does it make any sense? Yes! If you think about it, wine attributes are similar to people!

They change as times go by, and also, depending on their type, they have common characteristics that determine their personality.

For example, red structured and full-bodied wines like Barolo, Amarone, and Brunello- that should be drunk when it’s cold in front of a fireplace- are #Sage wines. While fresh and acid bubbles with an elegant perlage, like Trento Doc or Alta Langa, become #Brilliant sparkling wines.

We have identified 14 #Characters than can classify all the wine in the world, both the Italian and the foreign ones.

Every character has one or more principal attributes, which makes it unique and different from the other groups. Wine attributes have to reflect the main features of their character so that they can be labeled with it.

Let’s go and discover them one by one!

WHITE WINES

The white wine world is divided into four characters: #Outgoing, #Profound, and #Exotic wines. The division is made, having in mind their main attributes: sourness, softness, and aroma.

#OUTGOING

These wines are the typical fresh and sour whites; they usually have low alcohol percentage and are characterized by a citrus, salty, and flint scent. You recognize them because they stimulate saliva on the edges of our tongue, and they have a robust, refreshing strength. These wines come from different geographical regions: those from the coast, the grapes pick up sea salt flavors, which remain on the grape’s skin. Those grapes grown in volcanic territories or in the mountains, where low temperatures don’t allow the grapes to mature correctly, the sour profile is undeniable.

These are non-elaborate wines, and for this reason, they perfectly adapt to any occasion, from the traditional Italian “aperitivo” to a beach party. That’s the reason why they remind us of an #Outgoing person, that always wants to party and with whom every chat is quite funny.

#CHARMING

#Charming wines are whites with good alcohol percentage and a fruity and soft flavor. When you drink them, you feel like you are drinking a cappuccino or other drinks characterized by a full-bodied taste. You recognize them by their ripe fruit and, at times, yellow blooming flowers like broom and chamomile aromas. In this group, you can find wines like Pinot Grigio, Ribolla Gialla, Chardonnay, vinified in steel, and Pecorino.

They remind us of a #Charming person that fascinates you, and it’s difficult to resist falling in love with them.

#PROFOUND

Wines with a #Profound character are among those white wines that resemble red wines because of their structure and intensity. They have a “just right” alcohol percentage and are recognized by their dense-full body. They own scents related to vanilla, wood, and hay. They are white wines that come from wood processes or belong to optimal years, where grapes had reached the right maturity bringing up the right amount of sugars and scents, regardless of their geographical origin.

They are profound and tricky wines; for this reason, they remind us of a #Profound person, not frivolous yet very introspective.

#EXOTIC

#Exotic wines are aromatic, produced with aromatic grapes characterized by a high concentration of fragrant substances. These are easy to recognize because they have a strong aroma, difficult to forget. They are generally alcoholic yet soft.

They can be associated with exotic dishes, maybe because their scents resemble spices. These wines refer to an #Exotic person whos always ready with the luggage to travel into unknown places.

SPARKLING WINES

Sparkling wines are divided into four characters: #Brilliant, #Playful, #Witty, and #Lively.  

#BRILLIANT

#Brillant bubbles are very fresh and sour with a high degreasing agent. They are dry, so we are talking about sparkling wines pas dosè or extra brut. They derive from a Classic Method sparkling making. It means that the second fermentation made in a bottle utilizes a few amounts of oxygen, and it takes several months. That’s the reason why the bubbles are so delicate.

They are elegant wines, yet at the same time are strong, reminding us of a #Brilliant person that always knows what to say to get other’s attention.

#PLAYFUL

#Playful wines are fresh like the previous one but even softer; for this reason, you feel them less acid. The sugar residues combined with the fine perlage make these bubbles feel creamy and enveloping.

In this case, we talk about Franciacorta and Champagne Brut, where the high residual of sugar (Brut >6 g/l sugar) is due to the use of certain kinds of well-rounded grapes, like Chardonnay.

These wines are so bizarre that they can wake up our playful side, just like #Playful character people can do!

#WITTY

#Witty bubbles are white and have the right amount of sweetness. They derive from a re-fermentation in an autoclave, where the small presence of yeast and the more significant presence of oxygen makes the fermentation faster. The bubbles become more prominent, and the scents resemble different fruit and flower scents. 

The most famous example that we have in Italy is Prosecco: a good wine, ideal for an aperitif. It is perfect for a relaxing moment after work, or ideal to share it with someone #Witty.

#LIVELY

We can consider it the one between sweet and sparkling wines because effectively its #Lively bubbles should be drunk only with a dessert!

We are talking about wines like Brachetto, Moscato d’Asti, and il Moscato d’Astid’Asti spumante.

They remind of a #Lively person because they are a real explosion of energy and pleasant scents.

RED WINES

Also red wines have been divided into four #characters: #Laidback, #Magnetic, #Sensual, and #Sage, considering the wine body, its sourness, and the tannin percentage.

#LAIDBACK

#Laidback wines are red wines with a small amount of alcohol; they usually have 12° vol. These wines are fruity and fresh. Red wines to be drunk without thinking about it so much, yet don’t be misled to consider them simple. In this group, we have different kinds of wines, from Lambrusco to Marzemimo. In the end, this group is maybe the most heterogeneous one due to its vinification methods and provenance.

Anyway, all these wines have a common feature: they are calm, with an immediate effect, and with a #Laidback or chill character.

#MAGNETIC

#Magnetic wines are the youngest among red wines. Full-bodied ones with an enjoyable sourness, sapidity, and with a slightly astringent tannin. They can be annoying only if the wine quality isn’t right or if we talk about recently bottled wines.

#Magnetic wines are what we refer to as determined and are very easy to match with any recipe because they give the right flavor balance in the palate, like Pinot Noir, Barbera, Nebbiolo vinified in steel and most of the red wines based on Sangiovese.

They are lovely wines- for this reason, you finish the bottle without realizing it- remind us of a person that knows what to do when they are flirting, owning a #Magnetic character.

#SENSUAL

#Sensual wines are among red wines that are rounded and soft. What does it mean with the expression “soft wine”? It is a wine that gives you a sensation of caress when you drink it. We talk about red wines like Syrah, Nero d’Avola, Frappato and Valpolicella Ripasso, velvety and fruity in their scent.

Many people consider them a little ruffian because they face short moments in wood that make them “likable.” They seduce a lot of people because of their #Sensual character.

#SAGE

#Sage wines are the most structured and relevant among red wines. They are suitable to be opened on memorable occasions after being aged for several years in a cellar.

You recognize them by their very persistent taste and by their aspect. If you swirl these wines around the glass, you can see little circles forming. These circles or “tears” produced by wine drops, tell us how dense and structured they are. The thicker the circles, the more full-bodied the wine is. As written before, examples of #Sage wines are Barolo, Brunello, and Aglianico del Vulture.

These wines are ideal to accompany amazing conversations that remind us of the good moments passed with a smart and #Sage person.

ROSÈ WINES

#ECCENTRIC

At the moment, we only have one #Character that describes the world of rosé wines, and the #Eccentric character represents it. Rosé wines are called this way because they are the perfect mix of two opposites: the freshness and the perfumes of white wine with the consistency of a red one, just like an #Eccentric person.

SWEET WINES

#AFFECTIONATE

The #Affectionate character holds inside all the sweet wines, though not the sparkling ones, from the raisin ones to Vin Santi, to the naturally sweet.

They are warm- even if the best have got a pleasant sourness in contrast with their sweetness- remembering snuggly and #Affectionate people.

#LIVELY

We have already talked about this #Character before in the #Characters of bubbles.

WHY WILL CHARACTERS CHANGE YOUR WAY OF DRINKING (AND ALSO OF SELLING) FOR THE BETTER?

Drinking, according to #Characters, will make your choice easier, above all, if you are not an expert!

Trying the best wine; winner of three Oscar and candidate to win multiple Golden Globes is useless if you don’t like it, or choosing the most accessible wine because you are convinced that “You don’t like wine.” What matters is our palate, we should listen to it and learn to satisfy it.

Moreover, for those that work in the wine sector, it becomes easier to communicate with consumers suggesting them a particular label — choosing it based on the taste, knowing for sure they won’t disappoint customers.

Now you only have to try the test, find your #Character, and enjoy any of the fantastic wines the world offers. Don’t forget to share with us your thoughts about this unique experience!