When dining out, most of us will spend an inordinate amount of time poring over the wine list, carefully selecting the right bottles to pair with the meal we’re about to enjoy. But when it comes to water, few will give it a second thought – after all, it’s only there to keep us hydrated, right?
In fact, different levels of total dissolved solids (TDS; comprising inorganic salts and organic matter) in water can significantly alter the perception of what we’re drinking alongside it – a fact that I discovered while taking part in an exercise guided by David Horder, the regional business development manager of New Zealand water brand Antipodes.
Horder paired a white and a red wine with several still and sparkling waters. Some had a marked impact on the wines’ flavour, structure and minerality; others complemented the wine and cleansed the palate for the next sip (the selected waters below were assessed using a comparable format). The tasting made it clear that while some mineral waters are well suited to being enjoyed alongside wine, others are best enjoyed with food alone.
Not neutral
Martin Riese, an acclaimed Los Angeles-based water sommelier, was working at a Michelin-starred restaurant in Germany in 2005 when one of his guests asked for an alternative to the water offered. From there, he went on to create his first water menu. For Riese, water isn’t a neutral drink. ‘Water builds the bridge between a good wine and food,’ he says.
Tyson Stelzer, an awarded wine reviewer and author based in Australia, conducted a water and wine comparative tasting in 2016. Amazed by the discovery that the waters really did affect the taste of the wine, Stelzer identified which worked best with the distinctive characteristics of each wine. ‘It’s in highlighting the delicate chalk minerality of Champagne that I’ve found the right mineral water to have the most profound impact. Waters too high in salinity or other dissolved solids disrupt the mineral signature of wines,’ explains Stelzer, who is also a globally renowned Champagne expert.
At famous South Australian winery Penfolds, the mineral water offered is carefully selected to complement rather than compete with the wines. ‘The local A Rock and a Hard Place water is preferred by the Penfolds winemaking team and is served during tastings,’ explained a Penfolds’ spokesperson. With a TDS of 100mg/L, it leaves a pure, clean mouthfeel.
There’s no hard and fast rule for the ‘best’ level of TDS for drinking water, but according to the World Health Organisation, below 300mg/L is ‘excellent’. In a wine show context, Riese similarly suggests that judges drink water with a TDS level below 300mg/L.
As a rule of thumb, water with a lower TDS level will work better with wine. However, certain wines are best paired with specific types of water. A high-mineral water with medium carbonation (dissolved carbon dioxide gas, which raises the acidity) is a great companion to a concentrated sweet wine, for instance. The salty and acidic notes of the water will balance the wine’s focused fruit.
Source code
Should consumers also look at the source? Riese thinks so. ‘Spring water is the most terroir-driven beverage,’ he explains. ‘It originates as rainwater, passes through different stone layers and leaches out minerals, giving the water its unique taste.’
When I ask about volcanic sources, he says that it’s not just about the geographical origin; it’s also about the mineral composition. Yes, water has its own terroir, but as Riese points out: ‘There is another factor: time! Some waters from volcanic areas pass through the stone layers more slowly, staying in contact longer with the minerals, and resulting in a higher final TDS.’
Stephanie Mieth, the assistant restaurant manager at Verve by Sven, in the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz in Switzerland, offers guidance to guests on pairing water with both their meals and their wine. ‘I match light and sweet sparkling wines with still water that has low mineralisation, and Champagne with one that has medium to high mineralisation and a higher calcium content,’ she says, adding that different levels of mineralisation can either balance fatty dishes or accentuate delicacy.
One thing’s clear to me: I’ll be giving my choice of mineral water at table rather more thought from now on, even if it does mean another decision to make.
The effect of water on wine: A comparative tasting*
In order to help you pick the right water for your wine, we tasted some popular water brands with Cloudy Bay’s 2024 Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, and Howard Park’s 2021 Leston Cabernet Sauvignon from Margaret River, Western Australia.
*NOTE: The TDS levels listed here are those typically stated on the waters’ label and may be subject to minor batch variation.
Still
Voss (Norway, 40mg/L TDS)
A gentle water with a clean finish.
White: Utterly aromatic, juicy and bracing; ends with a citrussy finish. 10/10
Red: The chunky tannins and generous black fruit shine, ending on a savoury note. 10/10
Volvic (France, 130mg/L TDS)
Slightly weightier and more mineral. Finishes with a salty tang.
White: The glycerol is more pronounced, highlighting the sweet side of the tropical and stone fruit flavours. Ends rounder. 6/10
Red: Alcohol comes first. Ferrous on the back palate; fruit is less giving. 6/10
Fiji (Fiji, 222mg/L TDS)
Generous mouthfeel with a wet rock-like taste.
White: The alcohol is noticeable. Fruit flavours blend, making it difficult to distinguish between them. 4/10
Red: The sweet fruit profile is rewarded and so, too, are the oak’s spices. Alcohol presence is felt more; tannins are smoother. 7/10
Sparkling
Perrier (France, 475mg/L TDS)
Moderately fine bubbles and a saline finish.
White: The sweetness of the tropical fruit is maintained. Alcohol slightly increased. 6/10
Red: Fruit and tannic structures aren’t penalised. The sweetness of the primary and secondary flavours is highlighted. Moderately clean finish. 8/10
San Pellegrino (Italy, 862mg/L TDS)
Bubbles are coarser; a chalky element dominates.
White: The water’s flavour overpowers the wine’s aromatic nature. Finishes warm. 4/10
Red: Grippy tannins with a ferrous character. The alcohol dominates; fruit flavours have almost been neutralised. 4/10
Vichy Catalan (Spain, 2,900mg/L TDS)
The hardest of all. High levels of bicarbonate and bubbles that are like little piranhas.
White: Both the bubbles and bicarbonate taste of the water interfere with the fruit flavours. Alcohol rules. 2/10
Red: Fruit and secondary flavours vanished, except for a mineral edge. Tannins are barely noticeable. 2/10
