Vocabulary to Characterize Bottled Water

With the "Fine Waters" book we are introducing a new way of characterizing bottled water in an epicurean context. Virginality, Balance, Minerality, Orientation and Hardness are used to create a vocabulary describing the subtle differences in bottled water and to draw attention to the uniqueness of the water and its source. The characterisazion is also key for matching water with food.

Below is a quick reference to the concepts and we will describe them further in future newsletters and on the site.

Virginality - Water naturally contains less than 1 milligram of nitrate per liter (mg/l). Higher levels of nitrate usually indicate that the water has been compromised in some form or another. The Nitrate level is therefore a good indicator of the overall quality of the water and it’s "Virginality". Nitrate in water is undetectable without testing because it is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.

	Superior	0 - 1mg/l
	Very Good	1 - 4mg/l
	Good	4 - 7mg/l
	Acceptable	7 - 10 mg/l
	Potable	10 -50 mg/l

Balance - Carbonation adds mouthfeel to the water and is the most important characteristic for matching bottled water with food. The Balance is designed to help with the description and categorization of sparkling water as it describes the “mouthfeel” of water based, on the level of carbonization in a five step scale. The range of the scale is from Still to Effervescent, Light, Classic and Bold.

	Still	0 mg/l
	Effervescent	0 - 2.5 mg/l
	Light	2.5 - 5 mg/l
	Classic	5 - 7.5 mg/l
	Bold	7.5 + mg/l

Minerality - An important characteristic of water is the amount of minerals it contains. The minerals are, after all, what gives the water its terroir. The amount of minerals dissolved in water is indicated as TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and measured in milligram per liter (mg/l) or parts per million (ppm), both being equal.

Super Low	0 - 50mg/l
Low	50- 250 mg/l
Medium	250- 800mg/l
High	800 - 1.500mg/l
Very High	1.500mg/l & over

Orientation - Water has either acid or alkaline properties, which are measured by a graduated scale called pH (for "potential hydrogen"), in which 1.0 to 6.9 is considered acidic, 7.0 is neutral, and 7.1 to 14.0 is alkaline. Acids generally taste sour (think vinegar), whereas alkaline substances are characterized by their bitter taste and sometimes give the perception of a slippery feel. There is sometimes a sweet perception in low alkaline waters (7.3 – 7.8). These are not sweet in the sugary sense, but are simply not bitter or sour. I find that my palate tends to identify acidity as a major component of taste at a pH of 5.0 or below. Here is how I would describe the taste of water based on the pH factor:

Hardness - Water “hardness” is determined by a formula that calculates the sum of calcium and magnesium in the water.