What does winy mean in coffee cupping?

Winy is a cupping descriptor used to characterise coffees that exhibit flavour and texture qualities reminiscent of wine - typically a combination of bright, fruit-forward acidity, a rich syrupy body, and a complex, fermented-fruit finish. It's considered a positive attribute when present in the right coffees and contexts.

The descriptor is most closely associated with Kenyan coffees - particularly high-scoring AA and AB lots from Nyeri, Kirinyaga, and Murang'a - where the combination of SL28 and SL34 genetics, volcanic soils, and the Kenyan double-washing process produces a cup profile that can genuinely remind experienced tasters of fine red wine: blackcurrant, tomato, berry, deep fruit complexity, and a long, tannic finish. Ethiopian Harrar naturals have historically also been described as winy due to their berry-forward, fermented fruit character.

Winy should be distinguished from the defect of over-fermented or vinegary notes - which are unpleasant sourness, not the complex, fruit-rich quality of a genuinely winy Kenyan. The descriptor requires both the acidity and the body to be present: all acidity without the body is sharp rather than winy; all body without the acidity is heavy rather than winy.