Wine tasters love to talk about wine, and they often use terms and descriptions that can be a bit confusing or intimidating to beginners. "Winespeak," as wine writer Hugh Johnson refers to it, is not really all that esoteric once you know some of the descriptive terms, what they mean and how they are used in talking or writing about wine. Is the wine sharp, or round? Is it earthy or buttery? Does it have finesse? Becoming familiar with some of these and other terms helps in understanding what a wine is like, makes it easier and more fun. Listed below are some of the words frequently encountered at wine tastings or in publications that cover the subject.
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A B C D
E F G H
I J K L
M
N O P Q
R S T U
V W X Y
Acetic
Vinegary taste or smell
that develops when a wine
is overexposed to air.
Acidity
All wines naturally contain
acids, which should be in
proper balance with fruit
and other components. Sufficient
acidity gives liveliness
and crispness and is critical
for wines to age.
Aftertaste
The flavor impression the
wine leaves after it is
swallowed. Also referred
to as the "finish"
of a wine. Fine wines have
a lingering finish, or aftertaste.
Aroma
The smell of a wine, especially
young wines.
Aromatic
A term for wines with pronounced
aroma, particularly those
redolent of herbs or spices.
Astringent
The "puckerish"
quality of high tannin content,
which has the effect of
drying out the mouth. Many
young red wines are astringent
because of tannin.
Austere
Somewhat hard, with restrained
fruit and character.
Balance
Harmony among the wine's
components -- fruit, acidity,
tannins, alcohol; a well-balanced
wine possesses the various
elements in proper proportion
to one another.
Big
Powerful in aroma and flavor;
full-bodied.
Bitter
Usually considered a fault
in but characteristic of
such wines as Amarone and
certain other Italian reds.
Body
The weight and texture of
a wine; it may be light-bodied
or full-bodied. Often refers
to alcohol content.
Botrytis
cinerea
A mold that attacks certain
grapes, producing honeyed
sweet wines like Sauternes
and late-harvest Rieslings.
Bouquet
The complex of aromas that
develops with age in fine
wines; young wines have
aroma, not bouquet.
Breed
Similar to good bloodlines
and handling, as in racehorses;
the result of soil, grapes
and vinification techniques
that combine to produce
depth and distinctive character
in a wine.
Brix
Term used to measure the
sugar content of grapes,
grape juice (must) or wine.
Grapes are generally harvested
at 20 to 25 Brix, resulting
in alcohol after fermentation
of 11.5 to 14 percent.
Brut
Term for dry Champagne or
sparkling wine.
Buttery
Descriptor for rich flavor
and smoothness of texture,
somewhat akin to the oiliness
and flavor of butter. More
often refers to oak-aged
white wines than reds; many
Chardonnays and white Burgundies
are said to have buttery
aromas and flavors.
Chewy
Wines with unusual thickness
of texture or tannins that
one almost "chews"
before swallowing.
Clean
Fresh, with no discernible
defects; refers to aroma,
appearance and flavor.
Closed
Young, undeveloped wines
that do not readily reveal
their character are said
to be closed. Typical of
young Bordeaux or Cabernet
Sauvignon, as well as other
big red wines.
Coarse
Rude or harsh in flavor;
clumsy or crude.
Complete
Mature, with good follow-through
on the palate, satisfying
mouth-feel and firm aftertaste.
Complex
Multifaceted aroma and/or
flavor. Most wines considered
great exhibit a combination
of flavor and aroma elements.
Cooked
Heavy, pruney flavor; also
said of wines from very
hot growing regions or wines
that are overripe.
Corked,
corky
Smelling of cork rather
than wine; due to a faulty
cork.
Crisp
Fresh, brisk character,
usually with high acidity.
Deep
Having layers of persistent
flavor that gradually unfold
with aeration.
Delicate
Light fragrance, flavor,
and body.
Developed
Mature. A well-developed
wine is more drinkable than
an undeveloped one.
Distinctive
Elegant, refined character
that sets the wine apart
on its own.
Dry
Opposite of sweet; somewhat
subjective in that tasters
may perceive sweetness to
varying degree.
Dull
Lacking liveliness and proper
acidity; uninteresting.
Dumb
Not revealing flavor or
aroma; closed; typical of
wines that are too young
or too cold.
Earthy
Smell or flavor reminiscent
of earth. A certain earthiness
can be appealing; too much
makes the wine coarse.
Elegant
Refined character, distinguished
quality, stylish, not heavy.
Extra
Dry
A term used on Champagne
labels to indicate not-quite-dry;
not as dry as Brut.
Fat
Full of body and flavor;
fleshy.
Fine
Distinguished.
Finesse
Distinctive balance; fineness;
elegance and flair.
Finish
Aftertaste, or final impression
the wine leaves; it can
have a long finish or a
short one (not desirable).
Firm
Taut balance of elements;
tightly knit structure;
also distinct flavor.
Flat
Dull, lacking in liveliness;
wine without sufficient
acid.
Flavor
How the wine tastes.
Fleshy
Fatness of fruit; big, ripe.
Flinty
Dry, mineral character that
comes from certain soils,
mostly limestone, in which
the wine was grown; typical
of French Chablis and Loire
Valley Sauvignon Blancs
(Sancerre).
Flowery
Aroma suggestive of flowers.
Forward
Developed ahead of its peers;
also, when the fruit is
prominent, it is said to
be forward.
Foxy
The "grapey" flavors
of wines made from native
American grapes, Vitis labrusca.
Fruity
Aroma and/or flavor of grapes;
most common to young, light
wines but refers also to
such fruit flavors in wine
as apple, black currant,
cherry, citrus, pear, peach,
raspberry, or strawberry;
descriptive of wines in
which the fruit is dominant.
Full-bodied
Full proportion of flavor
and alcohol; big, fat.
Green
A wine made from unripe
grapes that is tart and
lacking fruit flavor.
Grip
Firmness of flavor and structure.
Hard
Stiff, with pronounced tannins;
undeveloped.
Harmonious
All elements -- fruit, acid,
tannin -- in perfect balance
Harsh
Rough, biting character
from excessive tannin or
acid.
Heady
High in alcohol, very full-bodied
Herbaceous
Aromas reminiscent of fresh
grass or hay; grassy, as
in certain Sauvignon Blancs;
also the green pepper character
of some Cabernets.
Herby
Reminiscent of herbs, such
as mint, sage, thyme, or
of eucalyptus.
Honest
Without flaws, typical and
straightforward, simple
but not great.
Honeyed
Smell or taste reminiscent
of honey, characteristic
of late-harvest wines affected
by "noble rot"
(Botrytis cinerea).
Intricate
Interweaving of subtle complexities
of aroma and flavor.
Legs
The viscous rivulets that
run down the side of the
glass after swirling or
sipping, a mingling of glycerin
and alcohol.
Length
Lingering aftertaste.
Light
Refers to wines light in
alcohol but also to texture
and weight, how the wine
feels in the mouth. Lightness
is appropriate in some wines,
a defect in others.
Lively
Crisp, fresh, having vitality.
Long
Fine wines should have a
long finish, or aftertaste;
see Length.
Luscious
Rich, opulent, and smooth;
most often said of sweet
wines but also intensely
fruity ones.
Maderized
Wine that has oxidized;
has brown or amber color
and stale odor.
Mature
Fully developed, ready to
drink.
Meaty
A wine with chewy, fleshy
fruit; sturdy and firm in
structure.
Mellow
Smooth and soft, with no
harshness.
Moldy
Wines with the smell of
mold or rot, usually from
grapes affected by rot or
from old moldy casks used
for aging.
Muscular
Vigorous fruit, powerful
body and flavor; robust.
Musty
Stale, dusty or rank aromas.
Noble
Great; of perfect balance
and harmonious expression.
The so-called "noble"
grapes are those that produce
the world's finest wines:
Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot,
Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc,
Semillon and Riesling (some
would also include Syrah,
Nebbiolo and Sangiovese).
Nose
The smell of the wine; it
may have a "good nose"
or an "off-nose,"
meaning defective odors.
Nutty
Nutlike aromas that develop
in certain wines, such as
sherries or old white wines.
Oak,
oaky
Aroma and flavor that derive
from aging in oak casks
or barrels. Characterized
by smokiness, vanilla, clove
or other spices. Should
not be overly pronounced.
Off-dry
Not quite dry, a perception
of sweetness too faint to
call the wine sweet.
Off-flavors
(also off-aromas or off-nose)
Not quite right; flavors
or odors that are not correct
for a particular type of
wine; opposite of clean;
defective.
Open
Revealing full character.
Oxidized
Flat, stale or sherrylike
aroma and flavor; spoiled
as the result of overexposure
to air.
Petillant
A light sparkle.
Rich
Full, opulent flavor, body
and aroma.
Ripe
Mature, fully ripe fruit.
Robust
Full-bodied, powerful, heady
Rough
Harsh edges, biting, unpleasant.
Round
Smooth and well-developed
flavor, without angularity
or rough edges.
Sharp
Biting acid or tannin.
Short
Refers to finish, or aftertaste,
when it ends abruptly.
Silky
Smooth, sinuous texture
and finish.
Simple
Opposite of complex; straightforward.
Smoky
Aroma and flavor sometimes
associated with oak aging.
Soft
May refer to soft, gentle
fruit in delicate wines,
or to lack of acidity in
wines without proper structure;
used on a label occasionally
to indicate low alcohol.
Solid
Sound, well structured,
firm.
Sour
Sharply acidic or vinegary
Sparkling
Wines with bubbles created
by trapped carbon dioxide
gas, either natural or injected.
Spicy
Having the character or
aroma of spices such as
clove, mint, cinnamon, or
pepper.
Spritzy
Slight prickle of carbon
dioxide, common to some
very young wines; frizzante
in Italy.
Steely
Firmly structured; taut
balance tending toward high
acidity.
Stiff
Unyielding, closed; dumb.
Strong
Robust, powerful, big.
Structure
The way a wine is built;
its composition and proportions.
Stuffing
Big, flavorful, full-bodied
wines are said to have "stuffing."
Sturdy
Bold, vigorous flavor; full-bodied;
robust.
Sulphur,
SO2
An anti-oxidant used in
making most wines; the fermentation
process creates minute natural
amounts.
Supple
Yielding in flavor; a wine
that is readily accessible
for current drinking.
Sweet
Usually indicates the presence
of residual sugar, retained
when grape sugar is not
completely converted to
alcohol. Even dry wines,
however, may have an aroma
of sweetness, the combination
of intense fruit or ripeness.
Considered a flaw if not
properly balanced with acidity.
Tannin
A natural component found
to varying degrees in the
skins, seeds and stems of
grapes; most prominent in
red wines, where it creates
a dry, puckering sensation
in young reds of concentrated
extract; mellows with aging
and drops out of the wine
to form sediment; a major
component in the structure
of red wines.
Tart
sharp; acceptable if not
too acidic.
Thick
Dense and heavy in texture.
Thin
Lacking body and flavor.
Tired
Past its peak of flavor
development; old.
Tough
Astringent or hard; wiry;
tannic.
Vanilla
A scent imparted by aging
in oak.
Velvety
Smooth and rich in texture.
Vigorous
Firm, lively fruit, strong
body; assertive flavor.
Vinegary
Having the smell of vinegar;
see also Acetic.
Volatile,
Volatile Acidity (VA)
Smells of acetic acid and/or
ethyl acetate, quite disagreeable
when excessive though a
tiny amount may enhance
aromas.
Watery
Thin, lacking in flavor.
Weak
Lacking grip typical for
the wine; without character
Weedy
Aromas or flavors reminiscent
of hay or grasses; not necessarily
unpleasant unless exaggerated.
Weighty
Strong, powerful, full-bodied,
forceful.
Woody
Excessive aromas of wood,
common to wines aged overlong
in cask or barrel.
Yeasty
A bready smell, sometimes
detected in wines that have
undergone secondary fermentation,
such as Champagne; very
appealing if not excessive.
Young
In simple wines signifies
youthful freshness; in finer
wines, refers to immaturity,
wines as yet undeveloped