wine glossary


Acidity

Naturally occurring adds in grapes that are vital components for the life, vitality, and balance of all wines.

Aging
Maturing process of a wine to improve its taste.
Alcohol

The major component in wine. Also known as ethyl alcohol.

Appellation

The official geographical location where the grapes used in the wine are grown.

Aroma

The smell of a wine.

Astringent

The puckering sensation in the mouth attributable to the tannins and adds found in some wines.

Austere

A tasting term that is used to describe young wines that have not yet developed a discernable aroma.

Balance

A tasting term that describes how well a wine's components complement each other.

Barrel

A container used to store or ferment wine.

Big

This term used to describe wines that are of full of flavor and with high levels of tannins, alcohol, and grape flavor extracts.

Bite

A result of good levels of acidity (especially in young wines).

Bitter

Unpleasant taste that registers at the back of the tongue.

Blanc de blanc

A white wine-most often sparkling ­made exclusively from white grapes.

Blanc de noir

A white or slightly tinted wine-and usually sparkling-made exclusively from red grapes.


Body

Perception of fullness or texture in the mouth due primarily to the wine's alcohol.

Bottle Aging

Allowing wine to acquire complexity, depth, and texture in the bottle.

Bouquet

The combination of flowery and fruity aromas that come from the alcohols and acids in a wine.

Breathe

Allowing air to mix with a wine to develop its flavor.

Brut

Dry style of Champagne and sparkling wine.

Capsule

The protective cover of tin, lead, aluminum, or plastic that is placed over the top of a bottle of wine to insulate the wine from outside influences.

Cava

The Spanish term for sparkling wines made using the traditional Champagne method.

Character

A wine's features and style.

Clarity

The appearance of wine that has no cloudiness.

Clean

Wines that are straightforward and have no unpleasant odors or flavors.

Cloudy

The opposite of clarity; wine that is visually unclear.

Complex

Nuances of flavors of a wine often achieved with aging.

Cork

The spongy material from the bark of the cork tree used to seal wine bottles.

Corked

Wines that have the smell of wood "dry rot" resulting from a defective cork.

Crisp

Wines with good acidity and taste without excessive sweetness.

Cru

French term meaning "growth."

Cuvee

Blend; in the production of Champagne, cuvee is the specific blend of still wines used as a base for Champagne.

Decanting

Pouring wine from a bottle into a carafe or decanter.

Depth

Wines with full-bodied, intense, and complex flavors.

Disgorging

Removing sediment from a bottle of Champagne following secondary fermentation.

Dry

Opposite of sweet. All the sugar from the grapes has been converted to alcohol during fermentation.

Earthy

Flavors derived from the soil where the grapes have been grown.

Enology

The study of wine and wine making; also oenology.

Extra Dry

Champagne classification where there is a slight perception of sweetness.

Fat

A big, soft, and silky wine that fills the mouth.

Fermentation

The process that turns grape juice into wine. The enzymes in the yeast convert sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Fining

Clarifying young wine before bottling to remove impurities.

Finish

The aftertaste or impression a wine leaves after it's swallowed.

Fortified Wine

Wine whose alcohol content is increased by adding brandy or neutral spirits.

Fruity

The flavor or aroma of fruits in wine.

Hard

An abundance of tannin or acidity.

Ice Wine

Extremely sweet wines made from grapes that have been frozen on the vines prior to harvest; also called Eiswein.

Late Harvest Wine

Wine made from ripe grapes left on the vine for periods in excess of their normal picking times, resulting in an extreme concentration of sugar.

Lees

The sediment of yeasts and small grape particles that settle in the barrel as wine develops.

Maceration

Technique of fermenting uncrushed grapes under pressure to produce fresh, fruity wine.

Magnum

A bottle holding 1.5 liters or the equivalent of two standard bottles.

Meritage

Term used for both red and white American wines that are produced by blending traditional Bordeaux grape varietals.

Nutty

A fine, crisp flavor often found in sherries and fine white wines.

Oak

The flavor imparted to wine by barrel aging. It can be best described as a toasty or wood-like flavor. Sometimes a vanilla flavor will be imparted by fine oak to the wine.

Oxidation

Exposure of wine to air, which causes chemical changes and deterioration.

Pigeage

A French term for the traditional stomping of grapes by foot.

Press

The piece of equipment used to gently separate grape juice from grape skins.

Punt

The indentation at the base of a wine or Champagne bottle, which reinforces the bottle's structure.

Reserve

A term without a legal definition in the United States but often used to designate a special wine.

Richness

Rich wines have well-balanced flavors and intrinsic power.

Sec

A term, when applied to Champagne, that describes a relatively sweet wine. Used in the context of still wines, the term means dry-without any residual sugar.

Secondary Fermentation

The process of converting still wine into Champagne that takes place in the bottle. In the production of still wines, the term is sometimes used in place of malolactic fermentation.

Sommelier

French term for "wine waiter.”

Spumante

The Italian term for fully sparkling wines as opposed to those that are slightly sparkling.

Tannin

Substance found naturally in wine from the skin, pulp, and stalks. Tannins are responsible for the astringent quality found in wine, especially red wines. Tannins form the basis for the long life of wines and, while they can be overpowering in young wines, with bottle aging, they tend to become softer.

Terroir

Literally the "soil." A French term referring to the particular character (aromas and flavors) of a given vineyard-s-or even a small part of that vineyard.

Thin

Wines that lack fullness, depth, and complexity.

Varietal

A wine named after the grape from which it is produced. In California, for instance, a wine labeled "Pinot Noir" must by law consist of at least 75 percent Pinot Noir grapes.

Vineyard

The place where grapes are grown.

Vinification

The process of making wine.

Vintage

Harvest year of grapes and the resulting wines made from them. Ninety-five percent of the wine in a vintage-designated bottle must be from grapes harvested in that year.

Viticulture

The practice (art, science, and philosophy) of growing grapevines.

Woody

In most wines this is an undesirable condition indicating that there is a taint of some type from defective wood or an overuse of new oak.

Yeast

Naturally occurring, single-celled organisms found on the skins of grapes that are the primary promoters of fermentation. In the fermentation process, yeast turns sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide.