Wine terminology

Drinking wine is easy, however, understanding it can be quite difficult. Here at the Vino Club, we have put together some tasting and general terms used within the wine industry. To sift through this section, click on the appropriate letter in the list below.

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 - Z

Acidity

A crucial, natural, balancing element that gives a wine freshness, vitality and life and a sharp, clean taste on the back palate (finish).

Aggressive

A sensation resulting from an excess of tannin, acidity or both.

Alcohol

The common name for "ethanol" measured as a percentage of the volume of the wine. Alcohol is the result of fermentation, when sugar is combined with yeast.

Alcoholic

A "hot" feeling on the palate, from high levels of alcohol.

Angular

A wine lacking in fruit and depth, without a smooth taste.

Aperitif

A drink used to get the taste buds humming before a meal.

Aromatic

Wines from pungently smelly or strongly scented grapes like Riesling, Gewürztraminer Muscat and Tokay.

Astringent

A dry or sour sensation on the palate, usually from high tannin levels in a red or high acidity levels in a white. Generally an indication of youth.

Austere

Quirky, or maybe a little too young. Wines that seem difficult to appreciate, perhaps "closed", atypical or "funky".

Backward

A wine that still tastes young despite its age leading you to believe that it should be more approachable.

Balance

A wine that is in harmony, with all of its elements complimenting each other - something we look for in every wine we taste.

Barrel-fermented

A white wine that has been fermented in oak barrels giving rise to a stronger oaky flavour than those wines just aged in oak barrels.

Big

A wine full of flavour.

Biscuity

A quality usually associated with the nose and palate of Champagne.

Bite

The fresh flavour that acidity brings to a wine.

Bitterness

The acid and tannin taste resulting from over-pressing grape-skins, pips or stalks.

Blanc de Blancs

A French term for a white wine made using white grapes only. On a bottle of Champagne it would signify a wine made solely from Chardonnay.

Blanc de Noirs

A French term for a white wine made using red grapes only, achieved by removing the skins from the must before any colour leaches out.

Blending

Mixing together different grape varieties or different parcels of the same variety, to create a final wine, better than the sum of its parts.

Blind Tasting

A tasting where the identity of the wine is unknown.

Blowsy

A low acidity wine that appears too fruity and unbalanced.

Body

The weight of a wine on the palate (light, medium or full).

Botrytis cinerea

Usually shortened to botrytis, "noble rot" is an unwelcome fungus, unless you want to make sweet wines, in which case botrytis is your best friend. It attacks grapes and lives off the water within the grapes, thus concentrating the sugar levels.

Bottle Shock

A recently shipped (or recently bottled) wine that appears to be jet-lagged, and needs time to settle down.

Bouquet

The smell, aroma or nose of a wine.

Brettanomyces (Brett)

A curious yeast that gives rise to a peculiar "mousey" smell on a wine. Not unpleasant in small amounts, but it can become a wine fault if it dominates.

Briary

A term used to indicate a mixed berry fruit flavour, coupled with spicy notes.

Brilliant

Apart from the obvious explanation, this word is also used to describe a clear, bright colour of a wine.

Brut

French for "dry".

Capsule

The covering protecting the cork in a bottle of wine.

Cassis

French for "blackcurrant" - a Cabernet Sauvignon descriptor.

Cat's Pee

Whilst this doesn't sound like a very complimentary term, it is a popular description for the nose (aroma and smell) of a Sauvignon Blanc.

Cedarwood

The nose on an oak aged Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, particularly found in fine clarets.

Chewy

This refers to the palate of a richly textured, often high alcohol wine. The flavour is so dense you can almost "chew" it.

Chocolate Dark

Chocolate can be found on many big red wines, perhaps in the combination of aroma and texture.

Cigar-box

Another classic red Bordeaux term for the aroma of oak and fruit combined.

Closed

A wine that is somewhat subdued, not giving away much in the way of aroma or flavour. It usually needs more time to age or more air in a decanter.

Cloudy

This is a bad sign! It is the result of a wine that has not been stabilised, exhibiting suspended yeast, bacteria or micro-organisms, or a result of sediment in a red wine being shaken up unwittingly.

Cloying

Mouth-coating, usually referring to a sweet wine and often a sign of a wine lacking in balancing acidity.

Commercial

Not a derogatory expression, but rather an indicator of a crowd-pleaser, and what can be better than that?

Complex

The sign of a fine wine, having a multi-layered flavour. A wine that reveals different aromas and flavours every time you taste it. Winemakers aspire to making complex, balanced wines.

Confected

Seemingly a "chemistry-set wine" that is "made" in the winery rather than "grown" in the vineyard. A wine reminiscent of confectionery.

Cooked

A feeling that the fermentation was too hot and the wine ended up being "stewed", with high alcohol and lacking balance.

Corked

A faulty wine spoiled by a tainted cork - This happens far too often. See 'TCA'.

Crisp

A white wine with refreshing levels of acidity.

Demi-Sec

A French term meaning half dry, therefore medium dry.

Depth

The concentration or richness of flavour.

Developed

A term to indicate maturity, as in underdeveloped - too young; well developed - ready to drink; over-developed - too old.

Digestif

A smart word for an after dinner drink, a fine curtain-call to finish off a good dinner.

Double-decanting

Pouring a wine into a decanter, then back into its original bottle after having washed out any sediment.

Dusty

A palate sensation usually associated with highish tannin levels, almost as if there was a dusty coating to the wine.

Earthy

Another dimension to the aroma and palate, coming from the soil. A welcome element in the complexity of a wine.

Elegant

An even, lingering flavour, that is pleasing, refined and not too overblown,

Eucalyptus

Found on the nose, this distinctive smell often pops up on Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignons.

Extract

The "guts" of a wine, making up its body.

Fermentation

The conversion of sugar to ethanol (alcohol) and carbon dioxide (C02) by the addition of yeast.

Filtration

The straining of solid particles from a wine.

Fine

There are two meanings to this. "Fine Wine" is a term for expensive and possibly rare wine. "Fine" on its own, implies a degree of "class" and "complexity".

Finesse

Often used in the same breathe as "elegance", this is another word used for a complex if slightly lighter-bodied wine. Nearly always mentioned in the context of expensive Champagne.

Fining

The clarification and stabilisation of must or wine by the addition of a "fining agent" which coagulates or absorbs solids.

Finish

The end flavour left on the palate (aftertaste), measured in terms of length.

Flabby

A wine lacking in balancing acidity, one stage worse than blowsy.

Flinty

A gunflint or smoky scent picked up on Loire Sauvignon Blancs, coming from the French word "fumer" - to smoke (as in Pouilly-Fume).

Fortification

The addition of alcohol (usually grape spirit) to a fermenting wine (or after fermentation in the case of sherry) to take on further fermentation, by inhibiting the yeast's ability to convert sugar to alcohol. This results in a higher than normal alcohol wine known as a fortified wine.

Forward

A wine that can be drunk earlier (in its lifetime) than expected.

Free-run juice

The finest quality grape juice that runs out of the grapes even before the press has been started as a result of the crushing process.

Fresh

A wine with perky acidity and a lively flavour.

Funky

Not always complimentary, this term can mean that a wine is a touch faulty but not enough to detract from the overall impression of the wine.

Gamey

As the word implies, a scent or taste of game that is meaty, fairly strong and a little rotten, in the nicest sense of the word. Only found on red wine (usually older bottles).

Glugger

A jokey word for a simple, undemanding, easy-to-drink wine that would please everybody's palate. Perfect for a party.

Grassy

The "green" smell, often reminiscent of cut grass (cricket pitches), particularly in Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc.

Green

An unripe smell and taste often found on thin Merlots and Cabernet Francs associated with an unripe crop resulting from overproduction or a bad vintage. Green wines tend to have "raw" acidity on the finish.

Grip

The firm feeling on the back-palate brought about by dominant acidity or tannin. Essential in very ripe wines.

Hard

Almost always followed by "tannins" i.e. too young to drink.

Harsh

Another acidity and tannin adjective, suggesting a high degree of one or the other, or both.

Heady

A dizzy-making feel to a wine. Not for quantity reasons, just alcohol levels.

Herbaceous

Not to be confused with "green", this word conveys the scent of greenhouses or garden centres. Often a pleasant extra dimension to a wine.

Hot

Wines with high alcohol.

Lanolin

An oiliness found in some heavy white wines, particularly Semillon.

Late Harvest

Vines that are picked later than normal in the quest for extra ripe grapes with which to make intense dry white, very full-bodied reds and sweet wines.

Leathery

Another superb descriptive word that conjures up new shoes, motorcycle gear, tack rooms and all manner of leather goods. Often found on Shiraz, Grenache and Cabernet blends.

Lees

The dregs or sediment that settles at the bottom of a barrel or fermentation tank made up of dead yeast cells, grape-skin fragments, grape seeds and tartrates.

Legs

The patterns made by wine sliding down the inside of a wine glass, as a result of its viscosity. Also known as "tears". Not a sign of quality, but simply of alcohol level.

Length

The time that the wine's flavour lingers on the palate - the "finish".

Lively

A reference to the keen acidity in a young wine.

Magnum

Double-sized bottle (1.5L)

Malolactic Fermentation

The chemical conversion of harsh malic acid to softer lactic acid, often shortened to "maid". White wines that have not been through malo often have punchier acidity. Cooler climate whites tend to go through malo to soften the overall impact of the acidity on the palate.

Meaty

Always with reference to a huge red wine - you may need a knife and fork!

Mellow

A character trait brought on by age, this usually means soft and smooth with a harmonious palate.

Methode Traditionnelle

Along with "Methode Classique", the accepted terms for the finest process of sparkling wine production where the second fermentation occurs in the bottle in which the wine is sold. The old term was "Methode Champenoise".

Mousse

The fizz on the surface of a glass of sparkling wine or Champagne.

Mouth-feel

A superb self-explanatory term referring to the sensation of a wine on the palate.

Musty

A hygiene problem somewhere along the line leading to a stale aroma or taste. Usually disappears with aeration.

New World

This term refers to winemaking countries outside of Europe and the Mediterranean.

Nose

The aroma, bouquet or smell of a wine.

Oak

The wood used to make barrels in which wine is fermented and matured. French, American and Eastern European forests are the main sources of oak for wine barrels.

Oaky

The smell and taste of oak barrels.

Old World

European and Mediterranean-bordering wine making countries.

Organic

A wine made from grapes grown without the use of manmade chemical herbicides, pesticides or fertiliser.

Oxidised

A wine spoiled by oxidation tends to be browning in colour and stale on the nose and palate.

Palate

The flavour of a wine and also a word for your mouth.

Petrol

Older Rieslings tend to have this unusual, pungent scent.

Press

The grape squeezing apparatus.

Pungent

Strongly scented.

Quaffing

Drinking with purpose. See "glugger". This is what you would do with a case of gluggers!

Reductive

A word associated with a "skunky" smell on a wine. This smell is of sulphur compounds such as hydrogen sulphide that should subside with aeration. Try decanting the wine and waving it around.

Residual Sugar

The remaining sugar in a wine that accounts for its degree of sweetness.

Rubber

A sulphurous nose if too strong, but can actually be an attribute of some cheaper New World reds, or Italian Dolceffos.

Sediment

The solids found at the bottom of some old red wines.

Silky

Very smooth on the palate.

Sinewy

A lack of juicy fruit character, exposing the acidity and tannin elements of a red wine.

Smoky

In reds, smokiness can be found on a range of wines, particularly Shiraz, Nebbiolo, Mourvèdre and Grenache. In whites it is only really used for Pouilly-Fume. See “Flinty” above.

Spicy

Regularly making it into our tasting notes, spicy means just that. Often countering a fruity flavour, a herbal spiciness on whites and a dried-spice character on reds is common and welcome.

Spittoon

The correct term for the bucket that you spit into.

Spritz

A gentle prickle of fizz on the palate. Found on young whites.

Structure

The physical framework on which a wine's flavours are hung.

Sulphur

Similar to the smell of a "struck-match", sulphur is detectable on the nose, but should disappear when the wine comes into contact with air.

Sulphur Dioxide

Used as a preservative in finished wine and labelled as "Preservative 220 on the bottle."

Supple

A lush, round style of wine with no obvious, hard acidity or tannin.

Tannin

The bitter, astringent flavour that is found in grape skins, seed and stalks as well as oak barrels, that thankfully softens as red wines age. Tannins give rise to a "drying" sensation in the mouth and a harsh feel on the inside of the cheeks.

Tartrates

The harmless crystals that are deposited during winemaking and occasionally form in bottles of wines. In our opinion, the appearance of tartrates in a white wine is a good sign as it means the wine has not been filtered - a process which means the wine inevitably loses some of its flavour.

TCA

The full name is "2,4,6-trichloroanisole", the unpleasant, musty smelling compound that gives rise to cork taint in wine.

Terroir

A French word that rolls all of a particular vineyard's attributes such as micro-climate, soil, drainage, altitude, aspect, exposure and slope into one beguiling term.

Toasty

The nose associated with oak-aged wines, on account of the insides of the barrels being charred or toasted.

Ullage

The space between the top of the wine and the bottom of the cork in a bottle of wine.

Unctuous

Intense, oily character usually associated with sweet wines.

Unfiltered

Just that, a wine that is not filtered. More likely to throw a sediment and may, in time, require decanting.

Vanilla

An aroma resulting from oak ageing, particularly in American oak.

Varietal

A wine that displays textbook grape variety characteristics.

Vegetal

A word that groups together various vegetable smells and tastes, mostly with reference to red wines. Not always derogatory.

Velvety

The smoothest and most luxurious of textures on the palate. Merlot, Pinot Noir and other sensuous red varieties can achieve this character if they are of the finest quality.

Vigneron

A French vineyard worker.

Volatile

Acidity (VA) Acetic acid, that in certain concentrations gives an off-putting vinegary smell. This is usually brought about as a result of shoddy winemaking.

Woody

A general term for oaky wine.

Yeast

The "agent" that transforms the sugar in grape juice into alcohol and C02 via the process of fermentation. Yeast is naturally found on grape skins or can be added by the winemaker in a process called "inoculation".

Yeasty

The fresh-baked bread nose found on Champagne and other white wines mainly using Chardonnay.

Zesty

A citrus taste associated with acidity and also with some white grape varieties like Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.