Wine Glossary Terms

acidity
The crisp or tart taste typically in white wines. This comes from the natural acids in wine: tartaric, malic and citric acid. Wines are described as being high or low in acidity.
aging
Wine can age in bottles, barrels, vats, or stainless steel tanks. Many wines improve during the aging process, which can take anywhere from five months to five years before the wine is ready to be sold to the public. The best conditions for aging wines are a dark room with high humidity and a stable, cool temperature.
alcohol
The part of wine that makes us loopy! Most wines range from 7 percent to 14 percent alcohol by volume. Alcohol is produced naturally by yeast during the fermentation process. The active yeast converts the natural sugars in the grape juice into alcohol and carbon dioxide, which is released from the fermenting tank by means of a trap.
appellation
The French term, Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, (AOC), refers to a set of comprehensive regulations that specify the precise geographic area in which a given French wine can be made. AOC regulations also stipulate the types of grapes that can be used, the manner in which the vines must be grown and how the wine can be made. The Italian equivalents of France's AOC laws are known as DOC, Denominazione di Origine Controllata, and a slightly more strict set of regulations known as DOCG, Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. In the U.S., the regulations governing AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) are far less strict than French or Italian appellation laws. AVAs are designated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. There are now more than 130 areas that have been designated as AVAs including such well known AVAs as the Napa Valley, Stags Leap District, Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley and so on.
aroma
The smells from the wine that deal more with what you taste. The human nose can detect over 2,000 odors whereas your tongue can detect only fours main groups: sweet, salty, bitter and sour. Common descriptors include: "fruity" "floral" and "earthy"
astringency
This is that mouth-drying effect when you drink red wines. Your mouth puckers and your tongue suddenly feels like velvet. This comes from young or very strong tannins. An astringent wine may be young and in need of aging. It may also simply need to breathe.
balance
The harmony between a wine's acidity, fruit, alcohol and tannin. These should all play an even roll and no one should be more prominent than another otherwise its known to be flawed. A well-balanced wine is a primary goal of the wine maker.
Barolo
Its both a full-bodied red wine made from Nebiolo grapes and a region in Piedmont, Italy where some of the best examples of this beverage can be found.
barrel fermentation
White wines fermented in oak barrels as opposed to stainless steel tanks. Stainless steel makes wine more crisp and leaner whereas oak barrels make wines more full-bodied and bold flavors.
barrel tasting
You're not licking wood here... Barrel tasting is where they use a tool called a wine thief to "syphon" the wine from the barrel straight to your wine glass. These special events are where barrels are opened and tasted before actual bottling has taken place. Naturally the wines will be young but it allows serious wine enthusiasts the opportunity to investigate limited releases before buying.
bitter
Bitterness in wine may be due to a grape variety, an extremely dry climate during the growing season, or poor wine making. Bitterness comes from excess tannin.
blend
The primary task of the wine maker. Wines from different lots or barrels are blended together to produce the final product for bottling. Tradition and regional laws dictate what grape varieties may be blended together to make a certain wine. It is up to the wine maker to select the percentages of each type of grape for the final blend. The particular characteristics of the vintage play a crucial role in this decision. The classic blending example comes from Bordeaux, where by law wine can be made from a blend of the following grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc.
blind tasting
It's how those who are seeing-impaired taste wine. No, seriously - Blind wine tasting is when you taste wine without knowing anything about what your tasting. People taste blindly to force themselves to look past labels and anything that could sway their overall opinion of the wine. It's a means to provide insight into your true feelings regarding what your tasting.
body
The density perception of a wine when its in your mouth—either light, medium, or full. A Cabernet Sauvignon is an example of a full-bodied wine; a Sauvignon Blanc is a light- or medium-bodied wine.
Botrytis Cinera
This beneficial mold causes the grapes to shrivel, leaving sugar-laden fruit full of rich, concentrated flavors. Botrytis cinerea doesn't always develop and, when it does, it's sometimes very late, rewarding only those daring vineyard owners who haven't picked their grapes (but who have risked losing the entire crop due to inclement weather).
bouquet
A French term for the aroma of a wine. Often the first indicator of a wine's quality during wine tasting. Aromas may include fruit, spice, and other smells associated with a particular grape variety, region, or condition of the wine.
breathing
Allowing a wine to mix with the air. Aeration occurs by pouring the wine into a larger container, such as a decanter or large wineglass. Breathing can be beneficial for many red wines and also for some young white wines. Chemically, breathing enables oxygen to mix with the wine, which hastens the aging process. If a wine stands open for more than 12 hours, it will begin to turn to vinegar as the oxygen continues to work. Whether to let a wine breathe before serving depends on the wine. Contrary to popular belief, it is not always beneficial to let older wines breathe prior to drinking, as this can cause them to "turn" - or go bad - before dinner is over.
briary
Denotes a wine having an aggressive, prickly taste best described as "peppery". Sometimes combined with the adjective "brawny" to characterize a young red wine with high alcohol and tannin content.
brix
The measurement of soluble solids in grapes at harvest, taken with a refractometer and expressed in degrees. In unfermented grapes, degrees of Brix are approximately the same as percent of sugar. After fermentation, the alcohol concentration is roughly half the sugar concentration of the juice. Thus, grapes harvested at 22.5 degrees Brix will produce a wine with an alcohol content between 12.5 to 13.5%.
brut
A French term meaning "raw"; describes champagne or other sparkling wines around the world that are very dry, containing no more than 1.5 percent residual sugar.
buttery
A description of a wine, usually a white wine, that has taken on a slight buttery flavor. This often happens as a result of the wine being barrel fermented and then left for a period of time in contact with the yeast.
Cabernet Franc
Red wine grape used for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon. It is an earlier-maturing red wine, due to its lower level of tannins.
Cabernet Sauvignon
One of the primary grape varieties and successfully grown in many countries. Cabernet Sauvignon is often called the king of red wines.
capsule
The protective metal or plastic sheath over the cork and neck of a wine bottle. The capsule keeps the cork from drying out and admitting air into the bottle.
cellar
A storage area for wine, not necessarily underground. A cellar is the best area to keep wines for aging. Ideal conditions are darkness, controlled cool temperature, and high humidity. Bottles should be stored on their sides to keep the corks from drying out.
1 2 3 4 5 | Next >

FAQ Categories

Glossary Terms

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 View all

Can't find your answer?

Gotta be a member first…

Login

or

Sign Up
It's totally free, fast and secure. We swearz!

Then you can ask your own questions or answer others'