Acetic; This is what happens when the wine is exposed to air. It develops avinegary taste or smell.
Acidity; All wines contain some level of acid. The acid level needs to be ina proper balance with the other components and fruits in the wine so that youshould be able to taste the crispiness and liveliness of the wine. This acidityis also vital in the aging process of the wine.
Aftertaste; This is the impression of flavor that you will get once you haveswallowed the wine. It is also called the “finish” of a wine.
Aroma; The smell of wines, especially that of young wines.
Aromatic; This is a term that this used for wines that have a distinctaroma, especially those with herbs and spices in them.
Astringent; This term is used when the tannin level in the wine dries outthe mouth.
Austere; A somewhat hard tasting wine, where the character and fruitinesshave been restrained.
Big; A full bodied powerful in aroma wine.
Bitter; This is usually considered as a fault bit it is also acharacteristic of certain Italian wines.
Body; The weight and texture that is found in wines. You can describe a wineas light bodied or full bodied.
Bouquet; The intermingling of aromas that fine aged wines produce.
Breed; This is the term that is referred to as the bloodlines of the winegrapes. It is also used when noting the soil, the grapes and the techniquesthat are used to produce a good quality wine.
Chewy; This term is used to describe wines that have an unusual thicktexture to the wine. It feels like you need to chew the wine before you swallowit.
Clean; Fresh wines that seem to have no defects. This term also refers tothe aroma, appearance and flavor of the wines.
Complete; A mature wine that has a satisfying feel and a great aftertaste onthe palette.
Complex; This is where you will find a combination of flavors and aromaelements in various types of wines.
Corked, corky; The wines smell like cork rather than wine. This is becauseit was bottled in correctly.
Deep; A wine that has many layers of taste that slowly reveals itself.
Delicate; A light fragrance, body and flavor in the wine.
Distinctive; An elegant and refined character in the wine that sets itapart.
Dry; There is a little amount of sugar in the wine.
Earthy; You can detect this in certain wines. The smell and flavor is bitlike the earth or soil.
Elegant; A refined charactered wine. This is usually to describe a stylishand quality wine.
Extra dry; You can find this term on champagne bottles as they describe thewine.
Fat; A wine that is full of flavor and body.
Fine; A distinguished wine.
Flat; A wine that is lacking in liveliness. Also a wine with an insufficientamount of acid.
Flavor; Describing how the wine tastes.
Full; Describes a wine that has a rich body
Green; A tart wine that is made from unripe grapes. Also has a lack of fruitflavoring.
Grip; Firmness of structure and flavor.
Hard; Stiff and undeveloped.
Heady; High in alcohol and very full bodied.
Herbaceous; Aromas that are reminiscent of fresh grass or hay. It can alsobe a characteristic of some wines like Cabernets.
Honeyed; You will find a taste or smell that is like honey.
Intricate; The interweaving of subtle flavors and aromas within a wine.
Legs; The rivulets of wine that you see running down the sides of the glassafter swirling or sipping the wine.
Length; The lingering aftertaste that you get from a wine.
Light; This refers to wines that are light in alcohol, weight and texture.The feeling that you get in the mouth when you drink the wine is also describedas light.
Lively; A fresh wine that has vitality and crispness.
Mature; A fully developed, ready to drink wine.
Meaty; This is a wine that is firm in structure with a chewy, fruitytaste.
Mellow; A smooth, soft wine that has no harsh characteristics.
Noble; Wines that have a great balance and a harmonious expression. Thewines that are made from these types of grapes are considered as the finestwines in the world. You can find Merlot and Cabernet among this lot.
Nose; The smell that comes from the wine. You can get “good nose” or a “badnose”. A term used to detect faults in the wine.
Nutty; A nutlike aroma that develops in some wines.
Oak, oaky; This is the flavor and aroma that comes from aging the wine inoak casks or barrels. The taste is a mixture of vanilla, spices, smokiness andcloves.
Open; You can get the full character from the wine.
Oxidized; Flat, stale wines. Wines that have a sherry like and flavor andaroma. The state where wines becomes spoiled due to exposure to air.
Petillant; A light sparkle that can be seen in the wines.
Rich; A full, opulent wine with good body and aroma.
Ripe; Mature, fully ripe fruit.
Robust; A powerful, full bodied and heady wine.
Sharp; Biting or acidic.
Smoky; The aroma and flavor that a wine can get from being aged in an oakbarrel or casket.
Sparkling; This is used where there are bubbles that are detectedable in thewine.
Spicy; A wine that has the characteristics of spices like cloves, mint,pepper and cinnamon.
Structure; The way that a wine in made with regard to its proportions andcomposition.
Supple; A wine that is yielding in flavor and is ready to drink.
Sweet; This usually indicates the presence of grape sugar that have not beencompletely converted to alcohol.
Tannin; This is a natural substance that is found in the skins, stems andseeds of certain grapes. This substance is also a major component in thestructure of red wines.
Tart; A sharp wine that is acceptable to drink if it is not acidic.
Thin; Lacking in body and flavor.
Tired; Where a wine is past its peak flavor development. Old.
Vanilla; You will get this scent from the aging process of oak caskets.
Velvety; Smooth and very rich in texture.
Vigorous; A wine with a firm, strong body and flavor and a livelyfruitiness.
Vinegary; Having the smell of vinegar.
Watery; Thin and lacking in any flavor.
Weedy; You will get the flavors and aromas of grass or hay. This scentbecomes unpleasant only in excessive amounts.
Weighty; Forceful, strong, full bodied and powerful – terms to describewines.
Woody; The aroma that comes when wine has been over aged in barrels orcasks.
Yeasty; A bread smell that can be sometimes found in wines that have gonethrough a secondary fermentation process like champagne. Can be appealing if itis not excessive.
Young; Simple fine wines that have yet to become mature. Stillundeveloped.
Muna wa Wanjiru is a web administrator and has been researching andreporting on internet marketing for years. For more information on Wine Terms,visit his site at WINE TERMS