Acidity
one of the four basic tastes : produces a tart sensation especially
on the side of the tongue : also gives wine freshness, vivacity
and longevity. Insufficient acid results in lack of character
Adulterated
wine that has been falsified by adding illegal substances
After taste
taste left in the mouth after the wine has been drunk : often applied
to wines whose characteristics are not revealed immediately after
swallowing
Aggressive
wine with very strong acidity or astringency
Agreeable
unpretentious, well-balanced and pleasant to drink
Alcohol
organic compound occurring naturally in wine : an excess of alcohol
results in a burning sensation
Ampelo
relating to grapes : a wine tasting of grapes
Angular
sharp, tart, acid : usually applied to red wine
Animal
odours suggesting animals' bodies e.g. musk, wet fur,leather
Anise
spicy aroma of aniseed usually applied to white wine
A O C
abbreviation of Appellation d'origine controlee - a French term
for wine from a limited area assuring authenticity and quality
Aromatic
rich in aromas of various styles : aromatic grape varieties include
muscat and sauvignon
Astringency
applied to wines (especially red) rich in young tannins still undeveloped,
resulting in a harsh sensation
Attractive
pleasant, seductive wine, full of charm
Austere
wine in which acidity and tannins are dominant, often because the
wine is too young
Authentic
true to its origins i.e. appellation, grape variety and terroir
Balsamic
referring to smells reminiscent of sap and resinous wood - pine,
cedar, sandalwood etc : especially associated with red wines
Beaten
a wine tired after transportation
Beeswing
light deposits in suspension found in quality wines
Bitter
one of the four basic tastes : leaves an unpleasant and lingering
acidity in the mouth
Blanc
white wine made from either white grapes or the juice of black-skinned
grapes e.g. Champagne made from black Pinot Noir
Blanc de blancs
white wine made from only white grapes
Blanc de noirs
white wine made from black grapes
Blend
wine which is a result of blending
Blending wine
wine having qualities that make it suitable for mixing with other
wines to improve the latter
Blurred
wine which is turbid or hazy
Botrytis
a parasitic fungus that facilitates the production of sugars essential
for sweet wines, also known as noble rot : grey rot results in the
spoilage of grapes and may lead to the loss of a crop
Botrytized
term applied to a crop of grapes affected by botrytis (see above)
Bouquet
tertiary aromas which develop during the maturing and ageing of
wines
Brilliant
a clear wine of sparkling clarity due to good acidity : with ageing
the acidity diminishes and the wine becomes worn out and dull
Broken
spoilage resulting in change of colour, often due to a rapid change
in temperature
Brutish
common, boorish, crude wine
Burnt wood
odour reminiscent of burnt wood or toast, often due to storage in
wooden casks that were burnt during manufacture
Caressing
round, fine, delicate, smooth S like a caress
Caudalie
a unit equal to one second used to define aromatic persistence when
wine tasting
Chambrer
(from the French) to bring red wine to room temperature i.e. maximum
18 C. Higher than 20 C is unacceptable
Chaptalization
addition of sugar to the must before fermentation to increase the
alcohol level
Character
having the distinctive qualities of its particular genre
Characterless
dull, insipid and lacking in character
Charming
pleasant, agreeable and elegant wine
Clear
a limpid transparent wine
Cleared
wine that has been separated from its deposit (see decant) to become
brilliant and clear
Closed
wine being drunk too young
Coarse
tannic, heavy, common wine lacking elegance but not to be confused
with a rustic wine which may be lacking in subtlety but is basically
clean and sound
Colourless
white wine with little colour
Complete
well-balanced in terms of aroma, taste and structure
Complex
wine in which the aroma and taste sensations are various, complex
and subtle
Concentrated
wine in which the aromas are perceived as intense
Consistant
a well-balanced wine which is firm and intense
Court
(from the French) wine in which the taste fades rapidly
Cremant
fizzy wine with only a slight froth (less fizzy than Champagne)
Dark
wine which is deep coloured, almost black, and with little brilliance
Decanting
process of separating wine from the deposit which has formed during
bottle ageing. Wine is poured from its bottle with a light source
(candle or bulb) under the neck of the bottle enabling the clarity
of the wine to be clearly observed. The wine poured off into a carafe
is kept free of any deposit. It is preferable to taste the wine
before decanting to ensure that the wine is of a quality to warrant
decanting.
Decoloured
wine that has lost its colour with age
Delicate
subtle, fine and harmonious wine : can also be applied to a quality
wine. Older delicate wines need to be handled with care
Developed
a wine which has been modified, for better or worse, and developed
new characteristics
Distinguished
high quality, elegant wine
Dosage
adding liqueur to a sparkling wine to establish a type - brut, dry,
medium etc
Dry
wine with no sweetness
Dull
wine which has lost its limpidity and transparency
Feminine
graceful and elegant but with little body : opposite to a virile
wine which has not yet developed its potential
Feverish
wine slightly affected by acescence or volatility
Fiery
containing high level of alcohol resulting in a burning sensation
Filiform
wine with little contrast - fine and delicate but no real,body or
substance
Fine
wine of overall high quality
Flabby
thin wine lacking acidity
Flaccid
flabby wine containing an excessive amount of sugar at the expense
of acidity
Flat
wine of little acidity and lacking in taste that fills the mouth
Flavoursome
wine which gives pleasure in the mouth
Floral
wine with the aroma of flowers
Fortified
term applied to wine whose alcoholic content has been increased
by the addition of grape spirit e.g. sherry, port, muscat
Foxy
with characteristics of strong smelling furry animals, especially
the fox. A foxy odour is typical of some hybrid grape varieties
and, though unpleasant if too pronounced, can be a sign of quality
e.g. in some Champagnes
Fragrant
wine rich in aromas and perfumes
Fresh
young wine without excess acidity producing a refreshingly pleasant
sensation in the nose and mouth
Fruity
reminiscent of the odours and tastes of grapes and other fruits
Full
well-balanced, meaty wine
Full-bodied
dense and generous wine, rich in the mouth
Glint
point of light reflected in the colour of the wine (may help determine
the age of wine) e.g. green glints in a white wine ; orange glints
in a red wine
Glistening
brilliant, luminous and seductive wine
Gold
yellowy colour of wine similar to the precious metal ; sometimes
with nuances of grey or green
Graisse
bacterial spoilage resulting in an oily appearance
Great
wine whose qualities are well above average
Green
very acid white wine made, intentionally or unintentionally, from
under-ripe grapes
Mache
(from the French) without vivacity, tired, at the end of its life
Maderized
term used for white wine which after oxidation (exposure to air)
or excessive ageing takes on the taste and odour of Madiera, and
becomes amber or bronze in colour
Marked
wine with an excess of one or more elements
Meaty
a dense, smooth wine with plenty of body
Mellow
often a sweet white wine, but sometimes red , rich in sugar and
unctuous
Melted
wine in which all the constitutive elements are homogeneous and
harmonious
Mercaptan
unpleasant fetid odour reminiscant of rotten eggs
Milky
hazy wine with the appearance of milk
Mineral
range of odours reminiscent of minerals - chalk, sandstone, tufa
Mousseux
fizzy white wine
Moustillant
wine which is very slightly fizzy due to continuing fermentation
Muet
wine with no body
Mushiness
unpleasant odour usually caused by using spoiled grapes
Musky
wine with aroma of musk
Must
fresh grape juice not yet fermented
Mute
wine made from must that has been sterilized to retain part of its
sugar, which is not converted into alcohol e..g. port, pineau des
Charentes
Salmon
light orange pink colour applied to rose wine
Sebacious
aromas related to tallow or sweat
Seductive
agreeable wine, full of charm
Sensual
wine which gives pleasure, aimiable and silky-smooth
Severe
hard wine with very little pleasantness when tasted ; often found
in potentially great wines when still very young
Shallow
a thin wine with little sensation in the mouth
Shimmering
term applied to wine presenting changing aspects of light - like
shimmering silk
Silky
wine giving elegant and delicate sensations reminiscent of silk
Sincere
sound, clean wine
Singed
an oxydized white wine that has taken on an amber tone. Also odour
reminiscent of burning
Sirupy
wine with the consistancy of sirup e.g. Sauternes
Sitting
wine (usually white) which clings bitingly to the palate due to
its acid and stringent character
Skimpy
wine with insufficient characteristics
Slightly gassy
see perlant
Slim
weak in taste
Smoked
reminiscent of the pleasant odours of smoked foods
Soil
the earth in which vines grow ; also known by the French term terroir.
Soils contain innate characteristics which, together with grape
variety and climate, affect the taste of a wine
Solid
a full-bodied wine with good tannin and acid structure
Sound
wine of all round quality and no real defects
Sparkling
fizzy wine produced by traditional methods i.e. natural dissolving
of carbon dioxide caused by alcoholic fermentation
Spicy
aromas or flavours associated with spices : also typical of certain
grape varieties e.g. gewurztraminer
Spirited
young wine of potential character in which the acidity has not yet
stabilized and developed
Stained
white wine made from grapes with coloured skins which give a very
light pink tint
Stale
wine which has lost its bouquet : insipid and flat due to oxidation
(contact with air)
Still
non-effervescent wine
Strong
wine rich in alcohol
Structure
overall constitution of a wine
Suave
perfectly balanced wine, pleasant, harmonious and mellow : usually
applied to sweet wines
Subtle
a fine, delicate wine
Sugary
wine rich in sugar and smelling of honey
Sulphurous
chemical odour reminiscent of sulphur
Sumptuous
rich wine of uncommonly good character and distinction : complex
wine pleasing in the nose and mouth
Supple
wine which has mellow and rounded characteristics when mature
Sustained
wine which is rich in colour, concentrated in flavour
Tannin
substance found in the skin and pips of grapes, and in their stems
; also in oak casks. Generally present in red wines
Tart
wine containing excessive acid usually due to under-ripe grapes
Tear
traces of wine left on the inside of the glass, found in wines rich
in glycerol
Tenacity
wine which retains its taste sensations a long time after being
swallowed
Terroir
see soil
Thick
wine which is not transluscent and tastes heavy
Thin
lacking body, watery : often applied to red wines past their prime
Tired
wine which has suffered, usually due to handling or transportation
Tuile
reddish brown or yellowish tint, usually the sign of a good red
wine ageing well
Turbid
hazy and lacking in limpidity due to suspended particles in the
wine. Normal during fermentation but not a good sign once the wine
is in the bottle
Typical
applied to a wine distinctive of its grape variety, terroir and
micro-climate
