Over the next several weeks I will be taking you on a “wine journey,” imparting some elemental information about wine to give you a deeper understanding of the characteristics of your favorites or help you learn to tease out some of the subtleties of new wines that may result in becoming a new treasured accompaniment to your next dinner.  Whatever level of understanding you are at or hope to accomplish, join me as we delve into some wine basics.  Here is a list of tasting terms that may help along the way:

Acetic:  acetic acidity is an attribute of all wines, no matter how well made.  It is what gives the wine the vinegary smell.  But if there is excessive acetic acidity the wine is considered to be flawed.

Acidic:  moderate acidity lends itself to a fresh and lively taste, but in excess wine can become tart and sour.

Acidity:  while some acidity in wine is a part of its enjoyment, helping to preserve its freshness and keep it lively, too much acidity will mask the flavor and constrict its texture.

Aeration:  swirling wine or letting it “breathe” after a bottle has been opened is aeration.  Typically aeration will soften tannic wines, but sometimes is a detriment to aged versions.

Aftertaste:  the taste left in the mouth after wine is swallowed, it may also be called length or finish.  The longer the aftertaste lingers, the better the wine is said to be.

Aggressive:  a term applied to highly acidic wines or wines with sharp tannins.

Alcoholic:  used to describe a wine whose alcohol content doesn’t match its body and weight.  Alcoholic quality is generally noticeable in aroma and aftertaste, making the wine heavy in smell or hot in the throat as it is swallowed.

Angular:  wines which lack roundness and depth.

Appearance:  refers to a wine’s clarity, not to its color.

Aroma:  the smell of a young, unevolved wine that has not aged enough to develop complex and nuanced smells.

Astringent:  this term applies to wines that are harsh and coarse to taste, generally in young wines because the tannins have not had enough time to develop.  Astringency is not necessarily a bad or good quality.

Austere:  generally an austere wine is one that lacks richness, although this does not make in necessarily terrible to drink.

Awkward:  poorly structured wines that are unbalanced.

Backbone:  wine that is full-bodied and balanced in acidity.

Backward:  wine that is either not ready to drink, is young and unevolved, or hasn’t (or won’t) release its “personality.”

Balance:  wine in which the concentration of fruit, tannins, and acidity are in complete harmony.  This is one of the most desired traits in a wine because it defines a symmetrical wine that will age nicely.

Barnyard:  an unclean aroma wine takes on as a result of unclean barrels or dirty winemaking facilities.

Big:  full-bodied wine with a concentrated feel on the palate.

Bite:  a marked degree of acidity or tannin.

Bitter:  one of the four basic tastes, sometimes due to the grape but other times a result of tannins.  Dominant bitterness is considered a flaw, but in sweet wines may complement the flavor.

Blunt:  strong in flavor but lacking aroma and palatable taste.

Body:  the weight and fullness of a wine sensed as it crosses the palate, often a result of high alcohol.

Bouquet:  developed complexity of the young aroma of wine.

Brawny:  a full-bodied wine with plenty of flavor, although this is not always a desired quality.

Briary:  a wine that is briary is more aggressive and spicy, often a characteristic of Zinfandels from California.

Brilliant:  a wine that is does not contain a hazy or cloudiness in its color.

Brooding:  dark-colored wines with no intense flavor.

Browning:  a term given to fully mature wines that are not likely to get better.

Burnt:  wines with a smoky or singed edge.  Can also be used to describe overripe grapes.

Buttery:  the smell of melted butter or toasty oak, often associated with Chardonnays.

Chewy:  the dense, viscous texture generally attributed to wines with higher alcohol levels.

Clean:  fresh-feeling on the palate with no off-taste detected.  This term does not necessarily refer to good quality (although it can).

Cloudiness:  lack of clarity to the eye.  This is only an undesired trait in younger wines, indicating spoilage or protein instability.  In older wines it may simply be sediment.

Coarse:  refers to texture, often due to excessive tannins or oak.

Complexity:  wines with a variety of subtle scents and flavors, although this is a very subjective term in wine tasting.

Concentrated:  concentrated flavors denotes wine that has a depth and richness of fruit.

Corked:  corked wine has taken on the smell of the cork rather than the smell of the grape from which the wine was made.  It is often musty, and sometimes smells like moldy newspaper.

Creamy:  refers to the creamy texture of wine as it sits on the palate.

Crisp:  generally applied to wines that are higher in acidity.

Decadent:  wines loaded with extravagant and sumptuous layers of fruit and a huge bouquet.

Decanting:  process of slowly and carefully pouring wine in order to separate the sediment from a wine before drinking.

Deep:  synonymous to concentrated, wine that is deep is rich and mouth-filling.

Delicate:  light, subtle wines lacking a robust character, typically used in describing white wines that aer less heavy than their red counterparts.

Dense:  a wine with concentrated aromas, a very desirable trait of young wines.

Depth:  used to describe the complexity and concentration of flavors in a wine.

Diffuse:  wines that smell and taste unstructured and unfocused.  This often occurs, for example, when red wines are served at warmer temperatures than they should be.

Dirty:  any off-putting smells that occur in a poorly made wine.

Dry:  wines that have no appreciable taste of sugar.

Dumb:  also closed, although in a slightly irreverent manner.  Closed wines may simply need time to improve, but dumb wines will likely never get better.

Earthy:  a term used to describe the aroma of fresh, clean soil, although it can be used in a negative manner as well.

Elegant:  light, graceful, balanced wines.  Typically used to describe white wines but red wines can also be elegant.

End:  similar to finish, the end is the remaining flavors on your palate after you have already swallowed.

Exuberant:  wine that seems too intensely vigorous.

Fat:  mature wines that are rich and concentrated with low or average acidity.  Usually a positive trait, but can sometimes become negative.

Finish:  the flavors that linger in the mouth after wine is tasted.

Firm:  tannic and structured.

Flabby:  a wine that is too fat lacks structure and feels heavy.

Fleshy:  a synonym for chewy, wine that has a lot of body likely due to high alcohol content.

Flinty:  a descriptor for extremely dry white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc.

Floral:  a floral scent associated with some wines.

Focused:  a focused wine is one whose bouquet and flavor are precise and aligned rather than hazy and diffuse.

Fresh:  a welcome trait in wines both young and old.  Wines are fresh when they are cleanly made and lively.

Fruity:  Good wines are nearly always fruity, meaning there is enough concentration of fruit that the grape can be detected.  Fruity, however, is not enough of a quality to make a good wine—there must be more factors available to the taste and smell.

Grassy:  typically a pleasant characteristic, usually associated with Sauvignon Blanc, although if the aroma is pungent it is displeasing.

Green:  wines made from unripened grapes.

Grip:  firmness of texture resulting from the wine’s tannins.

Hard:  astringent tannins or high acidity are often associated with hard wines, lending to an abrasive taste.  Not necessarily a bad quality, although wines should never be harsh.

Harmonious:  well-balanced wines with no obtrusive or lacking components.

Heady:  high in alcohol.

Hearty:  full, warm quality of red wines with high alcohol content

Hedonistic:  wine with obvious enjoyment factors that aren’t subtle in their appeal to all the senses–aromatic, perfect texture, visually and tastefully appealing, with an exceptional finish.

Herbaceous:  specific herbal smells that the wine imparts, such as oregano, basil, rosemary, fennel, thyme, or even lavender.

Hollow:  synonymous with shallow, shallow wines lack depth and concentration.

Hot:  wine that is too high in alcohol and therefore causes a burning sensation when swallowed.  The burn could be caused by the lacking presence of fruit depth.

Intensity:  another of the most desirable traits of a quality wine, it refers to balanced, vibrant, aromatic, layered, and texturally compelling wines.  Intensity should add to the character of the wine rather than overpowering it.

Leafy:  similar to herbaceous but in relation to leaves rather than herbs.  If the flavor is too leafy, wine will typically be referred to as green or vegetal.

Legs:  the droplets that form when wine is swirled.

Lift:  the refreshing sensation one experiences when drinking wine with good acidity.

Lively:  usually a young wine with good acidity.  Lively wines serve well to quench one’s thirst.

Long:  yet another desirable trait of fine wines.  Long (in the mouth) in finish, the sensation of the wine is present long after it has been swallowed.

Lush:  velvety, rich, fruity concentrated wines.  Often fat but never astringent or hard.

Malic:  the green apple-like flavor in some young wines, which will often diminish as the wine matures.

Meaty:  synonymous with chewy and/or fleshy.

Mouth-filling:  rich, concentrated wines filled with fruit extract and high in alcohol tend to texturally fill the mouth.  Mouth-filling wines are also said to be chewy, fleshy, and/or fat.

Musty:  wines that are musty have been aged in dirty barrels or have a bad cork that causes the wine’s character to be flawed.

Nose:  the general aroma of a wine sensed through the taster’s nose.

Oaky:  a toasty, vanilla flavor and smell to wines that have been aged in oak barrels, especially newer barrels.

Overripe:  a characteristic trait of wines whose grapes were left on the vine too long before harvesting.  The resulting wines are heavy and have lost their acidity.

Oxidized:  wines that have too much contact with air during the aging process lose their freshness and take on a stale smell and taste.

Peppery:  black or white pungent flavor of pepper in a wine.

Perfumed:  usually associated with fragrant, aromatic white wines.

Polished:  the result of ripe and refined tannins, polished wines are soft, silky, elegant, and round.

Precocious:  refers to wines that mature quickly, but also to wines that evolve gracefully over a long period of time although taste as though they are aging quickly because they retain some of their early qualities.

Rich:  wines with a high fruit intensity.

Robust:  full-bodied, intense, and vigorous.  Sometimes too much so.

Round:  desirable trait of fully mature wines that have lost their astringent tannins.

Rustic:  wines that are made by old-fashioned methods.  This can be positive in some wines which require aging, although negative quality in young wines that should be fresh and fruity but are instead earthy.

Savory:  denotes wine that is round, flavorful, and interesting.

Shallow:  antonym to deep wines, a shallow wine lacks concentration and appears to be watery or diluted.

Sharp:  bitter and unpleasant with hard edges.

Silky:  synonym for velvety or lush.

Simple:  any wine that lacks complexity beyond its natural fruit flavor.

Smoky:  a smoky or roasted quality is typically caused from the soil or from the barrel used to age the wine.

Soft:  round and fruity wines that are low in acidity and lack aggressive, hard tannins.

Spicy:  any pungent aromas of pepper, cinnamon, and other spices.

Stale:  often oxidized wines lack balance of acidity and freshness are referred to as stale.

Structure:  the interaction of many elements of wine–such as acid, tannins, alcohol, and body–as it relates to the wine’s texture and mouthfeel.

Subtle:  delicate wines or wines with understated flavors.  This is generally a positive attribute.

Supple:  a wine that is soft, lush, velvety.  A desirable trait because it typically refers to wines that are harmonious in many, if not all, manners.

Tannic:  tannins extracted from the skin of the grape give wine firmness.  Tannins typically fade as wine ages, so wines that are highly tannic are usually young and not ready for drinking.

Tart:  sharp acidity in a wine that is not yet ripe.

Thick:  wines low in acidity, concentrated, and rich are considered to be thick.

Thin:  synonymous with shallow, thin wines lack body and are watery and diluted.

Tired:  simply refers to a wine that is lackluster in its qualities.

Toasty:  the same quality as smoky or roasted wines which have been aged in barrels that are charred on the inside.

Tobacco:  evident in some red wines, the smell of tobacco is a positive characteristic.

Vegetal:  an undesirable characteristic of wines that are usually made from unripened grapes, although a subtle vegetal quality may sometimes add complexity if it is more of a vegetable garden aroma.

Viscous:  concentrated, almost thick wines with a rich, smooth taste.

Volatile:  vinegary smell associated with an excessive amount of acetic bacteria.

Woody:  overly oaky flavor that has passed the point of a nice bouquet and taste in a wine, usually masking the fruity qualities due to aging for too long in an oak barrel.

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