| Acetic |
Describes a sour, vinegary odour referred to as volatile
acidity, too much of which will make the wine undrinkable. |
| Acid |
The sharp, tart effect of the green fruit of young wine on
both the nose and tongue. |
| Aroma |
The perfume of fresh fruit. It diminishes with fermentation
and disappears with age to be replaced by the "bouquet." |
| Astringent |
The rough, puckery taste sensation caused by an excess of
tannin in especially young red wines. It diminishes with age in
the bottle. |
| Baked |
Quality of red wine made in a very hot climate from very ripe
grapes. |
| Balanced |
Having all natural elements in good harmony. |
| Beery |
The odour of stale beer from a white wine that is over the
hill -- usually in old Moselles. |
| Big |
Full of body and flavour, high degree of alcohol, colour, and
acidity. |
| Bitter |
Self-descriptive. Sign of ill-health caused by inferior
treatment such as excessive stalks during crushing or even metal
contamination. |
| Black currants |
The slight smell and taste of black currants often found in
Bordeaux wines. |
| Body |
The weight and substance of the wine in the mouth; actually a
degree of viscosity largely dependent on the percentage of alcohol
and sugar content. |
| Bouquet |
The fragrance a mature wine gives off once it is opened. It
develops the two aspects of the olfactory sensations -- aroma and
bouquet. |
| Breed |
Having the character, type, and qualities of its origin. |
| Brilliant |
Bright and sparkling in appearance so that one can see the
light through the wine. Opposite of dull and cloudy. |
| Broad |
Full-bodied but lacking in acidity and therefore also lacking
in finesse. |
| Character |
Positive and distinctive taste characteristics giving
definition to a wine. |
| Clean |
A well-constructed wine with no offensive smells or tastes. |
| Clear |
Transparent and luminous appearance. Any sediment rests on the
bottom of the bottle. |
| Cloudy |
Unsound condition of hazy, dull-looking wine. Not to be
confused with the condition of a recently shaken old wine whose
deposit hasn't yet settled. |
| Cloying |
Too much sweetness and too little acidity. |
| Coarse |
Rough texture; little breed or elegance. |
| Common |
Adequate but quite ordinary. |
| Corky |
Disagreeable odour and flat taste of rotten cork due to a
defective cork in the bottle. |
| Depth |
Rich, lasting flavour. |
| Dry |
Completely lacking sweetness. Should not be confused with
bitterness or sourness. |
| Dull |
See Cloudy. |
| Earthy |
What the French call Goût de terroir. The peculiar taste that
the soil of certain vineyards gives to their wine. Disagreeable
when too noticeable. |
| Elegant |
Well balanced, with finesse and breed. |
| Fat |
Full-bodied but flabby, which in white wines is often due to
too much residual sugar. When applied to red wines, it means
softness and maturity. |
| Finesse |
The breed and class that distinguish a great wine. |
| Finish |
The taste that the wine leaves at the end, either pleasant or
unpleasant. |
| Flabby |
Too soft, almost limp, without structure. |
| Flowery |
The flowerlike bouquet that is as appealing to the nose as the
fragrance of blossoms, as for example, in a fine Moselle. |
| Foxy |
A pronounced flavour found in wines made from native American
grapes; the same smell as in grape jelly. |
| Fruity |
The aroma and flavour of fresh grapes found in fine young
wines. It diminishes with age. |
| Full |
Having body and colour, often applied to wines that are high
in alcohol, sugar, and extracts. |
| Geranium |
Smelling of geraniums, an indication that the wine is faulty. |
| Grapy |
The strong flavour that certain grape varieties, such as the
Muscat, impart to certain wines. |
| Green |
Harsh and unripe with an unbalanced acidity that causes
disagreeable odour and a raw taste. |
| Hard |
Tannic without softness or charm. It can mellow with age. |
| Harsh |
Excessively hard and astringent. It can become softer with
age. |
| Insipid |
Lacking in character and acidity; dull. |
| Light |
Lacking in body, colour, or alcohol, but pleasant and
agreeable. |
| Lively |
Usually young and fruity acidity and a little carbon dioxide. |
| Long |
Leaving a persistent flavour that lingers in the mouth, Sign
of quality. |
| Luscious |
Juicy and soft, filling the mouth without a trace of dry
aftertaste. Usually attributed to sweet wine well balanced with
acidity. |
| Maderized |
Flat, oxidized smell and taste reminiscent of Madeira. Term is
applied to wines that have passed their prime and have acquired a
brown tinge. |
| Mellow |
Softened with proper age. |
| Metallic |
The unpleasantly bitter taste a white wine can acquire from
improper treatment that did not eliminate traces of the copper
that was used to spray the vines. |
| Musty |
Disagreeable odour and stale flavour caused by storage in
dirty casks of cellars; mouldy. |
| Noble |
Superior and distinguished; not only possessing the right
credentials but also having an impressive stature of its own. |
| Oxidized |
Having lost its freshness cause by contact with air. |
| Peppery |
The aromatic smell of certain young red wines from hot
climates. |
| Pétillant |
Effervescent with an natural light sparkle. |
| Piquant |
Dry and crispy acid, prickling the palate with its tartness. |
| Powerful |
Usually applied to robust red wines of great substance, such
as a Châteauneauf-du-Pape, or to white wines with full, assertive
bouquet, such as a big white Burgundy. |
| Ripe |
Full; tasting of ripe fruit, without a trace of greenness. |
| Rounded |
Well balanced and complete. |
| Séve |
The sap of a great wine; the concentrated aromatic savour of a
luscious and ripe sweet white wine of inherent quality. |
| Sharp |
Excessive acidity, a defect usually found in white wines. |
| Short |
Leaving no flavour in the mouth after the initial impact. |
| Smoky |
Self-descriptive for the particular bouquet of certain Loire
wine, such as Pouilly-Fumé, made from the Sauvignon grape. |
| Smooth |
Of a silky texture that leaves no gritty, rough sensation on
the palate. |
| Soft |
Suggest a mellow wine, usually low in acidity, and tannin. |
| Sound |
Healthy, well balanced, clean-tasting. |
| Sour |
Like vinegar; wine that is spoiled and unfit to drink. |
| Spicy |
Definite aroma and flavour of spice arising from certain grape
varieties (Gewürztraminer). The aroma is richer and more
pronounced than what we call "fruity" |
| Spritzig |
A pleasant, lively acidity and effervescence noticeable only
to the tongue and not to the eye and mostly found in young wines. |
| Sulphury |
Disagreeable odour reminiscent of rotten eggs. If the smell
does not disappear after the wine is poured, it is an indication
that the wine is faulty. |
| Sweet |
Having a high content of residual sugar either from the grape
itself or as the product of arrested fermentation. |
| Tannic |
The mouth-puckering taste of young red wines particularly from
Bordeaux. Too much tannin makes the wine hard and unyielding but
also preserves it longer. Aging in the bottle diminishes the
tannin and softens the wine. |
| Tart |
Sharp, with excessive acidity and tannin. In the case of a
young red wine, this may be an element necessary for its
development. |
| Thin |
Lacking body and alcohol. It is too watery to be called light,
and will not improve with age. |
| Velvety |
A mellow red wine and a smooth, silky texture that will leave
no acidity on the palate. |
| Vigorous |
Healthy, lively, firm, and youthful. Opposite of insipid and
flabby. |
| Watery |
Thin and small without body or character. |
| Woody |
Odour and flavour of oak due to long storage in the cask.
Often found in Spanish and Australian wines. |
| Yeasty |
Smelling of yeast in fresh bread. Sign that the
wine is undergoing a second fermentation, possibly because it was
bottled too early, and is therefore faulty. |
