Vinegary taste or smell that develops when a wine is overexposed to air.
Acidity
All wines naturally contain acids, which should be in proper balance with fruit and other components. Sufficient acidity gives liveliness and crispness and is critical for wines to age.
Aftertaste
The flavor impression the wine leaves after it is swallowed. Also referred to as the "finish" of a wine. Fine wines have a lingering finish, or aftertaste.
Aroma
The smell of a wine, especially young wines.
Aromatic
A term for wines with pronounced aroma, particularly those redolent of herbs or spices.
Astringent
The "puckerish" quality of high tannin content, which has the effect of drying out the mouth. Many young red wines are astringent because of tannin.
Austere
Somewhat hard, with restrained fruit and character.
Harmony among the wine's components -- fruit, acidity, tannins, alcohol; a well-balanced wine possesses the various elements in proper proportion to one another.
Big
Powerful in aroma and flavor; full-bodied.
Bitter
Usually considered a fault in but characteristic of such wines as Amarone and certain other Italian reds.
Body
The weight and texture of a wine; it may be light-bodied or full-bodied. Often refers to alcohol content.
Botrytis cinerea
A mold that attacks certain grapes, producing honeyed sweet wines like Sauternes and late-harvest Rieslings.
Bouquet
The complex of aromas that develops with age in fine wines; young wines have aroma, not bouquet.
Breed
Similar to good bloodlines and handling, as in racehorses; the result of soil, grapes and vinification techniques that combine to produce depth and distinctive character in a wine.
Brix
Term used to measure the sugar content of grapes, grape juice (must) or wine. Grapes are generally harvested at 20 to 25 Brix, resulting in alcohol after fermentation of 11.5 to 14 percent.
Brut
Term for dry Champagne or sparkling wine.
Buttery
Descriptor for rich flavor and smoothness of texture, somewhat akin to the oiliness and flavor of butter. More often refers to oak-aged white wines than reds; many Chardonnays and white Burgundies are said to have buttery aromas and flavors.
Wines with unusual thickness of texture or tannins that one almost "chews" before swallowing.
Clean
Fresh, with no discernible defects; refers to aroma, appearance and flavor.
Closed
Young, undeveloped wines that do not readily reveal their character are said to be closed. Typical of young Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as other big red wines.
Coarse
Rude or harsh in flavor; clumsy or crude.
Complete
Mature, with good follow-through on the palate, satisfying mouth-feel and firm aftertaste.
Complex
Multifaceted aroma and/or flavor. Most wines considered great exhibit a combination of flavor and aroma elements.
Cooked
Heavy, pruney flavor; also said of wines from very hot growing regions or wines that are overripe.
Corked, corky
Smelling of cork rather than wine; due to a faulty cork.
Crisp
Fresh, brisk character, usually with high acidity.
Distinctive balance; fineness; elegance and flair.
Finish
Aftertaste, or final impression the wine leaves; it can have a long finish or a short one (not desirable).
Firm
Taut balance of elements; tightly knit structure; also distinct flavor.
Flat
Dull, lacking in liveliness; wine without sufficient acid.
Flavor
How the wine tastes.
Fleshy
Fatness of fruit; big, ripe.
Flinty
Dry, mineral character that comes from certain soils, mostly limestone, in which the wine was grown; typical of French Chablis and Loire Valley Sauvignon Blancs (Sancerre).
Flowery
Aroma suggestive of flowers.
Forward
Developed ahead of its peers; also, when the fruit is prominent, it is said to be forward.
Foxy
The "grapey" flavors of wines made from native American grapes, Vitis labrusca.
Fruity
Aroma and/or flavor of grapes; most common to young, light wines but refers also to such fruit flavors in wine as apple, black currant, cherry, citrus, pear, peach, raspberry, or strawberry; descriptive of wines in which the fruit is dominant.
The viscous rivulets that run down the side of the glass after swirling or sipping, a mingling of glycerin and alcohol.
Length
Lingering aftertaste.
Light
Refers to wines light in alcohol but also to texture and weight, how the wine feels in the mouth. Lightness is appropriate in some wines, a defect in others.
Lively
Crisp, fresh, having vitality.
Long
Fine wines should have a long finish, or aftertaste; see Length.
Luscious
Rich, opulent, and smooth; most often said of sweet wines but also intensely fruity ones.
Great; of perfect balance and harmonious expression. The so-called "noble" grapes are those that produce the world's finest wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Riesling (some would also include Syrah, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese).
Nose
The smell of the wine; it may have a "good nose" or an "off-nose," meaning defective odors.
Nutty
Nutlike aromas that develop in certain wines, such as sherries or old white wines.
Aroma and flavor that derive from aging in oak casks or barrels. Characterized by smokiness, vanilla, clove or other spices. Should not be overly pronounced.
Off-dry
Not quite dry, a perception of sweetness too faint to call the wine sweet.
Off-flavors
(also off-aromas or off-nose)
Not quite right; flavors or odors that are not correct for a particular type of wine; opposite of clean; defective.
Open
Revealing full character.
Oxidized
Flat, stale or sherrylike aroma and flavor; spoiled as the result of overexposure to air.
Refers to finish, or aftertaste, when it ends abruptly.
Silky
Smooth, sinuous texture and finish.
Simple
Opposite of complex; straightforward.
Smoky
Aroma and flavor sometimes associated with oak aging.
Soft
May refer to soft, gentle fruit in delicate wines, or to lack of acidity in wines without proper structure; used on a label occasionally to indicate low alcohol.
Solid
Sound, well structured, firm.
Sour
Sharply acidic or vinegary
Sparkling
Wines with bubbles created by trapped carbon dioxide gas, either natural or injected.
Spicy
Having the character or aroma of spices such as clove, mint, cinnamon, or pepper.
Spritzy
Slight prickle of carbon dioxide, common to some very young wines; frizzante in Italy.
Steely
Firmly structured; taut balance tending toward high acidity.
Stiff
Unyielding, closed; dumb.
Strong
Robust, powerful, big.
Structure
The way a wine is built; its composition and proportions.
Stuffing
Big, flavorful, full-bodied wines are said to have "stuffing."
Sturdy
Bold, vigorous flavor; full-bodied; robust.
Sulphur, SO2
An anti-oxidant used in making most wines; the fermentation process creates minute natural amounts.
Supple
Yielding in flavor; a wine that is readily accessible for current drinking.
Sweet
Usually indicates the presence of residual sugar, retained when grape sugar is not completely converted to alcohol. Even dry wines, however, may have an aroma of sweetness, the combination of intense fruit or ripeness. Considered a flaw if not properly balanced with acidity.
A natural component found to varying degrees in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes; most prominent in red wines, where it creates a dry, puckering sensation in young reds of concentrated extract; mellows with aging and drops out of the wine to form sediment; a major component in the structure of red wines.
