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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.   Top                     Balance 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.   Top                     Chewy 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.   Top                     Deep Having layers of persistent flavor that gradually unfold with aeration.     Delicate Light fragrance, flavor, and body.     Developed Mature. A well-developed wine is more drinkable than an undeveloped one.     Distinctive Elegant, refined character that sets the wine apart on its own.     Dry Opposite of sweet; somewhat subjective in that tasters may perceive sweetness to varying degree.     Dull Lacking liveliness and proper acidity; uninteresting.     Dumb Not revealing flavor or aroma; closed; typical of wines that are too young or too cold.   Top                     Earthy Smell or flavor reminiscent of earth. A certain earthiness can be appealing; too much makes the wine coarse.     Elegant Refined character, distinguished quality, stylish, not heavy.     Extra Dry A term used on Champagne labels to indicate not-quite-dry; not as dry as Brut.       Top                     Fat Full of body and flavor; fleshy.     Fine Distinguished.     Finesse 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.     Full-bodied Full proportion of flavor and alcohol; big, fat.   Top                     Green A wine made from unripe grapes that is tart and lacking fruit flavor.     Grip Firmness of flavor and structure.   Top                     Hard Stiff, with pronounced tannins; undeveloped.     Harmonious All elements -- fruit, acid, tannin -- in perfect balance     Harsh Rough, biting character from excessive tannin or acid.     Heady High in alcohol, very full-bodied   Top