Listed below is a glossary of general wine terms. Some of these wine terms are language and/or country specific.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z
A
ABC
Anything but Chardonnay or anything but Cabernet
ABV
Alcohol by volume
Acescence
vinegary smell and tangy taste
Aftertaste
taste that's left on the mouth after swallowing, sometimes referred to as Finish or Length
AOC
Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, laws that specify and
delimit the geography from which a particular wine may originate and
methods by which it may be made
Appellation
legally drawn and protected location were grapes for a wine are grown
Aperitif
wine that may be drunk alone or drunk before a meal to stimulate one's appetite
Aroma
the smell or the 'nose' of the wine
B
Balance
the harmony of sweetness, acidity, alcohol and tannins in wine
Balthazar
a bottle with 12 liters of wine
Barrique
a 225-liter oak barrel to store wine
Basic
an entry level wine that is low cost
Baumé
measurement of the sugar concentration in wine
Blanc de blanc
white wine made from white grapes
Blanc de Noir
white wine made from red grapes
Blind Tasting
tasting and evaluating wine without knowing what it is
BOB
buyer's own brand
Bodega
Spanish for wine cellar
Body
the concentration,weight and feel of the wine in the mouth
Botrytis
fungus found in grapes that causes them to overripe and
wrinkle or become raisin-like which increases the concentration of
sugar and acidity in wine
Bouquet
layers of smell or aroma
Brawny
red wines with high alcohol and tannin levels; also a term used to describe a woody flavor
Breathing
allowing wine to come in contact with air to open up its flavor
Brut
French for dry
Buttery
a rich and creamy taste of Chardonnay
C
Carbonic Maceration
process of fermenting uncrushed grapes in a close vat containing Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Cellar Door
a place in the winery where one can purchase wine; often have a wine tasting area
Champagne Flute
a glassware with a long stem with a tall and narrow bowl
Chaptalization
the process of adding sugar into the wine during fermentation to increase the alcohol level of the wine
Cleanskin
a wine bottled without a label
Closed
wine that is still young and has little aroma; wine that has yet to develop
Corked
the wet cardboard or moldy smell when opening a wine bottle
Côte
French for slope or hillside
Cream
a fortified sweet wine of not less than 5 baumé
Crisp
fresh and lively characteristic of wine usually used to describe champagnes
Cru
refers to a vineyard; French word meaning growth
Crusting
when deposits develop in the bottle of fortified wines
Cuvée
French for vat or tank for wine
Cuverie
building where wine is made
D
Decanting
transferring wine from its bottle into a decanter
Débourbage
a phase in the wine making process where in suspended solids are allowed to settle down before racking off the wine
Depth
layers of flavors of a wine
Dessert wine
wine that is sweet and has low alcohol content, wine made to pair with sweet food
Doux
French for sweetness
E
Earthy
term to describe wine that has an aroma of soil to it
Effervescence
presence of carbon dioxide, the bubbly element of wine
Elegant
wine that is well balanced
Élevage
raising or breeding of a wine
Enology
the science of wine and wine making
F
Fermentation
the process whereby yeast converts sugar to alcohol
Fine wine
the highest category of wine quality
Finish
the taste that lingers in the mouth after swallowing the wine
A flying winemaker is a winemaker who travels to other wine regions in other continents during their country's off season to supervise a winery's harvest and make a signature wine.
Fortified wines
wines that are added with brandy to give it a higher alcohol level
Fruity
wines that have a fruity character
Full-bodied
wine with high alcohol level and rich in flavor
G
Gamey
a smell of wine that denotes mushroom, unwashed farmer's feet; smells of game meat
Grande Marque
French for famous brand of wine
Goblet
long-stemmed,bowl shapes wine glass
H
Herbaceous
a smell of wine that denotes herbs like rosemary, oregano, basil, etc
Hogshead
a cask or barrel used to store and ferment wine; also used in storage and transporting tobacco
Horizontal tasting
tasting wine of the same vintage but from different regions or wineries
Honeyed
a characteristic of wine that tastes like honey
I
Ice wine
wine made from frozen grapes
Imperial
a bottle holding six liters of wine
J
Jammy
a wine characteristic that tastes like baked or poached fruit
K
Kosher wine
wine that is made under a supervision of a rabbi
L
Lactic acid
the acid that is responsible for giving wine a soft and less acidic taste
Lees
wine sediments that occur during fermentation; consists of dead yeast cells, grape pulp, seed, and other grape matter
Legs
wine that runs down the inner walls of the glass after being swirled
Length
as in finish or aftertaste
M
Maceration
is
the process in wine making where the phenolic materials of the grape—
tannins, coloring agents (anthocyanins) and flavor compounds— are
leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must.
Malic acid
acid found in high concentrations in unripe grapes that gives wine a tarty and sharp taste
Malolactic fermentation
the secondary fermentation of wine werein malic acid is converted into lactic acid
Must
unfermented grape juice
N
Negociant
French for trader or wholesale merchant
New world wine
wine produced outside Europe and North Africa
Nose
as in smell or aroma of wine
Noble rot
layman's term for Botrytis
O
Oak barrels
storage
where wine is aged(red) or fermented(white); gives wine a nutty and
vanilla like flavor; allows some levels of evaporation and oxygenation
to occur in wine but typically not at levels that would cause oxidation
or spoilage of the wine
Oak chips
added into wine stored in stainless steel vats to give wine a nutty characteristic
Old world wine
wines produced in Europe and North Africa
Opening up
when a wine's hidden flavors come out after being poured
Oxidize
exposing of wine to oxygen
P
Peak
is the optimum moment of the wine's life
Pip
grape seeds
Port
a sweet fortified red wine that is served as a dessert wine
Press
a device used to squeeze out juice from grapes
Proof
refers to the alcohol content of wine and liquor
Q
Quaffing wine
a simple wine for everyday drinking
R
Racking
the process of removing wine off from the sediments
Reserve
wine that is of higher quality than usual
Residual Sugar
sugar that is left after fermenting wine
Rose wine
type of red wine that is pink or light red in color often very light,crisp and fruity
Ruby
a young fortified red wine that is blended with more than one vintage that when bottled retains a ruby red color
S
Sangria
red wine with sliced fruits and a sweetener
Sec
French for dry
Sherry
a fortified wine with four types: fino, amontillado, oloroso, pedro ximenez
Solera
a system of blending wine from different vintages and
ageing it for years before it goes to bottling; the process gives a
blended product ranging from a straw color to dark amber
Sommelier
a trained wine expert
Sparkling wine
wine that contains carbon dioxide which gives off bubbles
Spicy
characteristic of wine that has a cinnamon,coffee or peppery aroma
Spumante
Italian for sparkling
Standard Drinks
A standard drink is a drink containing 10 grams of alcohol.
Structure
the overall balance and body of wine
Sulfites
compounds used to protect wine and prevent it from oxidation and microbial spoilage
T
Table Wine
wine that is not sparkling or fortified
Tannin
the phenolic compounds in wine that gives a bitter, dry, puckery feeling in the mouth
Tart
acidic and unripe wine
Tartaric acid
most important acid found in grapes
Tawny
a wine that is blended from several vintages and aged in
oak barrels for years before it goes to bottling go the physical and
geographical characteristics of a vineyard that gives wine its
uniqueness
Terrior
the physical and geographical characteristics of a vineyard that gives wine its uniqueness
Texture
the wines impression on the palate
Typicity
how well a wine reflects the characteristics of its grape variety and soil type
U
Uliage
the gap between the surface of the wine and the top of the bottle or barrel
Unctuous
lush wines with concentrated food as in dessert wines
V
Varietal
wines made from a single grape variety
VDL
vin de liqueur; wine that has been fortified before fermentation
VDN
vin doux natural; wine that has been fortified during fermentation
Vertical tasting
tasting wine of the same type from the same winery but different vintages
Viniculture
the art and science of making wine; also called Enology
Vinification
the process of making wine
Vintage
the year when the wine's grapes were harvested
Viticulture
the cultivation of grapes
W
Waiter's friend
a type of corkscrew used in the restaurant industry; also called as sommelier's knife
Weight
body of the wine
are barrels made of oak used in the fermenting and ageing of wines.
Wine Crust
The 'crust' that we commonly see in mature red wines is usually formed by the polymerisation of wine components such as tannins and anthocyannins.
Winery
building, property, or company that is associated with wine production
Wine Cellar
a cool and dark location for storing and ageing wine; also called wine cave
Y
Yeast
a single-cell microoganism that is responsible for converting grape sugar into alcohol
Yield
a measure of the amount of grapes or wine produced per unit surface of vineyard
Z
Zymology
the science of fermentation
