Wine Terms

Learning Basic Wine Terms & Definitions

Starting with how to determine a wine’s smell and taste to a list of the most commonly used terms, Heritage has composed a descriptive list of wine tasting vocabulary that will introduce you to proper basic wine terminology.  Becoming familiar with and learning what follows will help you to better understand wine-related newsletters, magazine and newspaper articles, reviews and even wine lists. 

A Wine’s Smell

Because smell and taste have a symbiotic relationship, just smelling a wine can reveal much of its character.  If there is something inherently wonderful or unpleasant about a wine, the nose will usually detect it.  Swirling a wine releases it aroma and bouquet, which can be perceived by putting your nose just inside the glass and gently inhaling.  The caliber of aroma and bouquet can be gauged by its intensity, quality and character.

Intensity 
A wine’s intensity of aroma or bouquet can vary greatly and is generally reflective of the taste that will follow.  A light aroma usually heralds a light taste; wines with a more intense or aromatic nose, assuming other factors are favorable, are considered desirable.
Quality
The quality of a wine can be stated in generalities such as pleasant versus unpleasant smell, complex versus simple and harmonious versus unbalanced.  The best wines are pleasant, complex and harmonious with no off odors.
Character
Character pertains more to the various odors that are detectable.  The nose of a complex wine might exhibit many smells including black cherries, chocolate, violets, leather and cinnamon.  On the other hand, a simple wine might reveal only a couple of scents such as raspberry and vanilla.
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A Wine’s Taste

A wine’s flavors are determined by its smell, but there are certain important properties that affect its final evaluation which can only be determined with tasting.  As you take in a particular wine note the impression that lingers in your mouth and throat.  From discernable levels of sweetness or dryness, acidity and bitterness to the tactile sensations generated by the wine’s body, tannins (in red wine), alcohol level, finish and the overall balance of these combined elements, a wine’s taste is composed of a variety of distinguishing characteristics.

Sweetness or Dryness         
These levels are more important in white wines because most reds are vinified to dry, leaving them with no residual sugar.  The style of wine usually dictates the level of sweetness; for example, most Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc wines are dry, whereas Chenin Blanc, Gewürztraminer and Riesling wines often have a touch of sweetness to them.  Occasionally a completely dry but very fruity wine will have a seemingly sweet quality to it, which can be attributed to the ethyl alcohol produced during fermentation.
Acidity
Detected mainly by the tartness of a wine, acidity contributes to a wine’s aging capabilities by working as a preservative, protecting both color and flavor.  Acid enlivens flavor, and wines containing low amounts are usually flat.  Wines with more acid that are balanced are desirable; however, excess acid can give a wine a sharp, harsh edge and throw it off kilter.
Bitterness
Most evident on the back of the tongue, bitterness is not a desirable characteristic of most wines.  In young reds, however, a small amount is not generally considered a fault.
Body
Perceived in the mouth as texture or weight (of which light, medium and full are qualifiers), body is produced by a combination of elements including alcohol, glycerol, acid and extract.  A rich, complex wine that feels luxuriously heavy in the mouth is considered full-bodied, whereas one that seems watery or flimsy is light-bodied, or thin; a medium-bodied wine falls in between the two.  Though not all wines seek to be full-bodied, Champagne, which strives for finesse, and rich dessert wines like Sauternes are generally full-bodied, partly because their residual sugar adds weight and texture.
Tannins (TAN-ihns)
Marked by a dry, puckery sensation, tannins are noticeable in many red wines but not whites.  During the red-wine making process, the juice is left in contact with grape skins, seeds and stems, all of which contribute astringent substances known as tannins.  Oak barrels, especially new ones, used during the aging process provide additional tannins, and although they are noticeable in young red wines, tannins are most prominent in high-quality red wines, providing flavor, texture, structure and antioxidants, which allow for a wine’s long and graceful aging.
Alcohol Level
Although alcohol can give a wine more body, it shouldn’t be singularly noticeable in a balanced wine.  Excess alcohol can produce a warm (even hot) burning sensation in the mouth and throat.  A wine such as this is referred to as hot or alcoholic.  Alcohol levels usually range between 12.5 and 13.5 percent.
Finish 
A wine’s finish refers to the lasting impression of flavor and tactile sensation which remains in the mouth after the wine is swallowed.  This feeling should be favorable and the longer the finish, the higher the quality of the wine.  This length of time, referred to as a wine’s persistence, is often described in phrases such as “it had a long finish,” “the finish was lacking” or “the finish was short.” 
Balance
With respect to the relationship of all the individual factors of flavor, a wine where none of the components overpowers one another is considered well-balanced.  For example, a wine with a very light fruit flavor can easily be overpowered by alcohol or tannins, whereas a fruity, full-flavored wine with the same levels of alcohol and tannins would be well-balanced.  A sweet wine with moderate acid might not be balanced at all, but a dry wine with the same acid level may be excellent.
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Common Wine Terms

A

Acidity
A naturally occurring component of every wine; the level of perceived sharpness; a key element to a wine’s longevity and a leading determinant of its balance.
Aerate, Aeration (AIR-ayt; air-AY-shun)
Aeration begins when the cork is removed from the bottle and the wine is exposed to outside air.  This process can be accelerated when the wine is decanted into another vessel, or poured into a wine glass and swirled.  Though there is some debate about letting a wine “breathe,” younger wines generally benefit from aeration by softening while allowing their bouquet to evolve and develop complexity, but there are also those who feel that breathing a wine diminishes its liveliness.        
Alcohol
The end product of fermentation; technically ethyl alcohol resulting from the interaction of natural grape sugars and yeast; generally above 12.5 percent in dry table wines.
Alsace (Al-ZASS)
A highly regarded wine region in Eastern France renowned for its dry and sweet wines made from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and others.
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B

Barbaresco (bar-bah-RESS-koh)
An excellent red table wine made from the Nebbiolo grape in the Piemonte region of Northwestern Italy. Often compared to Borrolo wines because they are both made from Nebbiolo grapes, Barbaresco wines are usually regarded as more elegant and refined, whereas Borrolo wines are more robust and longer-lived.
Beaujolais (boh-zhuh-LAY)
A light, fruity red wine from the region of the same name in Southern Burgandy, France. Different types include Beaujolais AC, Beaujolais Nouveau and Beaujolais Primeur.
Blanc de Blancs (BLAHN duh BLAHN; BLAHNGK duh BLAHNGK)
The name for champagne made entirely from dry chardonnay grapes.
Blanc de Noirs [blahn (blahngk) duh NWAHR]
The name for champagne made entirely from red grapes; either Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, or both.
Blend
The process whereby two or more grape varieties are combined after separate fermentation. Common blends include Côtes de Rhône, Meritage, Claret and red and white Bordeaux.
Blush
A wine made from red grapes but which appears pink or salmon in color because the grape skins were removed from the fermenting juice before more color could be imparted.  Blushes are more commonly referred to as a Rosé.
Bodega (boh-DAY-gah)
A versatile Spanish term used for ‘wine cellar,’ as well as ‘winery,’ ‘wine storage area’ and ‘wine-producing firm.’
Bordeaux (Bor-doh)
Major wine region of Southwestern France, along the Dordogne and Garonne rivers; centered around the city of Bordeaux. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carménère, Gros Verdot, Melbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc are all made from varieties of Bordeaux grapes.
Bouquet (boh-KEY)
The sum of a wine’s aromas.  How a wine smells as a whole is a key determinant of its quality.
Brunello di Montalcino (broo-NELL-oh dee mawn-tahl-CHEE-noh)
A fabulous Italian red wine from Southern Tuscany that is made from a Sangiovese clone.
Brut (broot)
A French term used to describe the very dry Champagne.
Burgundy (BER-gun-dee)
A prominent French wine region stretching from Chablis in the north to Lyons in the south; Pinot Noir is the grape for red Burgundy, Chardonnay for white.
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C

Cabernet Franc [KA-behr-nay FRAHN (FRAHNGK)]
A red grape common to Bordeaux whose characteristics include an herbal, leafy flavor and a soft, fleshy texture.
Cabernet Sauvignon (ka-behr-NAY soh-vihn-YOHN)
One of the noblest red wine grapes, and the predominant red grape variety in the world; used in the U.S., Bordeaux, Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and wherever wine grapes grow. 
Cava (KAH-vah)
Cava is the official name for Sparkling Wine produced in designated areas in various part of Northern Spain.
Chablis (sha-BLEE)
Small growing district located 110 miles southeast of Paris that encircles the town of Chablis in France's Burgundy region and produces some of the world’s best known white wines.
Champagne (sham-PAYN)
A denominated region northeast of Paris in which Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes are made into sparkling wine.
Chardonnay (shar-doh-NAY)
Chardonnay has taken the lead for first-class white-wine grapes.  Although some argue that the Riesling grapes produce the finest white wines, it’s Chardonnay that is being extensively planted throughout the world.
Chianti (kee-AHN-tee)
The classic dry red wine of Tuscany, made from Sangiovese and other grapes found between Siena and Florence in north-central Italy.
Claret (KLAR-eht)
A term used by the English when referring to the red wines from Bordeaux.  Derived from the French clairet, which refers to a Bordeaux wine (made from Bordeaux grapes) which is drier with a higher amount of tannins and a style somewhere between a red or a rosé, claret can also be used as a general reference to light red wines.
Color
A wine’s color is an indicator of its condition, quality, age, and even style.  In general, the less intense a wine’s color is, the more delicate the flavor and body will be.  As wines age, their colors change; white wines become darker, often with traces of amber; red wines begin to fade and often assume a tawny, brick-red cast.
Côte Rôtie (koht roh-TEE)
An exceptionally fine, age worthy red wine from Northern Rhone.  Primarily Syrah-based and named for the “roasted slopes” on which the vineyards grow.
Coteaux du Languedoc (koh-toh deu LAHNG-dahk)
A dry red table wine from the south of France which is blended using different combinations of Cinaut, Grenache, and/or Syrah.
Côtes-du-Rhône (Koht deu ROHN)
Refers to both red and white wines from the Greater Rhone Valley.  Wines range from jug quality to quite nice, and are usually exceptionally well priced.
Crémant (kray-MAHN)
French for “creaming,” which in Champagne describes wines that are moderately sparkling.   
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D

Decant, Decanting (dee-KANT; dee-KANT-ing)
Decanting is done to either separate the wine from any sediment deposited during the aging process, or to allow wine to breathe in order to enhance its flavor.
Decanter (dee-KAN-ter)
A glass container into which wine is decanted.   
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F

Fumé Blanc [FOO-may BLAHN (BLAHNGK)]
A term invented by Robert Mondavi in the 1970s as a marketing tool to sell Sauvignon Blanc.  Fumé Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc are the same wine.
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G

Gewürztraminer (guh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner)
White wine grape best known in Alsace, Germany and the U.S. West Coast, and grows best where there is morning fog and milder climates. 
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L

Legs
 
After a glass of wine is swirled, it often leaves a coating on the inside of the glass that separates into viscous-looking rivulets called legs or tears.  Legs generally indicate a rich, full-bodied wine with relatively high alcohol (12 percent or more).  Legs that are very wide are sometimes called sheets.
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M

Marsanne (mahr-SAN)
Excellent white-wine grape of the Rhone Valley.  Planted in California, especially in the Santa Barbara region, it is used alone and as a blending grape.
Merlot (mehr-LOH)
What was originally used primarily as a blending grape for Cabernet, it has become exceedingly popular as a 100% varietal of its own.  Since it can be blended very smoothly and softly without tannins, merlot is increasingly popular as an introductory wine to beginning red wine drinkers.  Blended more aggressively in the Cabernet style, many merlots have great aging ability.
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N

Nebbiolo (neh-b’YOH-loh)
The fog (nebbia in Italian) that rolls over the hills of Northern Piedmont and the regions nearby, helps the Nebbiolo grape ripen properly, thereby creating some of Italy’s finest red wines.  Wines made from Nebbiolo grapes are known by a variety of names including Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme, and Spanna. They’re characterized as being rich, full-bodied and chewy.
Nose
A wine’s “nose” is the general term for its detectable odor.  Depending on its state of maturity, the nose may reflect a young wine’s simple varietal aroma or the more complex bouquet of a mature wine.
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O

Opening
A wine’s opening, which can apply to smell, flavor or both, is the first impression it gives. 
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P

Pinot Blanc (PEE-noh BLAHNGK)
Pinot Blanc grapes produce dry, white wines that are often compared to Chardonnay.  They are, however, generally not as complex or flavorful as Chardonnay.  Pinot Blanc’s most noted growing area is the Alsace region in France.
Pinot Grigio (PEE-noh GREE-joh) / Pinot Gris (PEE-noh GREE)
French for “gray”, which presumably refers to the grayish hue of this member of the Pinot family.  The color of these grapes can vary substantially, producing wines that range from white to slightly pink.  The style of wines ranges from crisp, light, and dry–such as those produced in Northern Italy (where Pinot Gris is called Pinot Grigio), to the rich, fat, honeyed versions from France's Alsace region.
Pinot Noir (PEE-noh NWAHR)
Classic red grape, widely accepted as one of the world’s best.  Burgundy is its home, and it has proven difficult to grow and vinify well elsewhere, but California and Oregon increasingly hit the mark.  At its peak it makes wines of incredible complexity, difficult to describe (although ‘cherries’ and ‘earthy’ qualities are typical).  Known as much for its ‘velvety’ texture as its flavor.  Some of the world’s most collectible and expensive wines are made with the Pinot Noir grape, and even countries like New Zealand are now being recognized for growing it well.
Petite Sirah (peh-TEET sih-RAH)
California red grape which produces a dark plumy red wine that can last forever.
Petit Verdot (puh-TEE vehr-DOH)
A high-quality red-wine grape grown mainly in France’s Bordeaux region.
Prosecco (praw-SEHK-koh; proh-SEHK-koh)
A white-wine grape that’s grown primarily in the eastern part of Italy’s Veneto region.  Prosecco is made into lightly sparkling (Frizzante), fully sparkling (Spumante), and still wines.  Its fine reputation, however, comes from its sparkling versions.  The wines are crisp and appley, and though they can be sweet, are more often found dry. 
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R

Ribera del Duero (ree-BEHR-ah del DWAY-roh)
Challenging Rioja (below) for the title of Spain’s greatest red wine, these Tempranillo-based reds, particularly the fabled Vega Sicilia, can last and improve for decades.
Rioja (ree-OH-hah)
Perhaps the best red wines of Spain, grown in Northern Spain and named for the Rio Oja River.  The wines are made from Tempranillo and other grapes, are often aged in oak and trace some heritage to Bordeaux, from where many wine makers emigrated after the phylloxera scourge of the mid-19th century.
Rosé (roh-ZAY)
French for “pink” or “rose-colored,” rosé is used in the wine world to refer to wines of this color.  The normal red wine making process leaves the juice in contact with the grape skins during fermentation, but for rosés, the juice is drained off within two to three days and is allowed to ferment in another vessel.  It’s this brief skin contact which gives a rosé its color.
Roussanne (roo-SAHN)
White Rhône grape, often grown and blended with Marsanne, and an increasingly popular grape in the Santa Barbara region.
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S

Sangiovese (san-joh-VAY-zeh)
Considered one of the top two red grapes (along with Nebbiolo grapes), Sangiovese is the most widely planted variety with more than 10 percent of all vineyards growing it. The predominant grape in Chianti, this grape also makes a hearty, dry red, with flavors of black cherries.
Sauvignon Blanc (SOH-vee-nyawn BLAHNGK)
White grape used predominantly in Loire and Bordeaux usually and widely planted in the Western U.S., South America, Australia and New Zealand.  The wine comes in many styles, ranging from grassy to citric, and makes a wonderful food wine that is often more preferable than Chardonnay.
Shiraz (shē-räz)
Then name given to the Syrah grape after it made its way to Australia in the 1830s, Shiraz is now the country’s most widely planted red grape.
Syrah (see-RAH)
This high-quality red-wine grape gained its reputation in France’s Rhône region. Thought to have originated in the Middle East, the ancient Syrah grape has been grown in the Rhône valley since at least Roman times.
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T

Terroir (teh-RWAHR)
French for “soil” and used in the phrase gout de terroir (taste of the soil) to refer to the earthy flavor of some wines.  Terroir also refers to the type of soil (chalky, claylike, gravelly, sandy), but also to other geographic factors that might influence the quality of the finished wine like altitude, position relative to the sun, angle of incline and water drainage.  In the U.S. wine producers use the term ‘microclimate’ to encompass the same considerations.
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V

Varietal (vuh-RI-ih-tuhl)
A wine that uses the name of the dominant grape from which it’s made, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Vintage (VIHN-tihj)
Term describing both the year of the actual grape harvest and the wine made from those grapes.
Viognier; Vionnier (vee-oh-NYAY)
An esteemed white-wine grape which has earned a distinguished reputation from the northern Rhône wines of Château-Grillet and Condrieu.
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W

White Zinfandel (ZIHN-fuhn-dehl)
White Zinfandel is not a white wine but rather what’s called a blush wine in the United States and a rosé or blanc de noir in France.  It’s made from zinfandel (a red-wine grape) and kept pale in color by quickly removing the skins from the juice after the grapes are pressed, which stops the transfer of color from the grape skin’s dark pigments.
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Z

Zinfandel (ZIHN-fuhn-dehl)
Grape that is considered California’s red-wine grape because it’s not widely grown in other parts of the world.
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