Wine can be confusing and overwhelming, I get it but it really doesn’t have to be that complicated! Wine should be fun, approachable and enjoyable to drink & learn about. I want to help by sharing a simple yet still educational approach to make it that much more fun to drink, learn about & keep coming back for more.
When I first started getting into wine, it seemed like the wine industry was like speaking a different language with specific lingo and terminology. I left my first tasting room confused and with so many questions. After doing a lot of my own research and educating myself through additional books and resources, I want to share the basics with you! Let’s breakdown some of those commonly used terms and phrases so you can quickly become a wine pro overnight for your next tasting!
WINE BASICS
Wine: An alcoholic beverage that is made with fermented grapes.
Grapevines: Woody, perennial plants that produce a crop just once a year. The soil and climate location of the vines affect how sweet or tart the grapes are which impact how wines ultimately taste after fermentation.
Single-Varietal: A wine made with mostly or only one grape varietal/type
Vintage: Refers to the year that the grapes were harvested
Non-Vintage: Also seen/known as “NV” are wines that are a blend of several vintages
Wine Blend: A wine made by blending several different wine varietals together
Field Blend: A wine made with different varieties that are harvested and vinified together.
WINE TRAITS
Body: A way to categorize wine by its intensity level from lightest (light-bodied) to richest (full-bodied)
Sweetness: In wine, sweetness refers to the residual sugar which is the unfermented grape sugars that are left over in the wine after the fermentation is done.
Tannins: Naturally occurring polyphenols found in the grape skins and seeds and also found in wooden barrels that are beneficial because they help stabilize the wine and buffer it against oxidation.
WINE APPEARANCE TERMS
Brilliant: High clarity [clarity is described in terms of the wine’s reflective quality; brilliant, clear, dull or hazy]
Clear: Transparent, without cloudiness
Cloudy: Indicative of something wrong with the wine
Legs: The wine droplets that form along the edge of the glass when you swirl your wine. This is caused by the fluid surface tension created from evaporated alcohol.
Maderized: An oxidized wine or one past its prime with a brownish tinge due to age
Purple: Wines that tend to be more purplish-blue have a lower acidity
Rosé: Most rosés color is dependent on the winemaker but those that have a deeper color means the wine was macerated in the grape skins for longer [maceration: cold-soaking the unfermented grape juice in the crushed skins, seeds and stalks of the grape for color]
Ruby or Garnet: A rather dark red, often indicative of the youthfulness of a wine with higher tannins.
Sediment: Particles at the bottom of your glass either from being unfiltered or an older vintage
White: A deeper color in white wine is usually indicative of aging or oxidation. White wines aged in oak would have a deeper color than a wine which was aged in stainless steel and doesn’t let oxygen in
WINE AROMA TERMS
Crisp: A rather pleasant acidity in either a still or sparkling wine with a lightness that’s refreshing
Earthy: This term can be both good or bad. Positively, it can describe the pleasant, clean smell of freshly turned wet earth. Negatively, it can be used to describe muddled flavors and aromas that can taste rather funky.
Jammy: The smell and taste of red or black fruits like berries, plum, or cherries. Jammy tends to be a negative description of wine as it suggests that the grapes were harvested overripe, causing them to either lack tension or freshness. Use wisely!
Mineral: This tends to refer to notions that cannot easily be described in terms of fruit or spice. The mineral can come across as a smoky, struck-match note, or even the smell of rain on earth or stone
Oaky: In white wines, oak often comes across as vanilla, toffee, or even popcorn. In reds, it can be a warming note of baking spices like cinnamon or nutmeg
Spicy: It’s a wide, but positive term that can refer to pepper or baking spice notes like clove, nutmeg or cinnamon imparted by oak aging
Zesty: The intensity and mouthwatering freshness that’s driven by high acidity. Most commonly from fruits such as lemon, orange, grapefruit, or tangerine
WINE TASTING TERMS
Acidic: Tart, freshness of natural fruit
Dry: Without sweetness
Flat: Lacking acidity
Flinty: Dry, clean, sharp taste usually from the type of soil in which the vines grow
Smooth: Without any harshness, easy to drink
Tart: Too high in total acidity
Thin: More waterty in the body
Woody: Stored overly long in wooden barrels, usually french oak
