Tasting Terminology

After taste, the flavour(s) left after the wine is swallowed. See finish.

Aroma, describes a simple, often fruity smell or flavour present in young wine. See bouquet.

Balanced, a wine in which all dimensions acidity, sweetness, tannins, alcohol make a harmonious whole.

Body, important characteristic of a wine determined chiefly by its alcoholic strength. The more body a wine has the less like water it tastes.

Bouquet, the complex and multi layered smells or flavours which develop as a result of ageing. See aroma.

Concentrated, good extract and/or intense flavour.

Corked, wine that has been spoilt and smells off puttingly mouldy because the cork is tainted.

Crisp, perceptible acidity.

Extract, an important dimension, the sum of a wine's solids, includes phenolics, sugars, minerals and GLYCEROL; i.e. what would be left after boiling.

Finish, the sensory impact of a wine after it has been swallowed (or spat). Wines can be said to have a long or short finish.

Flabby, too low in acid.

Flavour, see aroma.

Fresh, attractively acid.

Fruit is the combination of flavour, aroma and body coming from the grapes rather than winemaking or ageing.

Fruity is used to describe wines with good fruit.

Full, or Full bodied, wine with considerable body.

Hard, too tannic.

Hollow, lacking fruit.

Hot, too alcoholic.

Lean, lacking Fruit but not acid.

Length, persistence of the tasting experience in olfactory area and mouth after swallowing. Such a wine may be called long.

Light, or Light bodied, with relatively little body.

Mature, probably aged to its full potential.

Mellow, sometimes used for reds as a euphemism for sweet.

Mouth feel, the physical impact of a wine on the mouth, its texture. See tannins and body.

Oxidized, harmfully exposed to oxygen. The wine becomes vinegary.

Powerful, high level of alcohol or extract.

Tannic, aggressive tannins. All ageing wines are expected to have some tannins, but these should ideally be counterbalanced by Fruit.

Tannins, preservative compounds found in dark grape skins that are an important part of sediment and help the wine ageing process.

Tarty, very acidic.

Volatile, a wine with such a high level of acids that it smells almost vinegary.