Acidity A critical element of wine, it is essential for freshness, flavor and aging. The term generally applies to the citric, malic, tartaric and lactic acids in wine and is essential to balance contrasting elements.

Aftertaste  Some make a distinction between a wine’s “finish” and its aftertaste. The aftertaste is simply the taste sensation that remains after swallowing.

Aggressive  A somewhat negative connotation relating to a harshness of taste (sometimes caused by excessive acid).

Alcohol  Often tasting hot or peppery, a wine in which a high level of alcohol overwhelms the fruit and balance.

Aroma  The scent a wine derives from its grape variety (as opposed to scents that result from the wine making process).

Aromatic  Having a highly evocative aroma; often used to denote a floral or spiced quality.

Astringent  A result of tannin content (and sometimes high acid), it is the aspirin-like, tea-like quality that causes a dry, puckering sensation in the mouth.

Austere  A severe, almost spartan quality that can result from tannin or acid (often in wine that needs more time to mature).

AVA  American Viticultural Area which serves as part of the appellation system in the U.S.

Balance  A good wine is said to be “well-balanced.” The reference is to the symbiotic interrelationship and desired harmony between the major components of a wine – fruit, sugar, acidity, tannins, alcohol and oak aging.

Barrel-Fermented  Wine that is fermented in small barrels rather than large tanks.

Bite  A lively sharpness resulting from a wine’s acidity.

Beefy  Descriptive for a big, solid red.

Body  Light-bodied, medium-bodied, full-bodied; the term takes into account a wine’s density and viscosity with reference to the impression of fullness or weight on the palate.

Bouquet  As opposed to aroma (the scent of the grape), bouquet refers to the scent a wine acquires with aging in oak and in the bottle.

Brix  A technical term that refers to a system of measuring the amount of residual sugar in wine.

Buttery  Usually associated with chardonnay, it denotes the rich creamy-vanilla flavor derived from the wine’s contact with new oak.

Caramel  Does not refer to the candy, but to the taste of caramelized sugar.

Character  Complimentary term for wine indicating distinction and individuality, not entirely unlike its usage with reference to person-ages of high status and prestige.

Chemical  Not a term of endearment, it refers to unpleasant smells or tastes from fermentation (often of sulfur or nail polish).

Chewy  Lots and lots and lots of tannin in a wine, but also enough flavor to sustain it.

Clean  A positive trait (and one your mother would approve of) indicating a simple, direct flavor without serious flaws.

Closed  Qualities in a wine that have yet to present themselves. Often, complex wines “open up” once poured or decanted.
Cloying  Unappealing, overwhelming sweetness.

Cigar Box  Sometimes a trait of cabernet sauvignon. Open an empty, wooden cigar box and take a whiff, you’ll get the idea.

Complex  A critical aspect of fine wine, it refers to a variety and range of aromas and bouquets and multiple layers of flavor.

Corky  A wine that has been imbued with the unpleasant qualities of a bad cork is said to be “corky” or “corked.”

Creamy  A rich, smooth texture (often a quality of fine chardonnay or champagne).

Crisp  A positive attribute denoting a white wine’s sharp, zesty acidity.

Delicate  Light, distinctive and refined but not timid.

Depth  Full-flavored, multi-dimensional taste.

Distinguished  Characterized by excellent quality.

Earthy  A vegetative, damp earth smell.

Elegant Hugh Johnson’s definition is perhaps best: “As of a woman, unmistakable but indefinable.”

Estate-Bottled  Wine made exclusively from grapes grown on a winery’s property and produced by the winery, which must be located in the same AVA where the grapes are grown.

Fat  An overly heavy, awkward and poorly made wine.

Finesse  Delicacy and refinement in structure and texture.

Finish  The residual flavors and aroma of a wine on the palate after swallowing. A “long” or lingering finish is a desirable attribute.

 Firm  Assertive, but not unbalanced, acidity particularly in wines requiring more aging.

Flabby  A great descriptive for a wine without enough acidity.

Fleshy  Flavorful and soft, generally with relatively little tannin.

Foxy  A great misconception is that this refers to a smell reminiscent of a wet canine. It doesn’t; it means tasting like indigenous American (“fox”) grapes.

Freshness  A spiritely aromatic quality, often floral or fruit-like.

Fruit  Even thought the actual flavor may be of black currants, apples, etc., the term refers to the amount of grape (i.e. fruit) taste in a wine.

Hard  A wine (particularly red) with lots of tannin that needs time to mature.

Hot  A relatively high alcohol content resulting in a taste that is peppery.

Jammy  A cooked, or stewed, sweetish quality.

Lean  Generally not enough fruit and/or to much acidity, although not always a term of derision.

Legs  Swirl wine in a glass and then observe the liquid running down the inside of the bowl – these are the “legs” and are a good measure of a wine’s body.

Length  Generally used as a qualifier for a wine’s finish, which is either long or short or medium.

Malolactic  A secondary fermentation occurring in most red and some white wines used to convert the grape’s primary malic acid into a softer lactic acid.

Mellow  A soft, but well-balanced wine.

Meritage  A red or white wine made from blending classic Bordeaux grapes (the word itself is a condensation of Merit and Heritage).

Must  Grape juice and/or crushed grapes before or during fermentation.

Nose A wine’s aroma.

Nutty  A characteristic of some dry whites, although precisely what kind of nut is often hard to say (however it’s probably safe to rule out peanuts).

Oaky  Wines aged in oak take on a bit of the barrel’s taste and smell (often a vanilla or toasty quality).

Plummy  Often a quality of big, ripe red wines.

Reserve  Often used to identify a winery’s better quality wines, the term has no quantifiable or legal meaning.

Residual sugar  The amount of sugar not converted to alcohol during fermentation that indicates a wine’s relative sweetness.

Rhone Rangers  A group of American wineries that produce Rhone-style wines.

Rich  Deeply flavorful and textured.

Robust  Big assertive and full-flavored.

Silky  A texture that’s smooth as…..

Smokey  A smokey taste generally resulting from aging in charred oak barrels.

SOB’s Society of Blancs, a group of wineries dedicated to sauvignon blanc.

Soft A term characterizing texture and referring to the amount of , and relationship between, a wine’s acid and tannin.

Spicy  Includes a myriad of fruit and spice flavors including cloves, mint, pepper, cinnamon and many, many others.

Steely  A clean, acidic, almost metallic taste in whites.

Stewed  Like overly cooked fruit from which the aroma has dissipated.

Tannin  Derived from the skins, stalks and seeds of grapes, as well as the oak barrels used for aging, it accounts for a wine’s astringency (which is reduced over time) and is an essential element for aging.

Tart  Lots of acidity resulting in a green-tasting wine.

Terrori  A French word reflecting the expression of the arth, or particular vineyard site, in the finished wine.

Toasty  Not a charred or burnt sensation, but rather reminiscent of fresh toast.

Tough  Roughly textured, often as a result of too much tannin.

Varietal  Derived from the phrase, grape variety, it indicates the type of grapes (e.g. chardonnay). For a wine to be labeled a varietal it must contain at least 75% of the named grape variety.

Vegetal  When a wine smells like wet straw, mushrooms or compost.

Velvety  Smooth texture and deep, rich flavors.

Vineyard Designated  Indicates that at least 95% of the grapes used to make the wine came from the named vineyard.

Vintage  If a vintage date is used on a label (e.g. 1994) it means that at least 95% of the wine must be from grapes grown in that year.

ZAP  Zinfandel Advocates and Producers.