ACETIC: Sour, with the smell or sharp taste of vinegar, too much will make wine undrinkable.
AROMA: The perfume of young wines from the fresh fruit of the grape variety before bottle aging.
ASTRINGENT: The drying mouth- puckering taste in red wine caused by high tannin content. Not bitterness. Astringency usually softens and mellows with age in the bottle.
BAKED: Quality found when wine is made from very ripe grapes.
BALANCE: A fine harmony and relationship of the wine’s component parts, usually referring to the basic elements of fruit, tannin, acid etc.
BOUQUET: The fragrance before tasting formed by the oxidation of fruit acids and alcohol in bottled wine, derived from bottle aging. Bouquet is distinct from the wines aroma. the aroma referring to the smell of the wine, derived from the grape.
BRILLIANT: A wine of remarkably high clarity.
CHARACTER: Positive and distinctive taste characteristics giving definition to a wine.
CLEAN: A well made wine. an old wine, as well as a young wine, with no ‘off” smell or taste.
CORKY: Indicating an off- taste from a defective cork.
DELICATE: Applies to wines that should be light, usually white, young and fresh.
DRY: Without sweetness,, measurable by degree of sugar; not “sour”.
ELEGANT: Well balanced, with finesse, a truly fine wine.
EARTHY: Often associated with grapes grown in heavy soils. It is the smell and imaginary taste of fresh earth,
FLABBY: Too soft, or flat, lacing acidity without character.
FLINTY: Dry, clean, sharp, steely, often used to describe Chablis.
FLOWERY: Appealing to the fragrance of a wine, almost flavor -like, used to describe many Gewurztraminers.
FRESH: Young, lively, and clean.
Full: A full bodied wine, the feel and sensation of wine in the mouth, rich in fruit flavors.
GRAPEY: A wine that tastes like fresh grapes, such as Muscat, Johannisberg Riesling, etc.
GRASSY: The smell of grass or new mown hay. Often describes Sauvignon Blanc.
HARD: Severe flavor from high tannin and / or acid. Often mellows with time.
LIGHT: Lacking in body, color or alcohol, but pleasant.
LIVELY: Usually young, fruity wines with a little carbon di oxide.
MADERIZED: Flat, oxidized smell, passed its prime, “over the hill;” has acquired brownish tint.
MELLOW: Mature with softness ,no rough edges with proper age.
NOBLE: Superior, showing by aroma its aristocratic grape variety. Impressive.
NOSE: Referring to quality of aroma and bouquet.
OXIDISED: Having lost its freshness from contact with air. Off taste.
ROBUST: A big and full wine.
ROUND: Well balanced, mature wine, without harshness.
RUBY: Resembling in color a clear red jewel, as in young red wines.
ROUGH: Insufficient age.
GREEN: Unripe, unbalanced acidity, raw taste.
SHARP: Excessive acidity.
SOFT: Mellow, without roughness or hotness to the throat.
SOUND: A well made wine, no defects, well balanced.
SOUR: Vinegar, a wine that is spoilt, unfit to drink.
SPRITZY: Pleasant, slightly sparkling wine caused by a very slight secondary fermentation in the bottle. Found mostly in young wines.
SULPHURY: A disagreeable odor of sulphur. If the smell does not disappear after pouring, it indicates the wine is faulty.
SWEET: High residual sugar content.
TART: Sharpness caused by too high acidity.
THIN: Lacking in body and alcohol, watery, will not improve the age.
VElVETY: The soft mouth feel of an excellent wine, silky texture.
VANILLIN: An extract from exposure to oak, smells like vanilla extract.
WOODY: Undesirable odor and flavor from too long contact with wood,
YEASTY: Young wine tasting of yeast as in fresh bread, wine still in barrels. A pleasant characteristic of many Champagnes
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