LoveWine.org -- Lexicon of Wine Tasting Terms

Acetic. A sour or vinegary smell or taste. See also Vinegary.
Acidity. One of the basic savors in wine, providing crispness, vitality and sharpness.
Aftertaste. An impression left on the palate after tasting that differs from, and is often less pleasant than, the initial taste of the wine.
Alcohol. One of the principal elements in wine, providing it with strength and character. See also Balance.
Amber. The deep yellow color present, for example, in a fine, aged Sauternes.
Aroma. The smell of a wine.
Aromatic. Possessing a clearly identifiable fragrance, reminiscent of fruits or spices.
Astringent. High in tannin, causing the mouth to dry and pucker. See also Tannin.
Austere. Somewhat hard, without revealing any other conspicuous characteristics.
Autumnal. Various aromas and tastes in wine reminiscent of fallen leaves, humus, truffles, mushrooms or hay.
Balance. The relationship among the three basic elements of acidity, tannin and alcohol. If these elements are all in harmony, a wine is said to be well balanced.
Big. Powerful, alcoholic, but well balanced and with a potential for further development.
Bitter. Acrid. Generally a fault, although in some Italian reds bitterness is considered normal and desirable.
Body. The solidity of a wine, contributed by its basic elements: acidity, tannin and alcohol.
Bouquet. The smell that develops in a wine during its evolution in the bottle. The term is also generally applied to a pleasant smell in any wine.
Brick red. The brownish red color characteristic of old red wine.
Burning. A fiery sensation due to an excessive proportion of alcohol in a wine.
Buttery. A smell, taste and smoothness on the palate all reminiscent of butter-found in some red wines, but more often in whites.
Caramel. The rich, slightly burnt and fudge-like smell and taste of wines such as Madeira.
Clean. Devoid of defects; free of any anomaly or foreign taste.
Closed. Not revealing its character. Many fine wines go through a closed period in youth. See also Austere.
Coarse. Rough and of poor quality, often due to excess acidity or poor vinification. Coarseness is also characteristic of a wine made from inferior grope varieties cultivated for their high yield, or from grapes that were grown in inappropriate' soil.
Complex. Characteristic of great wines, with many facets of smell and taste.
Cooked. A heavy, often caramel-like smell and taste, sometimes due to heating the juice before vinification. The term is also used to describe the prune-like flavor of a wine made from excessively ripe grapes grown in an unusually hot summer.
Corky. A fault caused by an improperly cured cork, which makes the affected wine emit a disagreeable smell.
Crisp. Refreshing and relatively acid. Crispness is a desirable quality in light, flinty white wines that are drunk young.
Crystalline. Perfectly limpid and bright.
Crystals. The natural, harmless flakes of tartaric acid found in some wines.
Deep. Intensely full, with many nuances of flavor, all smoothly interlaced.
Delicate. A well-balanced light wine, with a pleasant but unassertive smell and taste. The term is also used to describe the fragile quality of a good wine on the verge of decline.
Developed. The state of a wine expressed in terms of its maturity. A well-developed wine is one that has matured to the right degree and in the correct way; an undeveloped wine is one that needs aging.
Distinguished. Fine, with distinctive character, elegance and refinement.
Dried out. Without any fresh-fruit flavor. See also Oxidized.
Dry. Not sweet. A wine in which the sugar content has been fermented out.
Dull. With uninteresting odor and taste, or lacking limpidity and brightness.
Dumb. A description often applied to an immature fine red wine with an undeveloped bouquet. See also Closed.
Earthy. A smell or taste reminiscent of soil.
Elegant. Of exceptionally high quality and distinction, harmoniously balanced and with all virtues intact; possessing a certain lightness and flair.
Exuberant. Lively, vital. The description is often applied to young, fruity wines that are easy to drink.
Fat. Full of flavor. See also Full-bodied.
Feminine. Fine, intricate and delicate.
Fine. Of good quality, distinguished; a term applicable to a wine of any type.
Finesse. Distinction and grace in a wine.
Finish. The final taste of a wine, the lost impression.
Firm. Strong and well balanced, but still with a perceptible degree of tannin and acidity. See also Balance.
Flabby. Weak, lacking in character and acidity, with no potential for development.
Flat. Lacking acidity, character and any distinctive flavor; in sparkling wine, signifying a loss of sparkle.
Flavor. Smell and taste combined.
Flinty. A metallic smell and taste associated with wines vinified from white grapes such as Sauvignon Blanc that have been grown in particular soils.
Flowery. Displaying the fragrance of a flower, such as honeysuckle, jasmine, lilac, orange blossom, rose or violet. The smell of geraniums in a wine is considered to be a fault.
Foxy. An earthy flavor attributed to wines that are made from native American vines, such as labrusca.
Fresh. Young and vital-often applied to well balanced light wines, low in tannin, that are drunk young.
Fruity. Recalling fruits in flavor. A variety of fruit odors and tastes, apart from the obvious one of grapes, may be discerned in wine apple, apricot, black currant, blackberry, blueberry, cherry, citrus, peach, pear, plum, raspberry or strawberry-as well as the heavy smell of cooked fruit. Young, uncomplicated red wines often display an immediate, open, fruity quality.
Full-bodied. Fat, with all elements strongly defined. See also Fat.
Gamy. Recalling the odor of the flesh of game birds, small furred game or venison; a characteristic of the bouquet of older wines.
Generous. Big, open and rich, usually high in alcohol.
Great. Noble.
Green. Sharp, acid. It can be a pleasant, refreshing quality. Green indicates either a wine that is very young or one that has been made from under ripened grapes. The term can also be used to suggest a herbal or grassy quality in a wine.
Hard. Young, undeveloped, with excessive tannin still masking its qualities.
Harmonious. Perfectly balanced.
Harsh. Rough, tannic and acid, often a quality of youth.
Heady. High in alcohol.
Herbaceous. Grassy, smelling of fresh herbs or hay.
Herbal. Smelling of herbs, such as lemon balm, lavender, mint, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme or verbena.
Honest. Decent, without flaws or defects, but having no great qualities. Unadulterated.
Honeyed. A sweet smell and taste of fine botrytis wines, such as Sauternes.
Insipid. Lacking in taste.
Intense. Deep and complicated.
Intricate. Subtly complex and with many elusive nuances.
Iron. A hard, strong structure in a fine wine that will take many years to mellow and soften. A metallic taste, reminiscent of iron, also appears as a nuance in some wines.
Lacy. Intricate, full of subtle, harmonious smells and flavors, delicately bound together.
Legs. The name given to the rivulets that run slowly down the inside of a glass after a wine has been swirled. Legs are generally indicative of a rich wine.
Length. See Persistence.
Light. Without much body, usually indicating a young wine that is ready to drink. Lightness is also a derogatory term applied to a wine that does not live up to expectations. Additionally, on a wine label, light means a wine that is relatively low in alcohol content and in calories.
Limpid. Clear and bright.
Loyal. A simple and honest wine.
Luscious. Rich, smooth, sweet and opulent, with all elements in harmony.
Maderized. Flat, stale-smelling. This fault, to be found in white wine, is caused by oxidation. A maderized wine often darkens to a dull brown color. See also Oxidized.
Masculine. A description applied to a wine that is characteristically big and assertive.
Mature. Ready to drink; aged to the right degree.
Meaty. Rich, chewable, full-bodied and firm.
Mellow. Mature and soft, with no edge of harshness.
Moldy. Tasting of mold or rot. This fault occurs in wine that has been made from grapes attacked by gray rot, or in wine kept in casks that have been allowed to deteriorate.
Muscular. Big, robust and full-bodied, with an assertive flavor.
Noble. Of perfect structure and high quality and breeding. The term is applicable to great wines at any stage of their development.
Nose. The sum total of all odors in a wine.
Nutty. Recalling nuts in flavor. The smell and taste of hazelnuts and walnuts are often associated with wines affected by flor. The flavor of almonds may be found in fresh, young white wines.
Oak. The smell and taste of a wine that has been aged in new oak barrels.
Opaque. Dense-looking; locking clarity and transparency.
Open. Yielding all its qualities. A fine wine, aged to the right degree, may be said to have opened out.
Oxidized. Applied to wine with a flat, stale taste; caused by excessive exposure to air.
Pedant. A French term that describes a slight, tingling prickle. See also Spritzy.
Persistence. The length of time that a wine remains on the palate after tasting.
Petillant. A French term for a light, natural sparkle.
Pungent. The strong, distinctive and assertive smell characteristic of some wine types, such as the burnt odor typical of Madeira.
Raw. Young and undeveloped, somewhat harsh, with rough edges.
Refreshing. Thirst-slaking - often applicable to acid, light wines drunk young.
Rich. Full, usually harmonious.
Ripe. Fully mature, rich and full of fruit flavor.
Robust. Strong, concentrated and full-bodied; well balanced.
Rough. Hard, acrid and ungiving.
Round. Well developed, with no sharp edges. Usually applicable to mellow, full-bodied, ample wines.
Scented. Agreeably reminiscent of the aroma of flowers, spices or herbs.
Sharp. With a bite, because of a somewhat excessive amount of acidity.
Short. Persisting only briefly on the palate after tasting.
Silky. Delicately smooth and harmonious.
Simple. Straightforward and not complex. See also Complex.
Smoked. Recalling smoked foods, the smell of burning leaves or other smoky odors.
Soft. Gentle and well balanced, without being flabby or insipid.
Solid. Firm and well structured, with a good potential for improving as it ages.
Sour. Over acid, often vinegary. Sourness is an undesirable quality that will not disappear with aging.
Sparkling. The name given to wines that have been specially treated with carbon dioxide, which is released slowly in the form of tiny bubbles when the bottle is uncorked.
Spicy. The characteristic spice-like smell and taste encountered in many wines, sometimes due to a certain grape variety, such as Gewurztraminer. Some wines have flavors reminiscent of allspice, cinnamon, cloves, pepper or other spices.
Spritzy (also spritz and spritzig). A characteristic that is first detectable visually as tiny specks of air in the wine and then as a crisp prickle or youthful acidity and carbon dioxide in the mouth. See also Perlant.
Stalky. The smell of green wood occurring in some young wines.
Steely. High in acidity, fairly hard and uncompromising.
Strong. Big and powerful, usually with high alcohol content.
Structure. A wine's composition.
Sturdy. Strong and assertive.
Sulfur. Sulfur dioxide is used quite commonly in vinification. An excess of it-detectable by a prickly sensation in the nose and back of the throat, as well as by its smell-is undesirable.
Supple. With many different characteristics and nuances, some easily discernible, others less obvious, but easy to drink, soft with no sharp edges and a good balance.
Sweet. A term applicable to wines in which the sugar content is either naturally high or has been increased by artificial sweetening.
Syrupy. Excessively sweet, cloying, lacking in acidity.
Tannin. One of the major elements in red wine, identifiable in tasting by the mouth puckering effect it produces. Tannin is particularly obvious in fine wines that require aging Bordeaux and Port, for example. It serves as a preservative during the aging process, gradually softening as the wines mature and allowing the fruit flavor to emerge. Tannin forms part of the sediment present in red wines that have aged for a number of years.
Tart. Sharp, overacid.
Tartar. See Crystals.
Thick. Excessively heavy and dense.
Thin. Light and without body; watery. Thin is not a synonym of light, although the words are often incorrectly interchanged.
Tired. Worn-out, past its prime, describing a wine that is fading. Wines can also be tired from traveling or being subjected to treatments such as racking and fining; these wines recover with rest.
Tough. Big and overpoweringly tannic, and therefore difficult to drink.
Unbalanced. Unharmonious-wine in which one or more of the basic elements is weak or overbearing. See also Balance.
Vanilla. The scent of vanilla, which is imparted to some wines by new oak during aging in casks.
Velvety. Smooth, subtle, rich and harmonious, with no edge of harshness.
Vigorous. Lively and strong wine, usually still developing in a healthy way.
Vinegary. The sour, acetic flavor of a wine that has been spoiled by prolonged exposure to the air.
Watery. Lacking in taste and color.
Weak. Lacking in character; low in fruit, acidity, tannin and alcohol.
Weighty. Heavy, powerful, high in alcohol and tannin.
Woody. The smell and taste of wine kept too long in a cask, particularly an old cask with rotten staves.
Yeasty. Smelling of bread, usually signifying that the wine has been exposed to secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Young. Immature, light and fresh-the latter if applied to a wine drunk young.