G

Gamey/Gamelike - term for one of the flavors/aromas considered particular to Burgundian style Pinot Noir red wines; reminiscent of taste and flavor associated with cooked wild duck and other "gamey" meats; thought to to be caused by contamination with "brett" (brettanomyces strain of yeast); sometimes referred to as animale by French winemakers or "sweaty saddle" by Australians; a major flaw when too strong

Gewürztraminer - white wine grape variety from the wine producing region of Alsace in France

Glycerin/Glycerol - a compound which leaves a sweet taste on the tip of the tongue; higher concentrations found in high-alcohol and late-harvest wines, leading to sensations of smooth slipperiness giving a sense of fullness to the wine body; a natural by-product of the fermentation process

Grape juice - pressed juice from grapes. unfermented grape juice known as "must"

Grapefruity - having a taste reminiscent of grapefruit; characteristic of cool-climate Chardonnays

Grapey - wine has simple, fresh flavors and aromas; often used as adjective alternate for "foxy"

Grassy - lightly vegetal-tasting undertaste often found in Sauvignon Blanc and certain other grape varietals; sometimes the word "gooseberry" used to describe this flavor; In minute amounts, can enhance flavors, but if it becomes more dominant, loses appeal

Green - refers to the taste of wines made with underripe fruit; also - some white wines, especially Riesling, having the greenish color tint indicating youth; does not necessarily mean the sour and/or grassy taste of unripe fruit content

Green harvest - a harvesting of green (unripe) grapes, an attempt to increase the yield of quality grapes

Grenache - a red wine grape of the Rhone Valley of France, and elsewhere (especially Spain). In the southern Rhone, Grenache replaces Syrah as the most important grape (Syrah being more important in the north).

H

Hard - tasting term for a wine that contains too much tannin and is therefore unpleasant; Such wines often take a long time to mature.

Hazy - wines with slight particulate content when viewed against the light; most often occurs in unfiltered or unfined wines, and is not a negative quality; If, however, the haziness is great enough to cause loss of clarity, it may indicate a flawed wine.

Hearty - description of full, warm qualities found in red wines with high alcohol component.; somr examples - the sturdier so-called "jug wines", some California Zinfandels, lesser French Rhone or Algerian red wines, some Australian Shiraz

Hectare - metric measure that equals 10,000 m² (2.471 acres)

Herbaceous - wine with taste and aroma of (usually undefined) herbs; a varietal characteristic of Cabernet Sauvignon, and to less extent, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc grapes

Hock - word used mainly in England for Rhine wines

Hogshead - a wine barrel that holds approximately 239 litres (63 gallons)

Hollow - between "attack" and "finish"; caused by too many grapes on insufficiently pruned vines; if very noticeable, called "empty"

Hot - describes a wine high in alcohol and giving a prickly or burning sensation on the palate; accepted in fortified wines, but not considered as a particularly desirable attribute in Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay; definitely undesirable in light, fruity wines

I

Ice wine (German - eiswein) - wine made from frozen grapes

IGT Indicazione Geografica Tipica - the lowest-ranking of the three categories of Italian wine regulated by Italian law

J

Jamlike, Jammy - most often used in descriptions of California Zinfandel wines made with Amador County grapes; refers to the grapey’s natural berry-like taste

Jeroboam - a large bottle holding three liters, the equivalent of four regular wine bottles

Jug wine - American term for inexpensive table wine, often bought in gallon jugs

K

Kosher wine - wine that is produced under the supervision of a rabbi, and thus ritually pure; commonly, but not necessarily, sweet

L

Late harvest wine aka Late picked wine - wine made from grapes that have been left on the vine longer than usual; usually an indicator of a very sweet (dessert) wine

Lees derived from French term lies as in sur lies - sediment that occurs during and after fermentation, consisting of dead yeast, grape seeds, and other solids; (US winemakers use the term "mud". ) imparts distinctive flavors to the wine; Wine is separated from the lees by racking.

Legs
1) the tracks or rivulets of liquid that cling to the sides of a glass after the contents have been swirled, often said to be related to the alcohol or glycerol content of a wine; Usually higher alcohol content creates more impressive rivulets, due to reduced surface tension effects. also called tears

2) near synonym for "balance"; “Legs” indicates all the basic characteristics necessary for a good wine are present; the wine can stand on its own.

Lemony - Describes a somewhat acidic white wine containing flavors reminiscent of lemon, but otherwise may be well-balanced, with an occasional touch of extra sweetness

Length - a near synonym for "finish”; the aftertaste; the length of time the flavor is present in the throat after swallowing, counted in seconds;
10 seconds is good, 15 is great, 20 is superb

Light - legal definition; low alcohol and/or sugar; has the same meaning as light in “light beer”; contains fewer calories per comparable serving than a regular glass of wine; when used as a tasting term, "light" is usually a polite wa of saying "watered down".

Lightstruck - wine that has had long exposure to ultraviolet light causing "wet cardboard" type aroma and flavor

Liter/Litre - metric measure of volume equal to 33.8 fluid ounces (U.S.) or 35.2 fl oz (imperial)

Lively - a near synonym for fresh; implies barely discernible spritziness; generally used with to white wines more than reds

Look - the casual sensory evaluation of a wine; the first look

Lush - describes wines with high amounts of residual sugar generally only used for sweet dessert wines

M

Maceration - the contact of grape skins with the must during fermentation, which extracts phenolic compounds

Madeirized aka "Sherrified" - wine showing Madeira-like flavor, generally brownish color, evidence of oxidation; sometimes used to describe white wine that has been kept long past its prime; originated from the taste/appearance of Madeira wines

Magnum - bottle holding 1.5 liters, the equivalent of two regular wine bottles

Malolactic fermentation aka malo or MLF - a secondary fermentation in wines by lactic acid bacteria during which tart tasting malic acid is converted to softer tasting lactic acid; commonly used technique for reducing the sharpness of cool climate Chardonnays - the lactic acid component gives an admired "creamy" or "buttery" texture

Marc - French - "fruit skins"

Master of Wine - A qualification (not an academic degree) conferred by The Institute of Masters of Wine, which is located in the United Kingdom

Matchstick - used to describe the odor of sulphur dioxide gas (similar to the smell of burnt matches); found in minute amounts very occasionally trapped in bottled white wines; generally dissipates with airing or decanting

May wine - light German wine flavored with sweet woodruff in addition to strawberries or other fruit

Meager - lacking in body and depth; flavor seems diluted; occurs in some select varietal wines vinified from grapes subjected to late season rain,; other explanations exist

Meaty - with much body, as if you could chew it; (reference is to lean meat, making meaty having less body than "fleshy"

Merlot - variety of wine grape used to create a popular red wine

Merlot (mehr lo) - similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but fruitier & softer in character

Mis en bouteille au château French - "bottled at the winery", usually in Bordeaux.

Mead - wine-like alcoholic beverage made of fermented honey, water, malt, and yeast

Méthode Champenoise - process whereby sparkling wines receive a second fermentation in the same bottle that will be sold to a retail buyer; cf. with Charmat or bulk fermented

Methuselah - Oldest Man in Bible, lived 969 years (Genesis 5:27); also - large bottle holding six liters, the equivalent of eight regular wine bottles

Microoxygenation - the controlled exposure of wine to small amounts of oxygen in the attempt to reduce the length of time required for maturation

Midpalate - the feel and taste of a wine when held in the mouth

Millerandage - French term referring to a viticultural problem in which grape bunches contain berries of greatly differing size and levels of maturity; caused by cool weather during flowering

Mouth-filling - wines possessing intense flavors which seem to affect every sensory nerve in the mouth; usually slightly high glycerin component, and slightly low acid

Mud - sediment that occurs during and after fermentation, consisting of dead yeast, grape seeds, and other solids; (US winemakers use the term "mud".) imparts distinctive flavors to the wine; Wine is separated from the lees by racking. See "Lees"

Mulled wine - wine that is spiced, heated, and served as a punch

Must - unfermented grape juice, including pips, skins and stalks.

Must weight - the level of fermentable sugars in the must and the resultant alcohol content if all the sugar was converted to ethanol

Musty - wine with unpleasant mildew or moldy aromas; caused by improperly cleaned storage vessels, moldy grapes or cork

N

Nebuchadnezzar - large bottle holding 15 liters, the equivalent of 20 regular wine bottles

Négociant (French - "trader") a wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name

New World wine - wines produced outside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa

Noble rot - another name for the Botrytis cinerea mould that can pierce grape skins causing dehydration; resulting grapes produce a highly prized sweet wine, generally dessert wine

Nose - the aroma or bouquet of a wine

Nouveau a.k.a. Nuevo) (French - new) - young, immediately drinkable wine; e.g. nouveau Beaujolais

Nutty - aroma which resembles that of certain sherry wines, often present in table wines exposed to air for a long period; a flaw in red wines, but a desired flavor component in certain white wines by others

O

Oak chips - small pieces of oak wood used in place of oak barrels in fermenting and/or ageing wine

Oaky - the taste or aroma of freshly sawn oak; When a wine, especially a red, is "oaked" just right, the "nose" will carry a bare whiff of vanilla aroma. In overoaked wine, oak flavors overpower other component wine flavors; oak flavor is introduced from contact with storage barrels made from that wood; new oak barrels stronger than older storage barrels; "oaky" components include "vanillin", and so-called "toasty" "charred" or "roasted" elements

Oenology - the science of wine and winemaking

Oenophile - a wine aficionado or connoisseur

Off-dry - a wine that has the barest hint of sweetness; a slightly sweet wine in which the residual sugar is barely perceptible

Oily - the vaguely fat, slippery sensation on the palate in contact with the combination of high glycerin and slightly low acid content; most often encountered in high quality Chardonnays and late harvest sweet wines

Old vine - wine produced from vines that are notably old

Old World wine - wines produced inside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa

Overipe - Left on the vine to dry in the sun, certain grape varietals will develop the desirable "raisiny" character and concentrated sugar necessary for making specialty wines such as the famous Hungarian Tokay. Also used for Zinfandel

P

Palate - the feel and taste of a wine in the mouth

Peppery - term used to describe "spicy" wines, such as Gewurztraminer, Rhone Syrah, and Australian Shiraz wines; hich can almost be described as pungent in quality, being reminiscent of anise, cinnamon, etc., or…pepper

Perfumed - synonym for "floral"; implies a degree of extra residual sugar

pH - acronym for "potential hydrogen", a measure of acidity; lower the pH = higher acidity

Phylloxera - microscopic underground insect that kills grape vines by attacking their roots

Pinot Grigio[/n] (PEE no GREE gee oh)
Crisp & spicy by nature. Hints of orange, apple & bell pepper

[b]Pinot Noir (PEE no nwah) - light-to-medium-bodied; complex, smoky, earthy, velvet texture

Pip - grape seeds

Pipe - a cask holding two hogsheads or 126 U.S. gallons of wine

Plonk - British English slang for an inexpensive bottle of wine; thought to originate from the French word for white wine, "blanc"

Plump - not quite fat, with a certain amount of charm

Pomace aka marc - the skins, stalks, and seeds that remain after making wine

Ponderous - less balanced than a "hearty" or "sturdy" wine; sole impact one of high alcohol and "body" character, with little or no acid/tannin content; e.g. a cheap red wine, similar to a french "vin ordinaire" country wine sold by alcohol content

Port - sweet fortified wine, produced from grapes grown and processed in the Douro region of Portugal; fortified with the addition of distilled grape spirits in order to boost the alcohol content and stop fermentation, thus preserving some of the natural grape sugars; manyl imitations worldwide

Porto - legal name for a true Port wines sold in the United States since imitation ports may be labeled as a "port" there

Potassium sorbate - a wine stabilizer and preservative

Proof symbol - ° - refers to the alcohol content of a beverage;
US - proof represents twice the alcohol content as a percentage of volume - 100° = 50% alcohol;
UK - 100° (also called 100% proof) = 57.06% ethanol by volume, or 48.24% by weight. Absolute or pure ethanol is 75.25 over proof, or 175.25 proof.

Pruney - having the taste of prunes; using overripe, sun-dried grapes can cause this in table wines.

Puckery - astringent

Puncheon - wine barrel that holds approximately 84 U.S. gallons (318 liters)

Punt - the indentation found in the base of a wine bottle, put there to add structural strength to the bottle; punt depth often thought to be related to wine quality, with better quality wines having a deeper punt

Q

Qualitätswein - designation of better quality German wines

Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete - designation of better quality German wines from recognized viticultural areas.

Qualitätswein mit Pradikat - designation of best quality German wines that must conform to specific requirements of origin and composition

R

Racking - the process of drawing wine off the sediment, such as lees, after fermentation and moving it into another vessel

Raisiny - mildly rich flavor due to excessive heat in the growing area which dries out grapes still on the vine; considered a fault in most dry table wines

Refined - a near synonym for "elegant"; well-balanced; generally used for reds, such as Zinfandel, which normally turn "powerful" in the barrel

Residual sugar - percentage, by weight or volume, of the unfermented grape sugar in a bottled wine

Rehoboam - large bottle holding 4.5 liters, the equivalent of six regular wine bottles

Rémuage - part of the Méthode Champenoise process whereby bottles of sparkling wine are successively turned and gradually tilted upside down so that sediment settles into the necks of the bottles in preparation for degorgement

Reserva - Spanish and Portuguese term for a reserve wine

Reserve - term given to wine to indicate that it is of higher quality than usual

Residual sugar aka RS - the level of sugar that remains unfermented in a wine

Reverse osmosis - a process used to remove excess water from wine

Rich - description of a wine that has a full, opulent flavor impression without necessarily being sweet; supplied by alcohol, glycerin and oak vanilla nuances in dry wine; The sweeter wines qualify for this adjective if also characterized by ripe, fruity flavors.

Riddling - aka Rémuage - part of the Méthode Champenoise process whereby bottles of sparkling wine are successively turned and gradually tilted upside down so that sediment settles into the necks of the bottles in preparation for degorgement

Riesling, White Riesling - a variety of grape used to make white wine, grown mainly in Germany; relatively cold climate enables it to produce grapes for some of the best white wines in the world; also is used for high quality wines also in Austria and can be found in countries like Australia, South Africa and Canada; famous for its vivid acidity and fruitiness both in the nose and on the palate

Rim - the edge of wine surface as seen through a "ballon" (goblet) style wineglass held at an angle of about 30-40 deg. from the vertical and viewed against white piece of paper or cloth using natural light; used in evaluation of wine age

Ripe - the varietal characteristics of the grape are present in a well balanced wine; Such wines tend toward being slightly more fruity and sweet than otherwise normal wines.

Robust - a big, full wine

Rosé wines - pink wines that are produced from the shortened contact of red wine juice with its skins, reducing the red color of the wine; can also be made by blending a small amount of red wine with white wine

Rotten Egg - odor of hydrogen sulphide gas in wine. Possibly a characteristic imparted by certain yeast strains; a major flaw

Rough - gives no pleasure; acidity and/or tannin predominant

Round - describes flavors and tactile sensations giving a feeling of completeness with no dominating characteristic; very similar to fat, but more appreciable; tannin, acid and glycerin are present as nuances, not distinct flavors, and do not detract

Ruby Port - style of Port wine that is generally sweet

Rustic - synonym for rough

S

Sack - early English term for what is now called Sherry

Salmanazar - large bottle holding nine liters, the equivalent of 12 regular wine bottles

Sangria - tart punch made from red wine along with various fruits and fruit juices, with added sugar

Sauvignon Blanc (sa veen yaw blahnk) aka Fume Blanc - as its name states, a white wine; versatile & very popular; dry, crisp finish; one of the first fine wines to be bottled with a screwcap in commercial quantities, especially by New Zealand producers; usually consumed young, as it does not particularly benefit from aging (Dry and sweet white Bordeaux, typically made with Sauvignon blanc as a major component, is the one exception.)

Screwcap aka Stelvin - alternative to cork for sealing wine bottles, comprising a metal cap that screws onto threads on the neck of a bottle

Sec - French for dry, except in the case of Champagne, where it means semi-sweet

Secondary fermentation - refers to the continuation of fermentation in a second vessel - e.g. moving the wine from a stainless steel tank to an oak barrel

Sekt - the top-quality category for German sparkling wine, the lowest being Schaumwein; Deutscher Sekt may be used for sparkling wine made entirely from grapes cultivated in Germany

Semi-generic - wines made in the United States but named after places that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau requires be modified by a US name of geographic origin; e.g. New York Chablis, Napa Valley Burgundy, or California Champagne

Sharp - Excess acid dominates the otherwise balanced flavors

Sherry from the Portuguese city Jerez - fortified wine that has been subjected to controlled oxidation to produce a distinctive flavor

Shiraz/Syrah - a variety of grape used to make red wine

Simple - everyday wine, not exceptional, but not with serious faults

Smoke/Smokey - Some use the word in the same sense as the smell/flavor that separates smoked (anything) from ordinary (anything).
Refers to aroma contributed by the charred oakwood in barrels. It can have a variety of impressions - (eg: such as the remains of a burnt-out fire). Needs a variant, such as "wood-smoke" or "barbeque smoke" or "sooty" to fully convey the meaning.

Solera system - a process used to systematically blend various vintages of Sherry

Sommelier - a trained wine expert that often works in fine restaurants

Sour - a near synonym for Acidic; implies excess acid

Sparkling wine - effervescent wine containing significant levels of carbon dioxide

Spätlese - German for "late harvest"

Spicy - a near synonym for "peppery"; implication of a softer, more rounded flavor

Spinning cone column - used to reduce the amount of alcohol in a wine.

Split - a wine bottle that holds approximately 6 oz (175-187 mL) or one-fourth the equivalent of a typical 750 mL bottle; a single-serving

Spritzy - a fairly minor fault, coming sometimes from the onset of a brief secondary malolactic fermentation in the bottle; results in pinpoint carbonation typically released when the bottle cork is pulled; more serious fault in white wines vinified to be dry

Spumante Italian for "sparkling"; generally any sparkling wine from Italy

Stelvin - a brand of screwcap

Still wine - wine that is not sparkling wine

Stoving wine - production method of artificially mellowing wine by exposing it to heat

Sulfites - compounds (typically: potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite) which are added to wine to prevent oxidation and microbial spoilage

Sulphur dioxide - substance used in winemaking as a preservative

Syndicat des Vins de Bordeaux et Bordeaux Superieur - organization representing the economic interests of wine producers in Bordeaux

Sweetness of wine - defined by the level of residual sugar in the final liquid after the fermentation has ceased; However, how sweet the wine will actually taste is also controlled by factors such as the acidity and alcohol levels, the amount of tannin present, and whether the wine is sparkling.

T

T budding - technique that permits grafting of different grape varieties onto existing rootstocks in a vineyard

T.B.A. - abbreviation for the German wine Trockenbeerenauslese

Table wine - generally any wine that is not sparkling or fortified; In the US these wines must also be between 7% and 14% alcohol by volume.

Tannin - polyphenolic compounds that give wine a bitter, dry, or puckery feeling in the mouth

Tart - tasting term describing a wine high in acidity; often displayed by young, unripe wines

Tartaric acid - most important acid found in grapes

Tasting flight - refers to a selection of wines, usually between three and eight glasses, but sometimes as many as fifty, presented for the purpose of sampling and comparison

Tears - see "legs".

Terroir French for "soil" - the physical and geographical characteristics of a particular vineyard site that give the resultant wine its unique properties

Texture - tasting term for the mouthfeel of wine on the palate

Thief aka Pipe - tubular instrument for removing a sample from a cask or barrel

Toast - charcoal that is burned into the inside of wine casks; to toast refers to that process; also - refers to the practice of drinking an alcohol beverage along with wishing good health or other good fortune

Transparency - ability of a wine to clearly portray all unique aspects of its flavor-fruit, floral, and mineral notes; opposite would be a wine were are flavors are diffused and thoroughly integrated

Trocken - German for "dry"

Trockenbeerenauslese - German for "dry berry selected"; type of German wine made from vine-dried grapes, grapes which can be so rare that it can take a skilled picker a day to gather enough for just one bottle

Tun - wine cask that holds approximately, two butts, or 252 U.S. gallons

Typicity - wine tasting term used to describe how much a wine expresses the typical characteristics of the varietal

U

Ullage -aka Headspace - the unfilled space in a wine bottle, barrel, or tank

Unoaked aka Unwooded - refers to wines that have been matured without contact with wood/oak such as in aging barrels

V

Varietal - wines made from a single grape variety

Vermouth - fortified wine that has been flavored with as many as 40 herbs and spices; comes both sweet (red) and dry (white)); white often in Martinis, red in Manhattans

Vertical and horizontal wine tasting - In a vertical tasting, different vintages of the same wine type from the same winery are tasted. This emphasizes differences between various vintages. In a horizontal tasting, the wines are all from the same vintage but are from different wineries. Keeping wine variety or type and wine region the same helps emphasize differences in winery styles.

Vigneron - French for vine grower

Vin - French for wine

Viña - Spanish for vineyard

Vine - plant on which grapes grow

Vinegar - sour-tasting, highly acidic, liquid made from the oxidation of ethanol in wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice, or nearly any other liquid containing alcohol

Vineyard - place where grape vines are grown for wine making purposes

Vinho - Portuguese for wine

Vinho verde - an effervescent white wine produced in Portugal

Viniculture aka enology (or oenology)- the art and science of making wine; not to be confused with viticulture

Vinification - the process of making grape juice into wine

Vino - Italian and Spanish, originally derived from Latin, for wine

Vintage - year in which a particular wine's grapes were harvested; when indicated on a label, signifies that all the grapes used to make the wine in the bottle were harvested in that year

Viticulture - the cultivation of grapes; not to be confused with viniculture

Vitis labrusca - breed of grapes native to North America; see also Foxy

Vitis viniferous - breed of grapes native to Europe

Volatile acidity - the level of acetic acid present within a wine

W

Waiter's friend - popular type of corkscrew used commonly in the hospitality industry

Wine - alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of unmodified grape juice

Winery - building, property, or company that is involved in the production of wine

Winemaker - person engaged in the occupation of making wine

Wine-press - device, comprising two vats or receptacles, one for trodding and bruising grapes, and the other for collecting the juice

Wine cave - large cave that is excavated to provide a cool location for storing and aging wine; similar to wine cellar

Wine cellar - cool, dark location in which wine is stored, often for the purpose of ageing

Wine fault - undesirable characteristics in wine caused by poor winemaking techniques or storage conditions

Wine fraud - any form of dishonesty in the production or distribution of wine

Wine label - descriptive sticker or signage adhered to the side of a wine bottle

Wine lake - the continuing surplus of wine over demand (glut) being produced in the European Union

Wine tasting - the sensory evaluation of wine, encompassing more than taste, but also mouthfeel, aroma, and color

Y

Yeast - a microscopic unicellular fungi responsible for the conversion of sugars in must to alcohol; This process is known as alcoholic fermentation.

Young - wine that is not matured and usually bottled and sold within a year of its vintage

Z

Zymology - the science of fermentation.

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