Glossary of Wine Terms

Glossary of Wine Terms : From A for Acidity to Z for Zinfandel A 1. Acidity : Giving white wines their tartness, its what makes your mouth water. Vital component that gives the wine its zip and refreshment value. In the right proportion, gives many wines their balance and longevity. Wines without enough acids are often called flabby. 2. Aftertaste : The taste that lingers in your mouth after swallowing the wine; it should be pleasant. Longer this pleasant taste lingers, finer is the wine. 3. Alsace : Wine region in France, lying near the border it shares with Germany. Famous for dry Rieslings and the uniquely perfumed Gewurztraminer. 4. Appellation : Controlled geographical wine name or region. A geographical area defined under an appellation is where the grapes must be grown for its wine to be named under that appellation. 5. Autolysis : It is a process which involves ageing sparkling wine on lees (along with the dead yeast sediment in the bottle) which leads to it feeding on itself, thereby giving the wine its bready aromas and buttery smooth texture. 6. Amarone : Red wines made from dried grapes, originally from Veneto, Italy. 7. Auslese : German for "select harvest", a Prdikat (Classification System) in Germany and Austria. 8. Aperitif : A wine that is either drunk by itself (i.e. without food) or before a meal in order to stimulate the appetite. B 1. Barrique : Standard Bordeaux barrel with a capacity of 225 litres. 2. Barrel Fermentation : Popular wine making technique where the grape juice is fermented in barrels to produce wine. 3. Bordeaux : Famous wine region in France known for the most expensive red wines in the world. 4. Botrytis : Also know as noble rot, is a fungus affecting grapes, resulting in concentration of sugars and acidity leading to potentially magnificent, long lived, sweet wines. 5. Body : The mouth-feel of a wine, how heavy it feels in the mouth. Body can range from light to medium to full. 6. Bouquet : The complex smell of a mature wine, consisting of various aromas. C 1. Cava : Sparkling wine of Spain from the wine region Catalunya. 2. Chablis : A white wine region in Burgundy, France producing some of the best Chardonnays in the world. 3. Cuvee : French word meaning blend, particularly used for sparkling wines / champagne.

4. Complex : Aromas of wines that come across in layers, scents-within-scents - of fruits, flowers, minerals, animal and vegetal scents. 5. Crisp : When a wine has an attractive, balanced and refreshing acidity, it is said to be crisp. 6. Corked : Wine tainted by a bad cork. Tends to smell like wet cardboard or a wet dog. 7. Cru : French work meaning growth but in wine terms it usually refers to a specific vineyard. D 1. Dry : a term used to describe wines that are tart (white wine) or have a drying effecting in the mouth (red wine), opposite of sweet wines. 2. Domaine : French word, particularly from Burgundy, for a wine producing property. 3. Disgorge : Champagne or sparkling wine production method by which the yeast sediment is popped out of the bottle before the final cork is plugged in. 4. Dom Perignon : A high end, expensive vintage Champagne named after the monk and cellar master who is believed to have invented this bubbly by pioneering the traditional method of bottle fermenting wine to produce Champagne. 5. DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) : Italian wine classification term given to the highest quality wines or wine regions; restricted to a geographical location. E 1. Eiswien : Sweet wine made from frozen grapes. A speciality of Germany; also produced in Austria and Canada. Also know an Ice Wine. 2. Estate bottled : Wine bottled in the same estate where the grapes were grown. 3. Enology : US spelling for Oenology; meaning the study of wine making. 4. Eden Valley : A wine region in South Australia sharing its border with Barossa Valley. Well known for producing high quality Riesling and Shiraz wines. 5. Epernay : A village in the heart of Champagne, France. Home to some of the finest champagne houses including Moet & Chandon. 6. Earthy : Used to denote aromas of fresh, rich, clean soil. An intense smell, more than woody or truffle scents. 7. Elegant : Although more white wines than red are described as being elegant, lighterstyled, graceful, balance red wines can be elegant. F 1. Finish : the lingering aftertaste of a wine that indicated quality; the more persistent the better. Wines are usually described as having a short or long finish. 2. Firm : A wine having attractive tannins that lend a great character and finish to the wine. 3. Flight : A wine tasting involving a series a wines. 4. Full bodied : A term used to describe wines having a rich, full and heavier mouth feel (compared to water)

5. Floral : Usually associate with white wines showing aromas of flowers like elder flower, rose, jasmine, etc. Wines made from Viognier or Muscat grapes have floral aromas. 6. Fruity: A wine having concentrated fruit aromas. 7. First growth : Also known as Cru Classe, a Bordeaux term for vineyard also included in the 1855 Classification that divides the top properties in to 5 divisions first to fifth growth. 8. Fortified wine : A wine to which spirit has been added anytime during the production process. Sherry, Port, Madeira are all fortified wines. G 1. Grand Cru : Very widely used wine classification term in France; used differently in different regions but is usually denote a high quality wine. 2. Green : A term used to describe wines that have unripe green fruit aromas. These are usually made from unripe fruit resulting in wines lacking richness; it is not a good quality to have. 3. Gewurztraminer : Aromatic and peppery white wine thats a specialty of the Alsace region of France. Also found in Germany, Italy and New Zealand. 4. Grenache : A red grape variety originating from Southern Rhone and usually blended with Syrah. It is also a popular grape in Spain where it is known as Grenacha. Also a part of the GSM (Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre) blends that were pioneered in Australia. 5. Garganega : A local Italian white grape variety that makes up at least 70% of the famous wine Soave. 6. Glera : The Italian white grape previously known as Prosecco; main grape varietal that goes into this famous Italian sparkling wine. 7. Gamay : Originating from Beaujolais, Burgundy this is a red grape varietal producing uniquely fresh, fruity and light wines. 8. Graves : Situated on the left bank in Bordeaux, Graves AOC is an important sub-region famed for all of Bordeaux' three main wine types - red, white and sweet wines. 9. Gaja, Angelo : Great winemaker and trend-setter in the Piedmont region of Italy. 10. Gavi : It is an Italian DOCG wine from Piedmont; exclusively made from Cortese, a local white grape varity. H 1. Herbaceous: An term used to describe herb like aromas in wine. Many wines like Sauvignon Blanc and to a lesser extent Merlot & Cabernet Sauvignon, have herb like aromas of thyme, sage, rosemary, and oregano. 2. Hard: A quality resulting from high tannins or high acidity, usually associated with young wines. 3. Harsh: A wine that is too hard is termed as harsh; high astringent wines are termed as harsh. It is not a desirable quality to have in a wine. 4. Hollow: A wine with no depth or flavour, especially on the mid palate. However, it will have some taste at the beginning and at the finish. 5. Honeyed: An aroma/taste of honey that appears in certain white wines.

6. Heady / Hot: Used to describe high alcohol wines. Too much alcohol content can unbalance the wine. However, it is an acceptable quality in port-style wines. 7. Hazy: A wine that doesnt appear clear due to any sediment. Usually associated with unfiltered wines but otherwise considered a flaw in filtered wines. 8. Halbtrocken: A German term meaning off-dry. 9. Horizontal Tasting: An evaluation of wines from a single vintage; the wines may highlight producers from a single region or the same grape variety from many regions, among other permutations. 10. Harmonious: Well balanced wine; not lacking in anything. I 1. IGT: quality classification meaning "wine typical of a region." Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) is one level above the base category, Vino da Tavola. It can also be used by super Tuscans. 2. Intensity: Intensity of a wine can be judged on 2 parameters: appearance and aroma. When talking about appearance intensity refers to the concentration of colour, describing whether it is pale, medium or dark. The more concentrated and dark a wine's colour, the higher its intensity. When the aroma and flavour of the wine is more pronounced, the more intense the wine. Intensity is one of the most desirable traits in a wine. However, these wines must also have balance, layers of flavours and vibrancy. Their intensity should add to their character, rather than subtracting from it. 3. Imperial: A large-format bottle holding 6 liters; the equivalent of eight standard 750ml bottles. 4. Inox vats: This is the French term for stainless steel vats that are used for both fermentation and storage of wine. J 1. Jammy: Wines with a concentrated, intense and flavourful fruit extract with ripe intensity are known as jammy wines. 2. Jeroboam: large-format bottles holding 4.5 liters, or the equivalent of six bottles. 3. Jug Wine: American term for inexpensive table wine (French: Vin de table).

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