A

Acetic
Vinegary taste or smell that develops when a wine is overexposed to air. 

Acidity 
All wines naturally contain acids, which should be in proper balance with fruit and other components. 
Sufficient acidity gives liveliness and crispness and is critical for wines to age. 

Aftertaste 
The flavor impression the wine leaves after it is swallowed. Also referred to as the "finish" of a wine. 
Fine wines have a lingering finish, or aftertaste. 

Aroma 
The smell of a wine, especially young wines. 

Aromatic 
A term for wines with pronounced aroma, particularly those redolent of herbs or spices. 

Astringent 
The "puckerish" quality of high tannin content, which has the effect of drying out the mouth. Many young 
red wines are astringent because of tannin. 

Austere 
Somewhat hard, with restrained fruit and character. 

B 

Balance 
Harmony among the wine's components -- fruit, acidity, tannins, alcohol; a well-balanced wine possesses 
the various elements in proper proportion to one another. 

Big 
Powerful in aroma and flavor; full-bodied. 

Bitter 
Usually considered a fault in but characteristic of such wines as Amarone and certain other Italian 
reds. 

Body 
The weight and texture of a wine; it may be light-bodied or full-bodied. Often refers to alcohol 
content. 

Botrytis Cinerea 
A mold that attacks certain grapes, producing honeyed sweet wines like Sauternes and late-harvest 
Rieslings. 

Bouquet 
The complex of aromas that develops with age in fine wines; young wines have aroma, not bouquet. 

Breed 
Similar to good bloodlines and handling, as in racehorses; the result of soil, grapes and vinification 
techniques that combine to produce depth and distinctive character in a wine. 

Brix 
Term used to measure the sugar content of grapes, grape juice (must) or wine. Grapes are generally 
harvested at 20 to 25 Brix, resulting in alcohol after fermentation of 11.5 to 14 percent. 

Brut 
Term for dry Champagne or sparkling wine. 

Buttery 
Descriptor for rich flavor and smoothness of texture, somewhat akin to the oiliness and flavor of 
butter. More often refers to oak-aged white wines than reds; many Chardonnays and white Burgundies are 
said to have buttery aromas and flavors. 

C

Chewy 
Wines with unusual thickness of texture or tannins that one almost "chews" before swallowing. 

Clean 
Fresh, with no discernible defects; refers to aroma, appearance and flavor. 

Closed 
Young, undeveloped wines that do not readily reveal their character are said to be closed. Typical of 
young Bordeaux or Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as other big red wines. 

Coarse 
Rude or harsh in flavor; clumsy or crude. 

Complete 
Mature, with good follow-through on the palate, satisfying mouth-feel and firm aftertaste. 

Complex 
Multifaceted aroma and/or flavor. Most wines considered great exhibit a combination of flavor and aroma 
elements. 

Cooked 
Heavy, pruney flavor; also said of wines from very hot growing regions or wines that are overripe. 

Corked, Corky 
Smelling of cork rather than wine; due to a faulty cork. 

Crisp 
Fresh, brisk character, usually with high acidity. 

D 

Deep 
Having layers of persistent flavor that gradually unfold with aeration. 

Delicate 
Light fragrance, flavor, and body. 

Developed 
Mature. A well-developed wine is more drinkable than an undeveloped one. 

Distinctive 
Elegant, refined character that sets the wine apart on its own. 

Dry 
Opposite of sweet; somewhat subjective in that tasters may perceive sweetness to varying degree. 

Dull 
Lacking liveliness and proper acidity; uninteresting. 

Dumb 
Not revealing flavor or aroma; closed; typical of wines that are too young or too cold. 

E 

Earthy 
Smell or flavor reminiscent of earth. A certain earthiness can be appealing; too much makes the wine 
coarse. 

Elegant 
Refined character, distinguished quality, stylish, not heavy. 

Extra Dry 
A term used on Champagne labels to indicate not-quite-dry; not as dry as Brut. 

F 

Fat 
Full of body and flavor; fleshy. 

Fine 
Distinguished. 

Finesse 
Distinctive balance; fineness; elegance and flair. 

Finish 
Aftertaste, or final impression the wine leaves; it can have a long finish or a short one (not 
desirable). 

Firm 
Taut balance of elements; tightly knit structure; also distinct flavor. 

Flat 
Dull, lacking in liveliness; wine without sufficient acid. 

Flavor 
How the wine tastes. 

Fleshy 
Fatness of fruit; big, ripe. 

Flinty 
Dry, mineral character that comes from certain soils, mostly limestone, in which the wine was grown; 
typical of French Chablis and Loire Valley Sauvignon Blancs (Sancerre). 

Flowery 
Aroma suggestive of flowers. 

Forward 
Developed ahead of its peers; also, when the fruit is prominent, it is said to be forward. 

Foxy 
The "grapey" flavors of wines made from native American grapes, Vitis labrusca. 

Fruity 
Aroma and/or flavor of grapes; most common to young, light wines but refers also to such fruit flavors 
in wine as apple, black currant, cherry, citrus, pear, peach, raspberry, or strawberry; descriptive of 
wines in which the fruit is dominant. 

Full-bodied 
Full proportion of flavor and alcohol; big, fat. 

G 

Green 
A wine made from unripe grapes that is tart and lacking fruit flavor. 

Grip 
Firmness of flavor and structure. 

H 

Hard 
Stiff, with pronounced tannins; undeveloped. 

Harmonious 
All elements -- fruit, acid, tannin -- in perfect balance 

Harsh 
Rough, biting character from excessive tannin or acid. 

Heady 
High in alcohol, very full-bodied 

Herbaceous 
Aromas reminiscent of fresh grass or hay; grassy, as in certain Sauvignon Blancs; also the green pepper 
character of some Cabernets. 

Herby 
Reminiscent of herbs, such as mint, sage, thyme, or of eucalyptus. 

Honest 
Without flaws, typical and straightforward, simple but not great. 

Honeyed 
Smell or taste reminiscent of honey, characteristic of late-harvest wines affected by "noble rot" 
(Botrytis cinerea). I 

Intricate 
Interweaving of subtle complexities of aroma and flavor. 

L 

Legs 
The viscous rivulets that run down the side of the glass after swirling or sipping, a mingling of 
glycerin and alcohol.  Length 
Lingering aftertaste. 

Light 
Refers to wines light in alcohol but also to texture and weight, how the wine feels in the mouth. 
Lightness is appropriate in some wines, a defect in others. 

Lively 
Crisp, fresh, having vitality. 

Long 
Fine wines should have a long finish, or aftertaste; see Length. 

Luscious 
Rich, opulent, and smooth; most often said of sweet wines but also intensely fruity ones. 

M 

Maderized 
Wine that has oxidized; has brown or amber color and stale odor. 

Mature 
Fully developed, ready to drink. 

Meaty 
A wine with chewy, fleshy fruit; sturdy and firm in structure. 

Mellow 
Smooth and soft, with no harshness. 

Moldy 
Wines with the smell of mold or rot, usually from grapes affected by rot or from old moldy casks used 
for aging. 

Muscular 
Vigorous fruit, powerful body and flavor; robust. 

Musty 
Stale, dusty or rank aromas. 

N 

Noble 
Great; of perfect balance and harmonious expression. The so-called "noble" grapes are those that produce 
the world's finest wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Riesling 
(some would also include Syrah, Nebbiolo and Sangiovese). 

Nose 
The smell of the wine; it may have a "good nose" or an "off-nose," meaning defective odors. 

Nutty 
Nutlike aromas that develop in certain wines, such as sherries or old white wines. 

O 

Oak, oaky 
Aroma and flavor that derive from aging in oak casks or barrels. Characterized by smokiness, vanilla, 
clove or other spices. Should not be overly pronounced. 

Off-dry 
Not quite dry, a perception of sweetness too faint to call the wine sweet. 

Off-flavors (also off-aromas or off-nose) 
Not quite right; flavors or odors that are not correct for a particular type of wine; opposite of clean; 
defective. 

Open 
Revealing full character. 

Oxidized 
Flat, stale or sherrylike aroma and flavor; spoiled as the result of overexposure to air. 

P 

Petillant 
A light sparkle. 

R 

Rich 
Full, opulent flavor, body and aroma. 

Ripe 
Mature, fully ripe fruit. 

Robust 
Full-bodied, powerful, heady 

Rough 
Harsh edges, biting, unpleasant. 

Round 
Smooth and well-developed flavor, without angularity or rough edges. 

S 

Sharp 
Biting acid or tannin. 

Short 
Refers to finish, or aftertaste, when it ends abruptly. 

Silky 
Smooth, sinuous texture and finish. 

Simple 
Opposite of complex; straightforward. 

Smoky 
Aroma and flavor sometimes associated with oak aging. 

Soft 
May refer to soft, gentle fruit in delicate wines, or to lack of acidity in wines without proper 
structure; used on a label occasionally to indicate low alcohol. 

Solid 
Sound, well structured, firm. 

Sour 
Sharply acidic or vinegary 

Sparkling 
Wines with bubbles created by trapped carbon dioxide gas, either natural or injected. 

Spicy 
Having the character or aroma of spices such as clove, mint, cinnamon, or pepper. 

Spritzy 
Slight prickle of carbon dioxide, common to some very young wines; frizzante in Italy. 

Steely 
Firmly structured; taut balance tending toward high acidity. 

Stiff 
Unyielding, closed; dumb. 

Strong 
Robust, powerful, big. 

Structure 
The way a wine is built; its composition and proportions. 

Stuffing 
Big, flavorful, full-bodied wines are said to have "stuffing." 

Sturdy 
Bold, vigorous flavor; full-bodied; robust. 

Sulphur, SO2 
An anti-oxidant used in making most wines; the fermentation process creates minute natural amounts. 

Supple 
Yielding in flavor; a wine that is readily accessible for current drinking. 

Sweet 
Usually indicates the presence of residual sugar, retained when grape sugar is not completely converted 
to alcohol. Even dry wines, however, may have an aroma of sweetness, the combination of intense fruit or 
ripeness. Considered a flaw if not properly balanced with acidity. 

T 

Tannin 
A natural component found to varying degrees in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes; most prominent in 
red wines, where it creates a dry, puckering sensation in young reds of concentrated extract; mellows 
with aging and drops out of the wine to form sediment; a major component in the structure of red wines. 

Tart 
sharp; acceptable if not too acidic. 

Thick 
Dense and heavy in texture. 

Thin 
Lacking body and flavor. 

Tired 
Past its peak of flavor development; old. 

Tough 
Astringent or hard; wiry; tannic. 

V W 

Watery 
Thin, lacking in flavor. 

Weak 
Lacking grip typical for the wine; without character 

Weedy 
Aromas or flavors reminiscent of hay or grasses; not necessarily unpleasant unless exaggerated. 

Weighty 
Strong, powerful, full-bodied, forceful. 

Woody 
Excessive aromas of wood, common to wines aged overlong in cask or barrel. 

Y 

Yeasty 
A bready smell, sometimes detected in wines that have undergone secondary fermentation, such as 
Champagne; very appealing if not excessive. 

Young 
In simple wines signifies youthful freshness; in finer wines, refers to immaturity, wines as yet 
undeveloped

Vanilla 
A scent imparted by aging in oak. 

Velvety 
Smooth and rich in texture. 

Vigorous 
Firm, lively fruit, strong body; assertive flavor. 

Vinegary 
Having the smell of vinegar; see also Acetic. 
Volatile, Volatile Acidity (VA)
Smells of acetic acid and/or ethyl acetate, quite disagreeable when excessive though a tiny amount may 
enhance aromas