A
Acidity: Fresh, tart taste that gives wine liveliness, crispness and balance.
Aeration: Letting wine breathe (via swirling, decanting) to release aromas.
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): The percentage of alcohol in wine.
Amphora: Clay vessel used since ancient times for fermenting/aging wine.
Appellation: A legally defined wine-growing area (e.g., Napa Valley, Rioja).
Assemblage: French term for blending different wines.
Astringent: Dry, puckering mouthfeel from tannins.
B
Balance: When acidity, tannin, alcohol, and fruit are in harmony.
Barrique: A 225-liter oak barrel, standard in Bordeaux.
Biodynamic Wine: Wine made following holistic farming methods aligned with lunar cycles.
Blanc de Blancs: Sparkling wine made only from white grapes (often Chardonnay).
Blanc de Noirs: Sparkling wine made from black grapes (e.g., Pinot Noir).
Blend: Wine made from more than one grape variety.
Body: Weight or fullness of wine on the palate (light, medium, full).
Botrytis (Noble Rot): Beneficial fungus that produces concentrated sweet wines.
Bouquet: Complex aromas that develop in aged wine.
Bright: Fresh, zesty flavors (often high-acid whites).
Brut: Dry style of sparkling wine.
C
Carbonic Maceration: Fermentation method yielding fruity, low-tannin wines (e.g., Beaujolais).
Cava: Spanish sparkling wine, made in the traditional Champagne method.
Cellaring: Storing wine for aging.
Chaptalization: Adding sugar to grape must to increase alcohol (regulated by law).
Claret: British term for red Bordeaux wine.
Clone: A genetic variant of a grape variety (e.g., Pinot Noir has many clones).
Complex: Wine showing many layers of aromas and flavors.
Corked: Wine spoiled by cork taint (TCA). Gives a musty smell/taste.
Crémant: French sparkling wine made outside Champagne using the same method.
Cuvée: Blend of wines, often used to describe sparkling wine base blends. (Sometimes the “first press” juice).
D
Decanting: Pouring wine into another vessel to separate sediment or aerate.
Demi-Sec: Moderately sweet sparkling wine.
Denomination (DOC, AOC, DO, etc.): Regional wine classification system (varies by country).
Dosage: Sugar added to sparkling wine after secondary fermentation.
Dry: Wine with little or no residual sugar.
E
Earthy: Aroma/flavor reminiscent of soil, mushrooms, forest floor.
Elegant: Refined, subtle, and balanced wine.
Élevage: French term for the maturation process of wine before bottling.
Estate Bottled: Wine made and bottled at the winery from its own grapes.
F
Fermentation: Process where yeast converts sugar into alcohol.
Fining: Clarification process using agents like egg whites or bentonite.
Finish: The lingering taste after swallowing wine.
Fortified Wine: Wine with added spirit (e.g., Port, Sherry).
Frizzante: Lightly sparkling Italian wine.
Fruit-forward: Dominated by fruit aromas/flavors.
G
Grand Cru: Highest vineyard classification in regions like Burgundy/Alsace.
Gran Reserva: Spanish classification: long aging in barrel and bottle.
Grenache: A versatile grape, key in Southern Rhône and Spanish wines.
H
Hard: Harsh wine with too much tannin or acidity.
Harvest: Grape picking season.
Heat Damage (Cooked Wine): Wine spoiled by excessive heat during storage/shipping.
Herbaceous: Aroma/flavor of fresh herbs or green leaves.
I
IGP / IGT: European ‘Protected Geographical Indication’ wine label (mid-tier).
Ice Wine (Eiswein): Sweet wine made from grapes frozen on the vine.
J
Jeroboam: Large wine bottle size (varies: 3L in Bordeaux, 4.5L in Champagne).
Jammy: Ripe, cooked fruit character, often in warm-climate reds.
K
Kosher Wine: Wine made under Jewish dietary laws.
Kabinett: German Prädikat category for light, semi-dry Riesling.
L
Late Harvest: Wine made from grapes harvested later for higher sugar.
Lees: Dead yeast/sediment left after fermentation. Aging ‘on lees’ adds texture.
Legs/Tears: Streaks that form on glass after swirling; related to alcohol/glycerol.
Length: How long the wine’s flavor lingers after swallowing.
Light-bodied: Wine that feels delicate, with low alcohol and tannin.
M
Maceration: Soaking grape skins in juice to extract color/tannins.
Magnum: 1.5L bottle (twice a standard bottle).
Malolactic Fermentation (MLF): Secondary fermentation that converts sharp malic acid to softer lactic acid, giving creamy/buttery notes.
Méthode Traditionnelle: Classic Champagne method of making sparkling wine.
Minerality: Aroma/flavor of wet stone, chalk, flint.
Monopole: Vineyard owned exclusively by one winery.
Mousse: The bubbles/foam in sparkling wine.
N
Négociant: Wine merchant who buys grapes/wine to sell under their label.
New World: Wine regions outside Europe (Australia, USA, Chile, etc.).
Nose: The smell or aroma of wine.
NV (Non-Vintage): A blend of wines from different years to maintain house style.
O
Oaky: Vanilla, spice, or smoky flavors from oak barrels.
Off-dry: Slightly sweet wine.
Oxidation: Reaction with oxygen; can add complexity (nutty flavours) or spoil wine.
Oxidized: Wine exposed to too much oxygen; tastes flat, like sherry or vinegar.
Old World: Traditional European wine regions.
P
Pet-Nat (Pétillant Naturel): Natural sparkling wine made via ancestral method.
Phylloxera: Vine-destroying pest that devastated vineyards in the 19th century.
Premier Cru: High-quality vineyard ranking (below Grand Cru in Burgundy).
Prosecco: Italian sparkling wine made primarily from Glera grapes.
Q
QbA (Qualitätswein): German quality wine classification.
QmP (Prädikatswein): Top-tier German classification based on grape ripeness.
R
Racking: Transferring wine off the lees or sediment.
Reduced: Sulfur-related fault; smells of rotten eggs, struck match.
Reductive: Winemaking that aims to minimise oxygen exposure.
Reserva / Riserva / Réserve: Labels used in Europe indicating higher aging or quality standards (rules vary by country).
Residual Sugar (RS): Sugar left after fermentation; affects sweetness.
Riddling: Rotating sparkling wine bottles to collect sediment.
Rosé: Pink wine made by limited skin contact or blending red & white wines.
Round: Soft, smooth texture in wine.
S
Serving Temperature: Usually – Whites: chilled, Reds: slightly below room temp.
Silky / Velvety: Smooth texture, often in well-aged reds.
Sommelier: Wine professional, typically in restaurants.
Sparkling Wine: Wine with dissolved CO₂ bubbles.
Structure: Framework of acidity, tannin, alcohol, fruit.
Supple: Soft, approachable wine with low tannins.
Sur Lie: Wine aged on lees for added richness.
T
Tannin: Naturally occurring compounds (from grape skins, seeds, stems, oak) that create bitterness, structure, and astringency.
Tears/Legs: Streaks that form on glass after swirling; related to alcohol/glycerol.
Terroir: Soil, climate, and geography that influence a wine’s character.
Trocken: German term for dry wine.
Trop: French for ‘too much’ (e.g., trop acide = too acidic).
U
Umami: Savory taste sometimes noted in aged or earthy wines.
Unoaked: Wine made without aging in oak barrels.
V
Varietal: Wine named for its dominant grape variety.
Variety: Refers to grape/grapes used to make wine.
Vendange Tardive: French term for late-harvest wines.
Vertical Tasting: Tasting wines from the same producer across different vintages.
Vintage: The year grapes were harvested.
Vinification: Winemaking process.
Volatile Acidity (VA): Excess acetic acid; vinegary aroma or nail-varnish remover aroma.
W
Whole Cluster Fermentation: Using entire grape clusters (stems included).
Wine Fault: Any flaw (cork taint, oxidation, volatile acidity).
X
Xarel·lo: Spanish white grape, key in Cava production.
Y
Yield: Amount of grapes harvested per vineyard area. Lower yields often mean higher quality.
Yeast: Microorganisms that convert sugar into alcohol during fermentation.
Z
Zesty: Lively, citrus-driven character in wine.
Zinfandel: Popular Californian grape (Primitivo in Italy).
Zero Dosage: Sparkling wine with no added sugar after disgorgement.