Wine Glossary
114+ essential wine terms from A to Z
Acidity
The tartness of a wine, essential for balance and freshness
Aeration
Exposing wine to air to enhance its aromas and flavors
Aftertaste
The flavor that remains in the mouth after swallowing wine
Aging
The process of maturing wine to develop complexity and smoothness
Alcohol
Ethanol produced during fermentation, measured as ABV percentage
Appellation
A legally defined wine-growing region
Aroma
Scents derived from the grape variety itself, distinct from bouquet
Assemblage
The art of blending different grape varieties or vintages
Astringent
A drying, puckering sensation caused by tannins
Balance
Harmony between a wine's acidity, tannins, alcohol, and fruit
Barrel Aging
Storing wine in oak barrels to add complexity
Bâtonnage
Stirring wine on its lees to add richness and texture
Biodynamic
Organic farming that follows lunar cycles and natural preparations
Blanc de Blancs
White wine made exclusively from white grapes
Blanc de Noirs
White wine made from red/black grapes
Blend
Wine made from multiple grape varieties
Body
The weight and texture of wine in your mouth (light, medium, full)
Botrytis
Noble rot fungus that concentrates sugars for dessert wines
Bouquet
The complex aromas that develop with age
Breathe
Allowing wine to be exposed to air before serving
Brut
A dry style of sparkling wine with minimal sugar
Cellar
A cool, dark place for storing and aging wine
Chaptalization
Adding sugar to grape must to increase alcohol level
Charmat Method
Sparkling wine method using large tanks instead of bottles
Clarity
The visual clearness of a wine, absence of cloudiness
Clone
A genetic variation of a grape variety
Corked
Wine contaminated by TCA, giving musty/wet cardboard smell
Cru
French term for a vineyard or group of vineyards of recognized quality
Cuvée
A specific batch or blend of wine
Decanting
Pouring wine into another vessel to separate sediment or aerate
Demi-Sec
A semi-sweet style of sparkling wine
Dosage
Sugar added to sparkling wine before final corking
Dry
Wine with little to no residual sugar
Earthy
Flavors reminiscent of soil, minerals, or forest floor
Elegant
Wine with finesse, balance, and subtlety
Estate Bottled
Wine made entirely from grapes grown on the winery's property
Extract
The soluble solids in wine that contribute to body and mouthfeel
Fermentation
The process where yeast converts sugar into alcohol
Filtering
Removing particles from wine before bottling
Fining
Clarifying wine by adding agents that bind to particles
Finish
The aftertaste that lingers after swallowing
Flabby
Wine lacking acidity, tasting dull and lifeless
Fortified
Wine with added spirits, like Port or Sherry
Fruit Forward
Wine where fruit flavors dominate over other characteristics
Full-Bodied
Wine with rich, heavy weight and powerful flavors
Grand Cru
The highest classification of vineyard in French wine regions
Grassy
Herbaceous, green flavors often found in Sauvignon Blanc
Green Harvest
Removing unripe grapes to concentrate flavors in remaining fruit
Grip
The tactile sensation of tannins on the palate
Herbaceous
Aromas and flavors of herbs, grass, or vegetables
Hot
Wine with excessive alcohol that creates a burning sensation
Ice Wine
Sweet wine made from grapes frozen naturally on the vine
Jammy
Concentrated, cooked fruit flavors in wine
Late Harvest
Wine made from grapes left on the vine longer to concentrate sugars
Lees
Dead yeast cells and sediment that settle after fermentation
Legs/Tears
Streaks of wine that cling to the glass, indicating alcohol content
Length
How long the flavors persist after swallowing
Maceration
Soaking grape skins in juice to extract color, tannins, and flavor
Magnum
A bottle size equal to two standard bottles (1.5 liters)
Malolactic Fermentation
Secondary fermentation converting malic to lactic acid
Meritage
American Bordeaux-style blend
Minerality
Flavors reminiscent of wet stones, chalk, or slate
Monopole
A vineyard under single ownership
Mousseux
French term for sparkling wine
Mouthfeel
The tactile sensations of wine in the mouth
Must
Freshly pressed grape juice before or during fermentation
Négociant
A wine merchant who buys grapes or wine from growers
Noble Rot
Botrytis cinerea fungus that creates complex sweet wines
Nose
The aroma or bouquet of a wine
Oak
Wood used for barrels that imparts vanilla, spice flavors
Oaky
Pronounced oak influence with vanilla, toast, or spice notes
Off-Dry
Wine with a hint of sweetness
Old Vines
Grapevines typically over 35-50 years old, producing concentrated fruit
Organic
Wine made from grapes grown without synthetic chemicals
Oxidation
Chemical reaction with oxygen that can spoil wine
Palate
The flavors and textures perceived in the mouth
Pétillant
Slightly sparkling wine
Phenolics
Compounds including tannins and anthocyanins from grape skins
Phylloxera
A vine pest that devastated European vineyards in the 1800s
Plonk
Informal term for cheap, low-quality wine
Premier Cru
First growth classification in French wine hierarchy
Punt
The indentation at the bottom of a wine bottle
Racking
Transferring wine between containers to remove sediment
Residual Sugar
Natural grape sugar remaining after fermentation
Riddling
Rotating sparkling wine bottles to collect sediment
Rosé
Pink wine made from limited skin contact with red grapes
Sec
French term meaning dry
Sediment
Solid particles that settle in aged wine
Single Vineyard
Wine made from grapes of one specific vineyard
Sommelier
A trained wine professional
Spicy
Flavors of pepper, clove, cinnamon, or other spices
Structure
The framework of wine created by tannins, acidity, and alcohol
Sulfites
Sulfur compounds used as preservatives in wine
Sur Lie
Wine aged on its lees for added complexity
Sweet
Wine with noticeable residual sugar
Tannins
Compounds from grape skins providing structure and dryness
Tartrates
Harmless crystal deposits that form in wine
Terroir
The complete natural environment where grapes are grown
Toasty
Aromas of toasted bread from oak aging
Ullage
The air space between wine and cork in a bottle
Unoaked
Wine fermented and aged without oak contact
Varietal
Wine named after its primary grape variety
Vegetal
Green, plant-like flavors in wine
Vertical Tasting
Tasting multiple vintages of the same wine
Vigneron
A grape grower and winemaker
Vin de Table
Basic table wine category
Vinification
The complete process of winemaking
Vintage
The year grapes were harvested
Viticulture
The science and practice of grape growing
Woody
Excessive oak flavors dominating the wine
Yeast
Microorganisms that convert sugar to alcohol during fermentation
Yield
The amount of grapes or wine produced per area of vineyard
Young
Wine that is fresh and has not been aged significantly
Zesty
Wine with bright, refreshing acidity