Wine Glossary
Every wine term,
clearly explained
From acidity to WSET. Plain-English definitions for every word you will encounter on a label, wine list, or tasting note.
A
Acidity
The tartness or sharpness in a wine, felt mainly on the sides of the tongue. High acidity makes a wine taste crisp and fresh. Low acidity makes it feel flat or flabby. Acidity also helps wine age well.
Aeration
Exposing wine to air before drinking. Aeration allows harsh tannins to soften and volatile aromas to dissipate. Done by swirling in the glass, decanting, or using an aerator.
Appellation
A legally defined wine-producing region. Rules vary by country but typically govern which grapes can be grown, yields, and how the wine must be made. Examples: Bordeaux, Napa Valley, Rioja.
Aromas
The smells detected in a wine. Primary aromas come from the grape (fruit, flowers, herbs). Secondary aromas come from fermentation (bread, yeast, cream). Tertiary aromas develop with ageing (leather, tobacco, earth, spice).
Astringency
A drying, puckering sensation in the mouth caused by tannins. Common in young red wines, especially those made from thick-skinned grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo.
B
Balance
When a wine's components (acidity, tannin, alcohol, fruit, sweetness) are in harmony with each other. No single element dominates. Balance is a key marker of wine quality.
Biodynamic
A holistic farming philosophy that treats the vineyard as a self-sustaining ecosystem. Goes beyond organic farming to incorporate lunar cycles and specific preparations. Promoted by Rudolf Steiner.
Body
The weight and fullness of a wine in the mouth, often described as light, medium, or full. Body is influenced by alcohol, extract, and residual sugar. Full-bodied wines feel rich and heavy; light-bodied wines feel lean and delicate.
Bordeaux blend
A wine made from grape varieties native to Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec for reds; Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon for whites.
Botrytis
A fungus (Botrytis cinerea) that under the right conditions causes "noble rot," concentrating sugars and adding complexity in grapes used for great sweet wines like Sauternes and Tokaji.
Bretanomyces (Brett)
A spoilage yeast that can add earthy, barnyard, or band-aid aromas to wine. Small amounts are considered complex and desirable by some; large amounts are considered a fault.
C
Chaptalization
The addition of sugar to grape must before fermentation to increase the final alcohol level. Legal in some cooler wine regions where grapes struggle to ripen fully. Illegal in most warm wine regions.
Complexity
A wine that offers multiple layers of aroma and flavour that evolve in the glass and on the palate. Complexity is generally associated with higher quality and is often developed through ageing.
Corked
A wine fault caused by TCA (trichloroanisole), a compound produced when certain fungi react with chlorine compounds. Corked wine smells of damp cardboard or wet newspaper. Affects roughly 1-3% of wines sealed with natural cork.
Cru
French for "growth." Refers to a specific vineyard or estate, often with a quality classification attached. Grand Cru is the highest classification in Burgundy and Alsace.
D
Decanting
Pouring wine from its bottle into a separate vessel (decanter) to aerate it and separate it from any sediment. Particularly useful for young tannic reds and old wines with sediment.
Dry
A wine with little or no residual sugar, meaning the fermentation has converted almost all grape sugars to alcohol. Most table wines are dry. The opposite of sweet.
F
Fermentation
The process by which yeast converts grape sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide. Primary fermentation produces wine from grape juice. Secondary (malolactic) fermentation converts sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid.
Finish
The taste and sensation that lingers after swallowing wine. Length of finish is a key quality indicator: a short finish of a few seconds is typical of simpler wines; a long finish of 30 seconds or more marks a great wine.
Fortified wine
A wine to which grape spirit (brandy) has been added during or after fermentation, raising the alcohol level to 15-20%. Examples: Port, Sherry, Madeira, Marsala.
G
Grand Cru
The highest vineyard classification in Burgundy and Alsace. In Saint-Emilion and other Bordeaux appellations it has a different meaning. Generally denotes a vineyard or wine of the highest quality.
Green
A tasting term describing herbaceous or unripe characteristics in a wine. Can suggest underripe grapes or cool growing conditions. Sometimes desirable (Sauvignon Blanc) but often a fault in red wine.
L
Lees
The sediment of dead yeast cells and grape particles left after fermentation. Wines aged "sur lie" (on the lees) develop a creamy texture and yeasty, bready character. Common in Muscadet and Champagne.
Length
How long the flavours of a wine persist on the palate after swallowing. Often used interchangeably with finish. Measured in seconds: long (30+), medium (10-30), short (under 10).
M
Malolactic fermentation (MLF)
A secondary fermentation in which sharp malic acid (think green apples) is converted to softer lactic acid (think milk). Makes wines feel rounder and creamier. Almost always used in red wines and often in oaked white wines like Chardonnay.
Minerality
A tasting term describing flavours and aromas reminiscent of wet stone, chalk, slate, or gunflint. Common in wines from certain terroirs, such as Chablis and German Riesling. Scientifically debated but widely used.
N
Natural wine
Wine made with minimal intervention: organic or biodynamic farming, native yeasts, no additives, and little or no sulfur. No single legal definition exists. Style ranges from fresh and precise to funky and oxidative.
Negociant
A wine merchant who buys grapes or wine from growers, blends and ages them, then sells under their own label. Common in Burgundy and Champagne, where many top producers do not own vineyards.
O
Oak
Barrels made from oak are used to ferment and age wine, adding flavours of vanilla, toast, cedar, spice, and coffee. Also allows micro-oxygenation, which softens tannins and adds complexity. French and American oak have different flavour profiles.
Organic wine
Wine made from grapes grown without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilisers. Certification requirements vary by country. Organic viticulture does not restrict what additives can be used in the winery.
P
Palate
The taste sensations experienced in the mouth when drinking wine. Also refers to an individual's accumulated taste experience and ability to identify and describe wine characteristics.
Pet-Nat (Petillant Naturel)
A naturally sparkling wine made by the methode ancestrale: bottled before primary fermentation is complete so it finishes in the bottle. Usually low in alcohol, cloudy, and slightly funky. A natural wine favourite.
R
Residual sugar (RS)
The sugar remaining in a wine after fermentation. Dry wines have RS under 4g/L. Off-dry wines 4-12g/L. Sweet wines 12g/L and above. Note that high acidity can make a wine taste drier than its RS level suggests.
Riddling
In traditional Champagne production, the process of gradually turning and tilting bottles to move sediment (lees) toward the neck before disgorgement. Originally done by hand (remuage), now mostly by machine (gyropalette).
S
Sommelier
A trained wine professional, typically working in a restaurant, responsible for selecting, sourcing, storing, and serving wine. The highest level of sommelier certification is the Master Sommelier (MS).
Structure
The framework of a wine provided by its acidity, tannin, alcohol, and extract. A well-structured wine has these elements in balance. High structure is generally associated with greater ageing potential.
Sulfites (SO2)
Sulfur dioxide, used as a preservative and antioxidant in winemaking. Present naturally in all wine as a by-product of fermentation. Added sulfites must be declared on the label in most countries. Not the cause of wine headaches for most people.
T
Tannin
Naturally occurring polyphenols found in grape skins, seeds, and stems, and in oak barrels. Tannin creates a drying, astringent sensation in the mouth. It is a preservative that allows wines to age. Red wines have significantly more tannin than whites.
Terroir
A French concept describing the combination of soil, climate, topography, and human tradition that gives a wine its unique character of place. The idea that where a vine grows shapes what is in the glass.
V
Varietal
A wine named after the primary grape variety used to make it, such as Chardonnay, Merlot, or Riesling. Common in the New World. European wines are more often named after their appellation.
Vinification
The entire winemaking process from grape to bottle, including crushing, fermentation, ageing, blending, clarification, and bottling.
Vintage
The year in which the grapes were harvested. Vintage variation matters most in cooler regions where weather differences between years are significant. In warm regions, vintages are more consistent.
W
WSET
Wine and Spirit Education Trust. The leading global provider of wine and spirits education, offering qualifications at four levels from Level 1 (introductory) to Level 4 Diploma.