Acetic. Term applied to wines which have undergone acetification and to the odour of such wines.
Acid. Term applied to a wine containing an excessive amount of acid, usually a wine made from grapes not completely ripe.
After taste. Tate left in the mouth by wines after they have been tasted.
Agreable. Pleasant character of a well-balanced wine.
Amber. Colour of a wine resembling that of amber.
Astringent. The characteristic flavour of wines which produces an unpleasant chemical stimulus in the mouth, due to an excessive level of ethyl acetate.
Aroma. The odour of wines. Primary aroma is derived from the grapes. Secondary aroma derives from fermentation. Tertiary aroma (bouquet) develops during maturation and aging.
Aromatic. Term applied to wine with a very pronounced aroma, usually made from grapes with aromatic flavour and aroma such as the Muscats.
Blind tasting. Tasting wines of which the origin and identity are not previously disclosed to the tasters.
Bitter. Taste that causes an unpleasant and persistent sensation of acridity in the mouth due, in particular, to certain polyphenols.
Body. The character imparted to a wine which is rich in dry extract, vinous and complete.
Bouquet. Odoriferous quality of a wine, particularly the odour of fine wines acquired during aging.
Brilliant. Term applied to wines, particularly white wines, which are free of any visible suspended matter and have a sparkling clarity.
Butyric. Rancid odour of some spoiled wines.
Casky taste, woody taste. Taste imparted to wines during storage in new or badly kept casks, by substances extracted from the wood of the containers.
Cleared. Term applied to a wine which was deposited its suspended material and become clear.
Cooked taste. Taste acquired by must or wine when heated to high temperatures, particularly if heated in the presence of air. Aroma or taste coming from grape crops which are over ripe.
Corked taste, corkiness, corky. Taste imparted to bottled wines by defective or mouldy corks.
Decanter: A special glass bottle, usually glass-stoppered, used for serving wine that has been removed from its original container, in order to facilitate the perception of its aroma.
Delicate. Term applied to the flavour and aroma of some fine wines. A delicate wine is light, well-balanced and soft.
Dull. Term applied to wines which have a distinct colloidal haze, but which are free of visible suspended material; hazy. Wine with faint turbidity.
Earthy taste. Special taste resulting from the type of soil on which the grapes were grown.
Fine. Term applied to wines of high quality.
Flavour. Impression given by must or wine when taken into the mouth.. Includes sensations gained by the taste organs and also by the olfactory receptors.
Flowery. Aroma of a wine which suggests the perfume of a flower, especially in young wines.
Flinty odour. A characteristic odour taste of some dry wines made from grapes grown on certain siliceous soils.
Fragrance. Term applied to a well developed and pleasing aroma.
Fragrant. Term applied to wines with pronounced and pleasing aroma.
Fresh. Term applied to wines containing adequate but not excess acidity, which produces a refreshing pleasant sensation.
Fruity.1)Young wine having fresh fruit-like flavour. 2) In Australia the term is often applied to wines which are slightly to moderately sweet.
Full. Term applied to a wine complete and well balanced, rich in alcohol and extract.
Garnet-red. Characteristic colour which some red wines assume on aging, and which resembles that of the precious stone called garnet.
Golden colour. A yellow colour, desirable in certain white wines.
Hard. Term applied to wine which is poorly balanced and in which acidity predominates.
Harmonious. Term applied to wine which is well-balanced.
Harsh. Term applied to wines which produce an unpleasant chemical stimulation in the mouth.
Herbaceous. Taste of the wine from certain cultivars. Characterizes a plant odour reminiscent of green grass, imparted by hexanol or hexanal.
Hydrogen sulphide odour. Objectionable taste and odour due to the presence of hydrogen sulphide resulting from the reduction of sulphur or of sulphur dioxide.
Light. Term applied to a wine low in alcohol, extract and colour but which may be well-balanced.
Limpid , clear. Term applied to a wine free from suspended matter.
Lively. Term applied to a fresh wine with medium acidity and good keeping qualities. Wine having a brilliant colour.
Mellow. The smoothness which quality wines acquire with age. Often associated with richness in extract and glycerine.
Metallic flavour. Unpleasant flavour of some wines heavily contaminated with metals.
Mouldy taste, musty taste. Flavour imparted to a wine by mouldy grapes or storage in mouldy casks.
Mousiness. Disagreeable flavour and aroma of wines recalling the smell of mice results from bacterial infection.
Orange tint. Colour of certain white wines, which appear somewhat orange by reflected light.
Pale rose. Light tawny colour which some red wines acquire on oxidation.
Pale wine. A red wine of a pale colour, almost rose.
Pasty, doughy. Term applied to some very heavily coloured wines rich in dry extract.
Pharmaceutical taste. Unpleasant taste sometimes acquired by wines sotred near odoriferous chemicals.
Pricked. Term applied to wines spoiled by acetic acid bacteria.
Putrid. Term applied to a wine having a foul nauseating odour of organic decomposition.
Rich. Term applied to a well-balanced smooth wine rich in alcohol, extract and glycerine.
Round. The taste impression given by a supple, mellow wine which is not hard and which is full of finesse.
Ruby. Bright red colour of certain wines. Such wines are free from brown or purple tints.
Salty. One of the basic tastes, mainly due to mineral salts.
Sensory evaluation. Examination of a wine by the sense of sights, smell and taste
Smoke taste. The special taste of some wines, usually somewhat harsh and recalling that of smoke.
Sour-sweet, sweet-sour. The taste of a wine which contains excess acid and is at the same time sweet. Sometimes due to the presence of mannitol and lactic acid formed by bacteria.
Spoiled, unsound. Term applied to wine showing some evidence of spoilage.
Stained wine. A white wine which has acquired a pink tint through being placed in casks which previously held red wine. Wine made from grapes with white juice and coloured skins, containing trace amounts of anthocyanins.
Stale. Lack of bouquet and freshness of a wine through too much aeration or infection with film yeasts.
Subtle. Tasting term applied to aroma or perfume which is fine and delicate.
Sulphur taste. Taste of wine containing excess of SO2.
Supple, smooth, soft. Term applied to wines of quality which have a fine round texture, and pleasant to drink.
Tart. Term applied to wine with high acidity made from grapes not completely rip.
Taste of lees. Unpleasant taste acquired by wines kept for too long on their lees.
Tastevin, tasting cup. A small shallow cup usually of silver used by a wine waiter for tasting wine.
Tasting. Determining the quality and characteristics of wine by means of the organs of taste and smell.
Tasting glasses. Glasses of special shape to enable one to appreciate the flavour of wines. They are used for tasting.
Thin. Term applied to a wine deficient in alcohol, extract and colour, which lacks of body.
Turbid, cloudy. Term applied to wine which is not clear because of the presence of large amounts of colloidal material or suspended particles.
Unbalanced. Term applied to a wine ini which the various components are not in harmonious proportions.
Unctuous. Term applied to wines which are smooth, soft and full on the palate
Varietal flavour, varietal character. Flavour or aroma characteristic of a particular variety of grape and which is evident in wines made from it.
Velvety. Term applied to fine wine which is mellow and soft as velvet.
Vinous.1)Term applied to a wine tasting as though it has a very high alcohol content. 2)Term applied to the basic odour and flavour of red wine.
Vintage, year of vintage. The year in which a wine was made. This date appears on the labels of wines made in particularly good years and is one reason for the enhanced value of such wines.
Violet. Special aroma of certain wines resembling the perfume of violets.
Well-balanced. Tasting term used to indicate the harmony of wine components.
Wine taster. One who tastes wines to determine or compare their quality.
