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Wine Tasting - Wine tasting terms Category: Food and Drink > Wine tasting Date & country: 28/10/2013, UK Words: 193

Hard
Describes the texture of a red wine that usually has high acidity or tannin.

Heady
Describes a wine that is attractively high in alcohol.

Herbaceous
The taste and smell of herbs, desired in wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and to a lesser degree, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Guenoc Valley
Guenoc Winery is the sole resident of this appellation at the southern end of Clear Lake.

Grown, Produced and Bottled By
This term on a label means that each step of the process from grape growing to bottling was handled by the winery on the label.

Green
Grapes seem unripe or the wine especially herbaceous or grassy.

Green Valley-Sonoma
Green Valley-Sonoma is located at the southwestern end of the Russian River Valley. It is a very cool appellation, with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay dominating for use in still and sparkling wines.

Grenache
Planted widely around the world, this variety is probably best known for its part in some of the best wines from the Rhone region of France. In California it is also used as a blending grape and increasingly in some delightful rose wines.

Fruity
Ripe-tasting flavors that remind one of various fruits. Most common in young wines. Not to be confused with sweetness.

Gewurztraminer
This grape is made in a range of styles in California from dry and light to very sweet, complex dessert styles. Elsewhere in the world, Gewurztraminer makes some of the finest wines from the Alsace region of France.

Grassy
A descriptor for Sauvignon Blanc that can either be pleasant and delicate or overdone.

Flabby
Describes a wine that is soft and lacking acidity.

Floral
Describes a wine that has the characteristic aromas of flowers.

Flowery
An attractive floral aroma, particularly desirable in certain white wines.

Fortified
A wine whose alcohol content has been increased by the addition of brandy or neutral spirits. The most common examples are Ports.

French Colombard
This is the most widely planted grape in California and almost all of it goes into jug wines.

Fresh
Describes a wine that displays lively, clean and fruity flavors.

Finish
The aftertaste of a wine -- can be simple and short or long and very complex.

Fining
A technique used for clarifying wine.

Finesse
Describes a wine that possesses smoothness, intrigue and elegance.

Filtering
The process of removing particulate matter from wine after fermentation. Most wines are filtered after fermentation for both clarity and stability.

Fiddletown
Zinfandel is king in this appellation in the foothills bordering the California Shenandoah Valley.

Estate Bottled
Used on a label to describe a wine made from grapes either owned or controlled by the winery.

Extra Dry
A common term used in Champagne and sparkling wines to describe a wine that is actually very sweet.

Fat
Describes a wine that has mouthfilling flavor and texture.

Fermentation
The process by which sugar is converted by yeast into alcohol and carbon dioxide and by which grape juice becomes wine.

Enology
The science and study of winemaking.

Edna Valley
Chardonnay is the star in this very cool (temperature-wise) region south of San Luis Obispo.

El Dorado County
Grapes grown here are at some of the highest elevations in California -- some as high as 3,000 feet. Most varieties are grown here, but Zinfandel is the leader.

Elegant
Describes a wine that is generally medium bodied, with great balance, and tremendous harmony of all components.

En Tirage
(French) Refers to time a sparkling wine has rested in the bottle in contact with the yeast sediment from the secondary fermentation.

Decanting
The process by which wine is poured carefully from the bottle into another container (a decanter) to remove sediment and aerate the wine before drinking.

Distinctive
Describes a wine that has a unique overall character.

Dry
A wine with no perceptible taste of sugar.

Dry Creek Valley
This valley, located north of the Russian River Valley and west of the Alexander Valley seems to be a mecca for Zinfandel.

Complex
Describes a wine that has many different aspects or dimensions to it in terms of flavors, aromas and color.

Crush
The time in the harvest season when the grapes are picked.

Closed
Describes a wine that has character and depth, but these qualities seem masked at a particular stage in its development.

Complete
Describes a wine that is well-balanced with all its expected components in place.

Clone
A group of vines originating from a single, individual plant propagated asexually from a single source.

Clear Lake
Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon do well in this region. The local wine industry thrived here at one time years ago; several producers now keep the tradition alive.

Clarksburg
Located in the vast delta of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers, this area is best known for Chenin Blanc.

Clean
Describes a wine that is refreshing, and agreeable -- without off-putting flavors and/or aromas.

Chiles Valley
This is part of the Napa Valley appellation even though it is located to the east of the main valley.

Chenin Blanc
Most of the acreage devoted to Chenin Blanc in California is in the Central Valley and most of the production from those vineyards has traditionally gone into jug wines. Chenin Blanc is arguably the most versatile of all wine grape varieties. Crisp, dry table wines, light sparkling wines, long-lived, unctuous, nectar-like dessert wines, and even br...

Chalone
This is a single-winery appellation in the Gavilan Mountains near Pinnacles National Monument east of Soledad.

Charbono
Inglenook was the lone champion for this variety for many years. Some of the wines made from this grape were interesting, but not great. Virtually no Charbono plantings remain in California.

Chardonnay
Anyone who has had even the briefest exposure to wine has heard of Chardonnay. Chardonnay clearly produces the finest white wines in California -- the best are rich, full with much tropical fruit and oak.

Chalk Hill
Taking its name from the chalky, volcanic soils, Chalk Hill sits between the southern Alexander Valley and the Russian River Valley to the west.

Central Coast
This large appellation includes several distinct appellations and several coastal counties from the south end of the San Francisco Bay Area to nearly Ventura in the south.

Carneros
This appellation, also called Los Carneros, sits at the southern end of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. This is a very cool climate region where Chardonnay and Pinot Noir have emerged as the best varieties here and are used in both still and sparkling wines.

Cedary
The smell of cedar usually associated with Cabernet Sauvignon and similar blends aged in French oak.

Cellared By
Indicates that the wine was purchased from another source and bottled by the winery on the label.

Carmel Valley
Located in Monterey County, southwest of the town of Carmel, this appellation skirts the mountains as it runs inland. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay are the best varieties produced here.

Carignane
Only a few wineries bottle varietal Carignane these days, but this grape's claim to fame is its history as one of the major components of California jug wines.

Carbonic Maceration
Fermentation of whole, uncrushed grapes caused when their weight breaks their skins, eventually leading to a breakdown of grape skins.

California Shenandoah Valley
Zinfandel is the star in this Sierra Foothills region. Not to be confused with the Shenandoah Valley wine region in Virginia.

Cabernet Franc
One of several grapes that make up the traditional Bordeaux blends, Cabernet Franc is gaining acceptance as a varietal wine in California. Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon, making a bright pale red wine and contributing finesse and a peppery perfume to blends with more robust grapes. Depending on the growing region and style of win...

Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of red wines not only in California, but also around the world. The primary grape in the greatest red wines from Bordeaux in France, Cabernet makes big, intense and delightfully complex wines in California.

Bright
Describes a wine that is fresh, youthful and lively.

Browning
This is a sign that a wine is mature or may be maturing too quickly. Browning is first noticeable on the edge of the wine in a glass. In a young wine it can be a sign of too much oxidation, while it is acceptable and expected in an older wine as part of the aging process.

Brut
Generally used by sparkling wine producers to describe their driest wine.

Buttery
Used to describe the smell or flavor of melted butter, usually related to toasty oak. It can also be a reference to a smooth texture.

Bouquet
The smell of a wine derived specifically from vinification and/or aging, as opposed to the fruit aromas by themselves.

Bottled By
Label language that tells you a wine was likely purchased elsewhere and only bottled by the brand owner.

Bitter
A basic taste in wine usually associated with excess tannin or stem contact.

Blanc de Noirs
This term is most commonly used in sparkling wines, where it describes a white or pale pink wine made from red or black grapes.

Body
Substance -- an impression of weight -- rather than lightness.

Bottle Shock
This often occurs when a wine has been shaken vigorously after bottling or extended shipping. This action causes the wine to tasted distinctly out of character. Allowing the wine to rest for several days will remedy this condition.

Big
Describes a wine that is strong, round and satisfying.

Barrel Fermented
Describes the practice of fermenting wine in small oak barrels instead of larger wood or stainless steel tanks.

Backbone
Describes the structure of a wine and usually refers to the level of acidity in a wine.

Backward
Describes a wine that is young and less developed than others of its age and type.

Balanced
Contains all the elements (acid, alcohol, flavors) in appropriate and pleasing proportions.

Balthazar
Describes an oversized bottle equivalent to 12 to 16 750ml bottles.

Barbera
Few wineries produce wine from this grape anymore, but some see its crisp acidity and berry flavors as distinctive enough to single out and bottle separately.

Atlas Peak
High in the Eastern mountains above the Napa Valley is this remote appellation, best know so far for Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese.

Austere
Describes a wine that lacks depth and full flavors.

Awkward
Describes a wine that is clumsy or is out of balance.

Aroma
Refers to the pleasant or desirable odor, characteristic of the unfermented grape.

Arroyo Grande
South of Edna Valley on the Central Coast, this very cool region is home to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards.

Astringent
The puckery feel one gets in his mouth when drinking a particularly tannic red wine.

Ampelography
The study of grape varieties.

Anderson Valley
This valley contains some of California's most eclectic wines and wine producers. Cool, coastal fog influences this valley, stretching from near the Pacific Ocean east to the mountains separating it from Cloverdale, Hopland and Ukiah.

Appearance
Describes a wine's clarity, not its color.

Appellation
A French term that refers to the place where a wine's grapes were grown. In France, appellation has a very strict definition and many rules that apply to its use, while in California those rules are a bit more relaxed. In order to use a specific appellation, it is defined by geographic boundaries based on topography, climate and soil types are rece...

Alicante Bouschet
Traditionally used as a blending grape for its full flavors and dark color, a few wineries have made varietal bottlings.

Amador County
Best known for the Zinfandel produced there, this Sierra Foothills region sits at 1,500 to 2,500 feet elevation.

American Viticultural Area
(AVA) An official geographical grape-growing area that has been recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for its geographic distinctiveness.

Aftertaste
The flavors remaining in the mouth after the wine has been tasted or swallowed.

Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol, a chemical compound formed by the action of yeast on the sugar content of grapes during the process of fermentation.

Alexander Valley
This northern Sonoma County appellation sits at the top of Sonoma County with the Dry Creek Valley to the west and the Russian River Valley to the south. Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay make the best wines.

Acidity
Sensation felt along the sides of the tongue producing qualities like crispness and liveliness when good. When lacking, wine becomes flat or flabby, too much makes a wine too sharp.