Wine Glossary

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A

Aeration: Letting a wine "breathe" in the open air by swirling it in a glass. It is debatable whether aerating bottled wines (mostly reds) improves their quality. Aeration can soften young, tannic wines, but it may fatigue older ones.

Aftertaste: The flavors that linger on the tongue after tasting, spitting or swallowing wine. Also called the "finish," it is the most important factor in judging a wine's character and quality. The best wines have rich, long, complex aftertastes.

Amaro: Italian for bitter. It is used to describe several types of digestives

Aroma: The smell of a wine, especially in the first years of maturity, when the prevalent smell is related to the grapes (also called primary).

Aromatic: A descriptor for a wine whose odor smells of the grapes from which it was made. The scent is constant.

Astringent: A descriptor for the textural sensation of the dryness and roughness left in the mouth (more precisely, on the gums and palate) by wines high in tannin, acid or both.

B

Balance: The agreement of the main components (alcohol, sugar, acid, and the like) in a wine, usually achieved by fine wines in the form of balance of flavors.

Barrel-aged: It is said of wines that are fermented in stainless steel or other inert vessel and then aged for a variable period of time in wood (usually oak) barrels.

Big: A descriptor for wines that are rich, full, intense, and usually high in alcohol.

Body: The textural impression of the wine's weight in the mouth, a combination of alcohol and sugar, rather than flavor intensity. Subcategories are light-bodied, medium-bodied and full-bodied.

Bottle-age: A part of the maturation process that takes place in the bottle before release. It allows the wine to reach chemical and organoleptic stability, and to develop more complex aromas and flavors.

Bouquet: The complex smell of an aged, mature wine, usually related to floral and earthy items rather than to fruity ones.

C

Complex: A descriptor for fine wines that have many layers of aromas and flavors, usually well integrated by maturity.

Crisp: A descriptor for wines that feel clean, fresh, and slightly pungent in the mouth. Opposite of "soft".

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