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There are a lot more terms than what follows, but we have compiled some common terms to help you talk (and understand) the language of “wine.”
General Terms:
Austere: The wine is kind of stiff or tight, sort of hard. Hard to tell other traits.
Balance: Describing the relationship between tannin, acid and alcohol. You want to drink a "well-balanced" wine.
Big: A strong, perhaps alcoholic wine. It is a good wine that can get better.
Buttery: A sort of smooth feel and taste, like butter. Most often seen in white wines, which have undergone malolactic fermentation.
Dry: If sugar remains in the wine it is sweet. When it isn't sweet, it’s dry.
Flabby: A bland tasting wine that isn't going to get any better.
Grassy (orherbaceous): Smells like grass. Often seen in Sauvignon Blanc.
Hard: A wine that has a lot of tannin still in it, like a young fine red. The tannin keeps you from tasting the other qualities of the wine, which will come out through maturation.
Nose: The totality of what you smell.
Thin: A watery sort of wine.
Terminology found on the label:
Grape Variety : The grape variety is the best indication of taste.
Region: Where the wine comes from is the next best indicator. As European wines don't always state grape varieties, some information about regions will help.
Terroir: Terroir is a fancy description for soil, climate and exposure. These factors can influence the grape style and flavour and ultimately the flavour of the wine.
Vintage: The word "vintage" is often bandied around to denote something special. It simply refers to wine from a particular year, and not all "vintage" years are good!
A few confusing wine phrases and words to dismiss:
Supérieur: does not necessarily refer to superior wine. The French term "supérieur" and its Italian equivalent merely indicate that the wine has a slightly higher alcohol content.
Grand vin: on Bordeaux labels means that it is the main wine of the winery, rather than a great wine.
Reserve: is often misleading. In some countries it refers to wines that have been matured in oak for longer than standard wines. In other countries it means nothing.
Ignore generalizations such as "classic ", "limited release", "special." They are simply marketing phrases to make the wine seem more unique.
Regional Terminology:
French:
Cru - refers to wine from a high-quality vineyard
Sec - dry
Brut - dry (Champagne)
Demi-sec - off dry (fairly sweet for Champagne)
Doux - sweet
Liquoreux - very sweet
German:
Trocken - dry
Halbtrocken - off dry
NOTE: If not stated, German wines tend to be slightly sweet
Italian:
Secco - dry
Semisecco - medium dry
Abboccatoor Amabile - medium sweet
Dolce - sweet
Spanish:
Seco – dry
Semi-seco – medium dry
Dulce – sweet
Portuguese:
Verde – young wine ("green")
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