The taste that stays in the mouth after swallowing wine. Also known as finish, this flavor can be buttery, oaky, spicy, tart, sweet, fresh or bitter.

Wine can age in bottles, barrels, vats, or stainless steel tanks. Many wines improve during the aging process, a process that may take anywhere from five months to five years before the wine is ready to be sold.

the sine qua non of wine, its affects run from the obvious to the not so obvious. Alcohol doesn’t just provide the kick: it gives texture ("body"), flavor (roundness and sweetness) and vinosity (makes it smell and taste like wine) as well as providing balance and a certain chemical and physical stability to wines.

A term for wines with pronounced aroma, particularly those fragrant of herbs, fruits or spices.

A balanced wine is one whose constituents--sugar, acids, tannins, alcohols, etc.--are evident but do not mask one another. A young red wine--tannic and acidic-- is not considered balanced because these two characteristics mask the other flavor elements of the wine, which, given time, may display themselves.

A wine of more flavor, alcohol, etc. than others. A Barolo, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, late-harvest Zinfandel or the like is considered a big wine.

The primary task of a wine maker. Wines from different lots or barrels are blended together to produce the final product. Tradition and regional laws dictate what grape varieties may be blended together to make a certain wine. The wine maker selects the percentages of each type of grape for the final blend.

The weight of the wine in the mouth due to its alcoholic content and to its other physical components.

As opposed to aroma, bouquet is more encompassing. It is the odor which derives from the fermentation process, from the aging in wood and bottle process, and other changes independent of the grape variety used.

To allow a wine to mix with the air. Aeration occurs by decanting the wine in a large container or large wineglass.

Used for fresh, ripe, zesty, lively young wines with vivid, focused flavors.

The protective sheath over the cork and neck of a wine bottle. This keeps the cork from drying out and letting air into the bottle.

A simple glass container with a large wide mouth, often used by restaurants for serving the “house” wine or to be used for decanting.

Refers to any area for the storage of wine, not necessarily underground. Ideally conditions are dark, with a controlled, cool temperature, and high humidity. Wine bottles should be stored on their sides to keep the corks from drying out.

The things that make a wine distinctive. A region's tradition, soils, and grapes combine to produce a wine's character.

Producing sparkling wines in tanks rather than bottles. Used to mass-produce inexpensive sparkling wines.

The skins of the grapes give a wine its color. The longer the juice is in contact with the skins, the more color will be imparted to the wine. Pink or rosé wines are made from red grapes that are only allowed brief contact with the skins. 

An element in all great wines and many very good ones; a combination of richness, depth, flavor intensity, focus, balance, harmony and finesse. 

Wine with a lively acidity level.

The study of wine and wine making.

The action of yeast by which the transformation of sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas takes place.

The process of removing particles from wine after fermentation. Most wines unless otherwise labeled are filtered for both clarity and stability

Wine that is aromatic and flowery. Common fragrances are floral, spice, and fruit such as pineapple, blackberry, peach, apricot and apple. The grape variety is primarily responsible for a wine's fruit fragrances.

This is the lingering of the wine’s fruit and aroma after you have swallowed or spit out the wine; also referred to as the finish. A wine with great length is an indication of quality.

Term used to describe the body or color of a wine. Usually easy to drink and not high in alcohol.

A wine that is long usually means it has a long, persistent finish. Some people also use this term to describe the nose of a wine, should it be very abundant.

Ready to drink.

Wine that is full-flavored and has an appropriate balance of intensely concentrated fruit, alcohol, and acidity.

A wine that is not harsh, overly tannic, or acidic.

The framework of a wine, encompassing the levels of tannin, acidity, and alcohol. Often called “backbone”.

Describes delicate wines with finesse, or flavors that are understated rather than full-blown and overt. A positive characteristic.

Any wine that is made from 100% of one grape, is called a “varietal” wine. Examples would be Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, or Riesling. If there’s only one grape listed on the label, it likely is a “varietal”.

This is the year in which the wine’s grapes were harvested.

The cultivation, science and study of grapes.