Glossary of Wine Terms

We created this glossary of wine terms for all wine lovers, from budding enthusiasts to seasoned connoisseurs, to make the wine world more approachable. This wine dictionary covers essential terms with clear, accessible definitions, helping you deepen your understanding and appreciation without the intimidation of complex jargon.

Find common wine definitions from "A" to "Z"

Acidity to AstringentBalance to BungholeCellar to Cuvée Demi-sec to Full-bodied Herbaceous to Must Negociant to Plonk Ratings to Typicity Ullage to Young
  • acidity — the liveliness and crispness in wine that activates our salivary glands
  • aeration — the deliberate addition of oxygen to round out and soften a wine
  • aging — holding wine in barrels, tanks, and bottles to advance them to a more desirable state
  • alcohol — ethanol (ethyl alcohol), the product of fermentation of sugars by yeast
  • anosmia — the loss of smell
  • appellation — a legally defined region known to produce fine wine
  • aroma — the smell of wine, especially young wine (different than “bouquet”)
  • astringent — tasting term noting the harsh, bitter, and drying sensations in the mouth caused by high levels of tannin

Acidity to Astringent

  • balance — a term for when the elements of wine – acids, sugars, tannins, and alcohol – come together in a harmonious way
  • barrel — the oak container used for fermenting and aging wine
  • barrique  — a 225-liter oak barrel used originally for storing and aging wines, originating in Bordeaux
  • bitter — a taste sensation that is sensed on the back of the tongue and caused by tannins
  • Blend —  a wine made from more than one grape varietal
  • body — a tactile sensation describing the weight and fullness of wine in the mouth. Wine can be light, medium, or full-bodied.
  • Bordeaux — the area in Southwest France is considered one of the most significant wine-producing regions in the world
  • Botrytis — a beneficial mold that pierces the skin of grapes and causes dehydration, resulting in natural grape juice exceptionally high in sugar. Botrytis is largely responsible for the world’s finest dessert wines. (see “noble rot”)
  • bouquet — a term that refers to the complex aromas in aged wines
  • breathing — exposing the wine to oxygen to improve its flavors  (see “aeration”)
  • Brettanomyces —  a wine-spoiling yeast that produces barnyard, mousy, metallic, or bandaid-ish aromas
  • brilliant — a tasting note for wines that appear sparkling clear
  • brut — French term denoting dry champagnes or sparkling wines
  • bunghole — the opening in a cask in which wine can be put in or taken out

Balance to Bunghole

  • cellar — a temperature and humidity-controlled facility to store wine
  • Chaptalization — adding sugar to wine before or during fermentation to increase alcohol levels. Chaptalization is illegal in some parts of the world and highly controlled in others
  • citric acid — one of the three predominate acids in wine
  • claret — the name the English use when referring to the red wines of Bordeaux
  • closed — a term describing underdeveloped and young wines whose flavors are not exhibiting well
  • CMS — the Court of Master Sommeliers. See sommelier courses in America
  • complex — a wine exhibiting numerous odors, nuances, and flavors
  • cork taint — undesirable aromas and flavors in wine often associated with wet cardboard or moldy basements
  • corked — a term that denotes a wine that has suffered cork taint (not wine with cork particles floating about)
  • cru classé — a top-ranking vineyard designated in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855

Cellar to Cru Classé

  • demi-sec — French term meaning “half-dry” used to describe a sweet sparkling wine
  • dry —  a taste sensation often attributed to tannins and causing puckering sensations in the mouth; the opposite of sweet
  • earthy — an odor or flavor reminiscent of damp soil
  • enology — the science of wine and winemaking (see “oenology”)
  • fermentation — the conversion of grape sugars to alcohol by yeast
  • fining — the addition of egg whites or gelatin (among other things) to clear the wine of unwanted particles
  • finish  — the impression of textures and flavors lingering in the mouth after swallowing wine
  • flavors — odors perceived in the mouth
  • foxy — a term that describes the musty odor and flavor of wines made from Vitis labrusca, a typical North American varietal
  • fruity — a tasting term for wines that exhibit strong smells and flavors of fresh fruit
  • full-bodied — a wine high in alcohol and flavors, often described as “big.”

Demi-sec to Full-bodied

  • herbaceous — a tasting term denoting odors and flavors of fresh herbs (e.g., basil, oregano, rosemary, etc….)
  • hot — a description of wine that is high in alcohol.
  • lees — sediment consisting of dead yeast cells, grape pulp, seed, and other grape matter that accumulates during fermentation
  • leesy — a tasting term for the rich aromas and smells that result from wine resting on its lees
  • length — the amount of time that flavors persist in the mouth after swallowing wine; a lingering sensation
  • malic acid — one of the three predominant acids in grapes. Tart-tasting malic acid occurs naturally in many fruits, including apples, cherries, plums, and tomatoes
  • Malolactic fermentation — a secondary fermentation in which the tartness of malic acid in wine is changed into a smooth, lactic sensation. Wines described as “buttery” or “creamy” have gone through “malo
  • mature — ready to drink
  • mouth-feel — how a wine feels on the palate; it can be rough, smooth, velvety, or furry
  • must — unfermented grape juice, including seeds, skins, and stems

Herbaceous to Must

  • negociant — a French word describing a wholesale merchant, blender, or shipper of wine
  • noble rot — see “botrytis.”
  • nose —  a tasting term describing the aromas and bouquets of a wine
  • oak/oaky — tasting term denoting smells and flavors of vanilla, baking spices, coconut, mocha, or dill caused by barrel-aging
  • oenology — the science of wine and winemaking (see “enology”)
  • open — tasting term signifying a wine that is ready to drink
  • oxidation — wine exposed to air that has undergone a chemical change
  • phenolic compounds — natural compounds present in grape skins and seeds (see “tannin”)
  • phylloxera — a microscopic insect that kills grape vines by attacking their roots
  • plonk — British slang for inexpensive wine; also used to describe very low-quality wines

Negociant to Plonk

  • ratings— wine reviews based on a hundred-point scale
  • rosé— pink wines made from red grapes
  • rough — the tactile “coarse” sensation one experiences with very astringent wines
  • sec — the French word for “dry.”
  • sommelier — A wine butler; also used to denote a certified wine professional
  • spicy — a tasting term used for odors and flavors reminiscent of black pepper, bay leaf, curry powder, baking spices, oregano, rosemary, thyme, saffron, or paprika found in certain wines
  • supertaster— an individual with the genetic ability to taste a wider array tannins and other bitter compounds
  • sweet — wines with perceptible sugar contents on the nose and in the mouth
  • tannins — the phenolic compounds in wines that leave a bitter, dry, and puckery feeling in the mouth
  • tartaric acid — the principal acid in grapes- promotes flavor and aging in wine
  • terroir — French for geographical characteristics unique to a given vineyard
  • texture — a tasting term describing how the wine feels on the palate
  • typicity — a tasting term that describes how well a wine expresses the characteristics inherent to the variety of grape

Ratings to Typicity

  • Ullage— the space left in bottles and barrels as wine evaporates
  • Vegetal — tasting term describing characteristics of fresh or cooked vegetables detected on the nose and in the flavors of the wine. Bell peppers, grass, and asparagus are common “vegetal” descriptors
  • Vinification — the process of making wine.
  • Vinology — the scientific study of wines and winemaking.
  • Vitis Vinifera — the species of wine that comprises over 99% of the world’s wine
  • Vintage — the year a wine is bottled—the yield of wine from a vineyard during a single season
  • Weight — similar to “body,” the sensation when a wine feels thick or rich on the palate
  • Wine — fermented juice from grapes
  • Wine glass— a drinking vessel specially designed to tasting wine
  • Wine-tasting — the act of perceiving flavors in wine by using the three esses: see, swirl, sniff, sip, and savor
  • Yeast — a microorganism endemic to vineyards and produced commercially that converts grape sugars into alcohol
  • Yield — the productivity of a vineyard
  • Young — an immature wine that is usually bottled and sold within a year of its vintage. Wines meant to be drunk “young” are noted for their fresh and crisp flavors

Ullage to Young