The ABC's of Wine Lingo!

A few articles back I used a wine word that caused some confusion among readers. It made me think that at some point it might be a good idea to devote a column to the explanation of a few commonly used “wine speak” words. There are hundreds of wine words. Some used to describe certain qualities in the taste of wine and others used as descriptors of the wine making process. Here are a few of the most important to know when talking and tasting wine.

Acidic- Wines need natural acidity to taste fresh and lively, but an excess of acidity results in an acidic wine that is tart and sour. Fruity-Would be on the other end of the scale and refers to the natural fruit sweetness in a wine. A balance of the two is what you are after! Aftertaste or Finish- A tasting term for the taste left on the palate after wine has been swallowed. Appellation - A geographical based term to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown. Aroma, Bouquet, Nose- The smell of a wine. Balance-The harmonious relationship of the components of wine - acids, fruit,tannins, alcohol, etc. - resulting in a well proportioned, or well balanced, wine. To me the most important quality for a wine to have is balance! AVA- An American Viticultural Area is a designated wine grape-growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features, with boundaries defined by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB).
Blending- The mixing of two or more different varietals or parcels of wine together by winemakers to produce a consistent, finished wine that is ready for bottling. Laws generally dictate what wines can be blended together, and what is subsequently printed on the wine label. Brix- A measurement of the dissolved sucrose level in a wine. Corked- A tasting term for a wine that has cork taint. Dry Wines with zero or very low levels of residual sugar. The opposite of sweet, except in sparkling wines, where dry means sweet. Estate wine- Wine made from grapes grown at that winery. Late harvest wine- Also known as late picked,wine made from grapes that have been left on the vine longer than usual. Usually an indicator for a very sweet or dessert wine. Legs- The tracks of liquid that cling to the sides of a glass after the contents have been swirled. Often said to be related to the alcohol or glycerol content of a wine although there is some debate about this. As one expert put it “ In other words, looking at legs is an entertaining diversion while imbibing, like looking at a lava lamp, but it is not very informative.”
I would agree. Means nothing to the overall quality or taste of the wine. Oaked or unoaked wines - Referring to wines aged in oak barrels or with oak chips or wines made with no oak.

Residual sugar- Also known as RS, the level of sugar that remains unfermented in a wine. Tannin- Compounds that give wine a bitter, dry, or puckery feeling in the mouth. Tasting flight - Refers to a selection of wines, usually between three and eight glasses,but sometimes as many as fifty, presented for the purpose of sampling and comparison. Terroir- (Pronounced tare whar )French for "soil", the physical and geographical characteristics of a particular vineyard site that give the resultant
wine its unique properties. Varietal- Type of grape i.e. Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir. Vintage- The year in which a particular wine's grapes were harvested. When a vintage year is indicated on a label, it signifies that all the grapes used to make the wine in the bottle were harvested in that year.