The Language of Wine
Do you love wine but then struggle finding the ‘right words’ to describe it? Or are you on your way to becoming a wine expert and need a de-brief on terminology for wine tasting?
What does complex mean? Or what is a primary aroma? What is a smooth wine?
We are on a mission to teach you how to fish… for wine! This is a second in a new series of articles to help you master wine tasting with the first that focused on wine pairing with food thinking of Thanksgiving around the corner. That’s not to say that we have many other wine tips and tricks like this natural wine lingo article and this one on pairing foods with sweet wines.
In this article we outline the key descriptive wine words, common terms you may hear thrown about during a wine tasting. We want you to feel comfortable in knowing common wine terminology and start to put it in practice. That is really the process of mastering wine speak.
A wine with good acidity, the dry Albana white wine from Romagna.
The Terminology of Wine Tasting
As a quick note on how to wine taste, first, always look at the wine in the glass, observing color, second, smell the wine (now is when you can practice your swirling techniques!), and lastly, taste and sip the wine. This allows you to observe each important sector of the wine characteristics singularly, without them impeding on each other. Now that you know the how to taste the wine, let’s dive into some words to describe wine!
Acidity
Definition: Acidity in wine can also be described using the terms, fresh or crisp. Usually quantified as low, medium or high, acidity is recognized by a sharp flavor on the tongue (especially the sides) that provokes salivation, and the more acidity, the more salivation. Both red and white wines can have noticeable acidity, and all wines contain some form of acidity, just some grapes have a more perceptible acidity than others. For a longer discussion on the place of acidity in wine, see our previous article specifically about acidity.
Taste wines with acidity: Ivaldi | Piccona Barbera d'Asti & Braschi | Albana | Organic White Wine
Aromas (Primary/Secondary/Tertiary)
Definition: Aromas are the individual smells you are able to discover in a wine’s bouquet (read further on for this definition). These are the descriptors you often hear such as ‘peaches’ or ‘herbaceous notes’. Aromas can come from different aspects of winemaking, and are broken up into three categories (primary, secondary, and tertiary) to differentiate how those aromas came to be in the wine. For example, primary aromas come from the grape itself (most identifiable in aromatic varieties, again, defined below) and the fermentation process. These are the fruity and floral notes. Secondary aromas come from the winemaking process, after fermentation. Examples of secondary aromas are toasted breads/pastries, butter, coconut, vanilla, or coffee. Lastly, tertiary aromas come from a long aging process, so not all wines will have them. These tertiary aromas are usually deep like leather, earth, spices, nuts, and found most commonly in wines that have considerable bottle aging, such as Barolo or Brunellos.
Taste wines with primary, secondary and tertiary aromas: Primary - Antonella Piatti | Falavospa Erbaluce | Organic White Wine (aromas of field flowers and fruits); Secondary - Vigna Petrussa | Friulano | Natural Wine (from six months aging on the lees); Tertiary - Aldo Clerico | Barolo (spicy leather and tea leaf aromas)
Aromatic
Definition: Aromatic is a descriptor of the smell of a wine reserved specifically for a set category of grapes, known as aromatic varieties. These are grapes that have distinct flavors and aromas that are present in both the raw-on-the-vine grape, and in the bottled wine. A part of the primary aromas, the four most famous aromatic grapes are: moscato, brachetto, gewürztraminer, and malavasia. However, there are also some grapes that are known as semi-aromatic, such as sauvignon blanc, and are noted for their distintive and powerful aromas.
Taste aromatic wines: Ivaldi | Susbel Brachetto d'Acqui | Sweet Semi-Sparkling Red Wine and Ivaldi | Ros du Su Moscato d'Asti | Semi-Sparkling Sweet Wine
Balance
Definition: Balance is primarily talked about while tasting wine. Elements of wine, such as acidity, tannins, sweetness, or alcohol, all create certain sensations in the mouth. Balance is about setting all of these elements on a similar scale, a lot like Goldilocks, searching for the ‘just right’ amount of each in relation to each other.
For example, when one considers a very notable acidity, keeping some residual sugar (definition below) in the wine gives it sweetness and creates a yin-yang effect for a nice balance. In fact, one way to recognize a balanced wine is its drinkability: an unbalanced wine might become difficult to continue drinking after a while, or you might get tired of it, while a balanced wine normally is one you want to keep sipping and sipping and sipping.
Taste balanced wine: Vigna Petrussa | Picolit Sweet Wine
This Lugana White Wine from Northern Italy has a great body.
Body
Definition: Body is also evaluated on the palate, but unlike balance, which is based on taste, body is more about the tactile sensations produced by the wine. Evaluated as light body or full body, the more tactile sensations, like sweetness, acidity, or tannins that one feels (as well as how well they work together) the closer a wine moves to being full bodied. Working together, these elements create a wine that can colloquially be described as ‘having a lot going on’.
Taste a wine with body: Zamichele | Lugana White Wine; Zamichele | Lugana Garde White Wine; Or taste both Luganas (with shipping included) in the Great White Duo | Lugana White Wine Tasting Set
Bouquet/Nose
Definition: The bouquet, also referred to as the nose, is evaluated before sipping, and is the collective term for the various aromas one may distinguish and recognize in a wine. Some wines have fruit forward bouquets, or lots of fruit aromas. Other types of aromas one can find in a bouquet would be herbaceous (like cut grass), mineral (like wet stones or flint), or toasted (like chocolate or oak).
A grape like sauvignon blanc is wonderful to explore the different types of bouquets, as depending on where it is grown and who makes it, the grape can produce different and interesting bouquets, ranging from a very herbaceous, to fruity, to even an interesting ‘cat-pee’ aroma. Learn more about the sauvignon blanc grape and all it’s iterations available from Vero producers in our recent article.
Taste a wine with an expressive bouquet/nose: Michi Lorenz | Sauvignon Blanc Klassik | Natural Wine | Organic Biodynamic
Complex
Definition: The complexity of wine can be evaluated for both the nose and palate. A straightforward term, the more complex a wine, the more aromas or flavors you can identify within it. Wines that have multiple categories of aromas, or so many that with every sniff a new aroma jumps out to you could be considered complex. Similarly, when tasting, a wine that is thoughtful and full bodied, that evolves as you swallow and think would be considered complex.
Taste a complex wine: Canalino | Rosso di Montalcino | Organic Vegan
Dry
Definition: Dry refers to the level of sweetness present in wine (think like extra brut vs brut in champagne). A dry wine has no perceptible sweetness, meaning all sugars in the wine have been fermented and converted into alcohol. One evaluates the dryness (or sweetness) on a scale, with dry having no residual sugar or sweetness, and off-dry having a little sugar, and sweet being a fully ‘dessert’ wine. See the definitions for residual sugar/off-dry and sweetness to fully understand this range of flavors present in wine.
Taste a dry wine: Col del Balt Sanzovo | Codolà | Pet Nat Style Prosecco
Winemaker Andrea Ivaldi tastes his persistent red wine, the Nizza DOCG.
Finish and Persistence
Definition: These two words almost describe each other in the sense that persistence refers to the finish of the wine. The finish is noted as being the residual taste left over after swallowing the wine, so basically, how long do the flavors of the sip stay in your mouth after the wine has left it? Evaluated from short to long, a wine is considered to be persistent with a long finish if you can still taste important elements of the wine over 10-12 seconds after swallowing or spitting. A wine with a short finish, or not very persistent, would disappear more quickly, leaving very little ‘aftertaste’. Of course, wines that are well balanced, full bodied, and/or complex are more likely to have a long and persistent finish.
Taste a wine with a persistent finish: Ivaldi | 1613 Nizza Barbera Bold Red Wine
Floral, Fruity, and Fragrant
Definition: These descriptive wine words are used to describe certain aromas within a wine. As one refines their ‘nose’, a wine taster can move from the generalized ‘fruity’ or ‘floral’ descriptors, to distinguishing specific fruits or flowers, such as red berries to raspberries or violets to jasmine. It is important to note, however, that ‘fragrant’ refers rather to the typology of aromas, rather than an overall descriptor. Fragrant refers to specific category of secondary aromas, most easily recognized in champagne method sparkling wines, that recall yeasty aromas, such as bread baking or pastries.
Taste floral, fruity, or fragrant wines: Floral - Thaya | Moravian Muscat Late Harvest | Natural Wine | Organic; Fruity - Aldo Clerico | Barbera d'Alba Red Wine; and Fragrant - Sandro de Bruno | Lessini Durello 36 Months | Champagne Method Sparkling Wine and Sandro de Bruno | Lessini Durello 60 Months | Vintage Riserva Champagne Method Sparkling Wine
Harmonious
Definition: Harmonious wines are a rare breed: they must meet important criteria before being evaluated as such. In order to be labeled as harmonious, wines should be balanced, complex, intense, and persistent. When a wine can be evaluated as possessing all four characteristics, it creates a singular tasting experience where the drinker keeps coming back for another sip just in order to focus on a different aspect of the wine. Sometimes, certain sommeliers can recognize harmonious as a quality-marker, tying it to a point value or only giving the term to the very best and highest quality wines.
As we have discussed in a previous article, wines make in amphorae are known to create uniquely harmonious wines, thanks to the unique shape. The egg shape allows the lees to circulate naturally throughout the fermentation and aging process, allowing the wine to naturally balance itself and keep all of the four characteristics as noticeable as possible
Taste a harmonious wine: Bodega de las Estrellas | Ego Vinum Blanco Orange | Natural Amphora Orange Wine
Intensity
Definition: Like complex, intensity is evaluated in both the bouquet and taste. Again, like complexity, it is a straightforward word that has a definition in the wine world exactly like one would imagine: intense wines pack a punch to the nose and palate. These are the wines that before even bringing your nose to the glass you can already begin to notice aromas. Or that when tasting they fill every single tastebud with delicious flavor. You cannot mistake these wines for anything else, they grab a hold of your senses and… wow! You know you are drinking a glass of wine.
Taste an intense wine: Lorenzo Corino | Case Corini | Barla Barbera | Natural Wine | Organic Vegan
Off Dry (or with Residual Sugar)
Definition: An off dry wine is our halfway marker on the sweetness scale, between dry and sweet. While not totally sweet like a dessert wine, one can sense a light sweetness that is just there on the tip of our tongue. These wines have a very low barely-there residual sugar. Residual sugar (what makes wine sweet) is the amount of sugars not completely fermented and are left over in the finished wine, leaving some sweetness. Sometimes this is done on purpose to create a sweet wine, other times it can be done (as it was historically done so in the Czech Republic) as a way to balance highly acidic grapes: the slight sweet/off dry characteristics balance out with the overpowering acidity to create a pleasant and balanced wine.
Taste an off dry wine, or wine with residual sugar: Thaya | Blaufrankisch | Organic Rose Wine
Sapidity
Definition: Sapidity can also sometimes be referred to as ‘minerality’ as a flavor in wine. When tasting, one mainly feels this flavor or sensation on the tip of the tongue, producing saliva, much like salt would, hence when one recognizes this descriptor, we use the term ‘sapid’. It can sometimes be confused with acidity, however, once one tastes a truly sapid wine, it becomes distinguishable from the bitey-ness of acidity. Because sapidity can be tied with wines that come from a very mineral-y soil, it can sometimes be called ‘minerality’, as a way to describe the hard savory sensation that occurs, that is not quite acidic.
Taste a wine with sapidity: Zanon | Boschera | Skin Contact Pet Nat | Natural Sparkling Wine
Smooth
Definition: A smooth wine is the opposite of acidic or tannic. Helped by the glycerin content of wine (a byproduct of alcohol production, so high-alcohol wines often can be described as smooth), this descriptor is more of a ‘feeling’ than a taste. When tasting a smooth wine, your mouth may feel full, like the wine is a little thick. It is a pleasant sensation, however, needs to be balanced with acidity, sapidity, or tannins to not become overpowering.
Taste a smooth wine: Quinta de Valbom | Dry Red Wine | Duoro Field Blend
Spicy
Definition: Spiciness, or spicy, when used during a wine tasting doesn’t refer to a hot chili-pepper like sensation. Instead, it refers to the aromas and flavors present in a wine that seem like baking or cooking spices. Examples are cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, nutmeg, cloves. A tertiary aroma, these come from aging in oak, but also can be from a good amount of time in the barrel. As well, some varieties of grapes are easier to pull spicy-notes from during the aging process.
Taste a spicy wine: Thaya | Blaufrankisch | Natural Wine | Organic Late Harvest Single Vineyard Red
Sweetness
Definition: Now we reach the other extreme of the sweetness scale, the opposite of dry. Describing a wine as sweet means it has considerable residual sugar, to the point where it is very noticeable. There are many ways for winemakers to have this residual sugar present in their wines, and if you would like to discover more about sweet wines, look no further than our previous article on the topic.
Tying in to our other wine terms, acidity and balance, it is important for sweet wines to have some acidity present to help craft a balanced drinking experience. A sweet wine with no acidity can become cloying after a while, creating an unbalanced wine that can be difficult to finish.
Taste a sweet wine: Briamara | Caluso Passito Riserva | Sweet Dessert Wine
Tannins
Definition: Tannins are a crucial structural component of wine that comes from the grape. Found in the skins of the grapes, they are found in wines (mostly reds) that have long maceration periods on the skins during the winemaking process. As mentioned, you won’t notice them in white wines, but in red wines. Tannins are perceptible to the drinker as a drying sensation. They can manifest in different ways too, sometimes it does feel drying, other times they can feel sandy or rough. Some varieties of grapes are naturally higher in tannins than others, with the nebbiolo of Piedmont or the ciliegiolo of Tuscany being good examples of grapes that produce tannic wines. In fact, that is why famous nebbiolo wines, like Barolo or Barbaresco, do well with considerable oak and bottle aging: tannins soften with age, becoming more smooth and less drying.
Taste a wine with tannins: La Maliosa | Rosso Tuscan Red Wine | Natural Wine | Organic Vegan
Put Your Knowledge into Practice
With wine, you learn by doing, especially to master winetasting; that’s how the pros do it - they regularly taste and smell to fine tune their knowledge and skill. Start putting into practice the wine speak you learned in this article by buying the wines featured in this article and taste for yourself the attributes of each wine word. Get a group of your wine loving friends together for a wine tasting home party. Sooner rather than later, you will speak like a somm saying “this wine has an intense and spicy aromas that become complex with a persistent finish.”
Shipping is always included in any order that includes one of our sommelier built wine sets, or VeroSets, or on orders of 12 bottles or more. What are you waiting for?
