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Glossary
Wine Terms
Acidity | Aroma | Balance | Body | Bouquet | Complex | Finish | Malolactic | Must | Nose | Tannin | Terroir
Acidity:
An important component of a wine's structure, acidity enhances flavor and ageability and is critical to a wine's balance. The primary acids found in wine are malic, tartaric, lactic and citric.
Aroma:
The scents a wine derives from the grape variety.
Balance:
The equilibrium a wine achieves when its components - fruit, sugar, acidity, flavors, tannins, alcohol and oak aging are in harmony.
Body:
The density and viscosity of wine that combine to create an impression of fullness or weight on the palate.
Bouquet:
The scents a wine acquires with aging in oak and in the bottle.
Complex:
Exhibiting a variety and range of aromas, bouquets and flavors; generally describes a wine of superior quality.
Finish:
The residual flavors and tactile impression that remain after a sip of wine is swallowed; a lingering finish is highly desirable.
Malolactic:
A secondary fermentation occurring in most red and some white wines used to convert the grape's primary malic acid into a softer lactic acid.
Must:
Grape juice and/or crushed grapes before or during fermentation.
Nose:
The aroma of wine.
Tannin:
A natural component of most red wines derived from the grape skins and seeds as well as the oak barrels used for aging, it is an essential element in aging red wine, and loses its youthful astringency as the wine ages in the bottle.
Terroir:
A French word reflecting the expression of the earth, or particular vineyard site, in the finished wine.
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