Classic wine words
Familiarity with common wine words is really handy for exploring the world of wine, helping you describe the qualities, origin, and styles of them. Here's a list of terms you may recognise:
Vintage: The year the grapes were harvested.
Terroir: The unique environment (soil, climate) where grapes are grown.
Cuvée: A specific blend or batch of wine.
Varietal: A wine made from a single grape variety.
Old world vs. New world: Old world wines come from traditional European regions; New world wines are from countries like the US, Australia, and Chile.
Wine tasting terms
These terms help you evaluate and describe a wine’s flavours, aromas, and textures. They’re good to articulate your sensory experience (and deepen your appreciation). Here are some common ones:
Nose: The aroma or scent of the wine.
Palate: The taste and texture of the wine.
Finish: The lingering taste after swallowing.
Balance: The harmony between acidity, sweetness, tannins, and alcohol.
Complexity: The depth of flavours and aromas.
Structure: The wine's overall framework, including tannins, acidity, and alcohol.
Aeration: The process of allowing wine to breathe, enhancing flavours.
Tasting notes: Descriptions of the wine’s flavours, aromas, and characteristics.
Now you can sound like a sommelier at your next wine tasting.
Wine labels and classification terms
These specific terms give you essential information about a wine’s origin, quality, and style. Understanding these terms helps you navigate labels and make informed choices. Here are a few key terms:
Appellation (AOC, DOC, DOCG, AVA, etc.): Designated regions where wine is produced, ensuring specific quality standards.
Reserve (Riserva, Reserva, Grand Reserve): Indicates a wine of higher quality or aging potential.
Grand Cru / Premier Cru: Top-tier vineyard classifications, particularly in Burgundy and Bordeaux.
Single Vineyard: Wine made from grapes sourced from one specific vineyard.
Estate Bottled: Wine made from grapes grown on the winery's own estate.
Non-Vintage (NV): Wine made from a blend of grapes harvested in different years.
ABV (Alcohol by Volume): The percentage of alcohol in the wine.
Wine styles
These help describe the range of flavours, textures, and sweetness levels that define different wines. Understanding these terms helps you identify the wine's profile and choose one that suits your taste. Here's a quick guide:
Dry: Wines with little to no sweetness.
Sweet: Wines with noticeable sugar content, often dessert wines.
Crisp: Wines with high acidity, refreshing and bright.
Fruity: Wines that emphasise fresh, fruit-forward flavours.
Rich: Full-bodied wines with deep, intense flavours.
Smooth: Wines with soft, velvety textures, often low in tannins.
Hermano Veloso's Galodoro Lisboa is a great example of a smooth red wine from Portugal.
Aromas and flavours
Key to wine tasting, aromas and flavours offer a sensory experience that reveals the wine's complexity. Understanding these terms helps you identify and describe the scents and tastes that define a wine. Here’s a breakdown of useful terms:
Primary aromas: Aromas from the grape variety, such as fruit or floral scents.
Secondary aromas: Aromas from fermentation, like yeast or butter.
Tertiary aromas: Aromas from aging, such as nuts, leather, or earth.
Fruit-forward: A wine with dominant fruit flavours, often fresh or sweet.
Earthy: Aromas or flavours reminiscent of soil, mushrooms, or damp earth.
Minerality: A flavour that suggests stones, flint, or wet slate.
Spicy: Aromas of spices like pepper, clove, or cinnamon.
Body and texture
When you talk about wine body and texture, you refer to the weight, feel, and structure of a wine in your mouth. These terms help you evaluate the richness and smoothness of a wine, adding depth to your tasting experience. Take a look at these common terms:
Light-bodied: Wines that feel light and refreshing, often with low alcohol and tannins.
Medium-bodied: Wines that have a balanced feel, neither too light nor too heavy.
Full-bodied: Wines that feel rich and heavy, with high alcohol and intense flavours.
Mouthfeel: The texture of the wine on the palate, including smoothness or roughness.
Viscosity: The thickness or "weight" of the wine, often indicated by the legs.
For a big, full-bodied red wine, try the Kruger Family Cabernet Sauvignon. A powerful and elegant Stellenbosch Cab Sav at the top of its game.
Acidity and tannins
These are important components that affect a wine's taste, structure, and aging potential. Acidity adds freshness, while tannins provide texture and structure. Understanding these terms helps you assess the wine’s overall harmony:
Acidity: A sharp, refreshing quality that provides balance and crispness.
Tannins: Compounds from grape skins and seeds that give a wine structure and astringency.
Residual sugar (RS): The amount of sugar left in wine after fermentation, affecting sweetness.
Balance: The harmony between acidity, sweetness, tannins, and alcohol.
Serving, storing and cellaring
Knowing the right conditions for serving and storing wine can make a big difference in the tasting experience. Here are some useful things to know when it comes to wine care:
Serving temperature: The ideal temperature for serving wine, influencing flavour and aroma.
Decanting: The process of pouring wine into a separate vessel to separate sediment and aerate it.
Corked wine: Wine affected by cork taint, causing musty or off aromas.
Oxidation: The chemical reaction when wine is exposed to air, altering its flavour and quality.
Bottle ageing: The process of aging wine in the bottle to develop complexity.
Proper storage: Storing wine in a cool, dark, and humid environment to preserve quality.
Winemaking
Put simply, winemaking is a delicate process that transforms grapes into wine through various techniques. Understanding the key steps helps to appreciate the craftsmanship behind each bottle (there’s a lot of it). So here are some essential winemaking terms:
Fermentation: The process where yeast converts sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Maceration: Soaking grape skins in juice to extract colour, flavours, and tannins.
Malolactic Fermentation (MLF): A secondary fermentation that softens acidity and adds creaminess.
Aging: The process of storing wine in barrels or bottles to develop flavours.
Blending: Combining different wines to achieve a desired flavour profile.
Lees: The dead yeast cells left in the wine after fermentation, sometimes used for aging.
Filtration and fining: Processes that clarify wine by removing particles and impurities.
Oak barrels are great for ageing wine if you're looking for some real complex flavours. They're pretty drinking wine on as well in a pinch.
Let’s wrap this up
To summarise all this, understanding key wine terms is essential for making informed choices and making your tasting experience the best it can be. From wine styles to aromas, body, acidity, tannins, and winemaking processes, knowing these terms lets you describe and appreciate wines more confidently. Feel free to use this glossary as a reference when exploring wines at a shop, restaurant, or during a tasting at home. It could help you pick wines that match your palate and maybe even spark some interesting conversations.
Want to get Naked?
As you might know, at Naked Wines we support independent winemakers by connecting them directly with customers like you, cutting out extra costs and serving you better wine all-round. We have a whole ocean of amazing wines in our virtual wine cellar, so if you feel inspired, take a look and see what’s up your street.
