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Get a brief overview of wine glossary with the Great Wines Online!
PEPPERY
Term almost solely applied to "spicy" wines, such as Gewurztraminer among the whites, or the red Rhone Syrah and Australian Shiraz wines. Is a component which can almost be described as pungent in quality, being reminiscent of anise, cinnamon etc.
PERFUMED
Synonym for "floral". Implies also a degree of extra residual sugar.
PLUMP
Less than "fat", but otherwise nearly a synonym.
PONDEROUS
Even less balanced than a "hearty" or "sturdy" wine. The sole impact is one of high alcohol and "body" character. Little or no acid/tannin content. An everyday red wine, similar to a french "vin ordinaire" country wine sold by alcohol content, can be an example.
POWERFUL
Close to being a synonym for BRAWNY.
PRICKLY
A wine with slight residual gas in it. Usually attractive in light young whites, but in reds it is often a sign of refermentation
in the bottle or bottling of the wine
prematurely.
PRUNEY Overripe, sun-dried grapes
can induce an undesirable pungent quality into
table wines; sometimes compared to "the taste of
dried prunes".
PUCKERY Synonym for ASTRINGENT.
RACKING
Traditional method of wine clarification. Sequential transfer of wine to several containers, each transfer leaving behind some particulate matter.
RACY
Sharp acidity usually found in young white wine (i.e. Italian Pinot Grigio, New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc)
RAISINY
Mildly rich flavor due to excessive heat in the growing area which dries out grapes still on the vine. Considered a fault in most dry table wines.
RANCIO
Word normally used to describe a flavor perception found in tawny brown, wood-aged and heated fortified wines such as some "Madeira". Refers to the peculiarly blowsy overly-ripe fruit aroma, analogous to overipe bananas, admired in Port-style fortified wines but considered a fault in dry table wines where the detectable presence of oxidized components is frowned on for the most part.
REFINED
Term for well-balanced wines. Mostly refers to reds, such as Zinfandel, that normally turn "powerful" in the barrel. Almost a synonym for "elegant".
RESIDUAL SUGAR
Percentage, by weight or volume, of the unfermented grape sugar in a bottled wine.
RICH
Giving a full, rounded flavor impression without necessarily being sweet. Richness supplied by alcohol, glycerin and oak vanilla nuances in dry wine. The sweeter wines qualify for this adjective if also characterized by ripe, fruity flavors.
RIM
Refers to edge of wine surface as seen through a "ballon" (goblet) style
wineglass held at an angle of about 30-40 deg.
from the vertical and viewed against white piece
of paper or cloth using natural light. Used in
evaluation of wine age. In "blind" tasting is
about the only way to get an informed perception
about the probable life and/or condition of the
wine from that date on.
RIPE Favorable adjective bestowed when the
varietal characteristics of the grape are
optimally present in a well balanced wine.
Ripe-tasting wines tend toward being slightly
more fruity and sweet than otherwise normal
wines.
ROBUST Vigorous, full with a lot of heart, a big
scaled wine.
ROTTEN EGG Smell of Hydrogen Sulfide gas in
wine. Thought to be a characteristic imparted by
certain yeast strains. A decided flaw.
ROUGH Flavor/texture is coarse. Acidity and/or
tannin are predominant and unpleasant.
ROUND Describes flavors and tactile sensations
giving a feeling of completeness with no
dominating characteristic. Almost the same as
fat, but with more approval. Tannin, acid and
glycerin are sufficiently present but appear as
nuances rather than distinct flavors.
SALTY
One of the basic taste sensations detected by the receptors in the human tongue.
SHARP
Excess acid predominates, disturbing the otherwise balanced flavors.
SIMPLE
Normal, everyday, well-vinified table wine of straightforward character.
SMOKE/SMOKY
Some use the word in the same sense as the smell/flavor that separates smoked (anything) from ordinary (anything). Refers to aroma contributed by the charred oakwood in barrels. It can have a variety of impressions - (eg: such as the remains of a burnt-out fire). Needs a variant, such as "wood-smoke" or "barbecue smoke" or "sooty" to fully convey the meaning.
SOFT
Generally has low acid/tannin content. Also describes wines with low alcohol content. Consequently has little impact on the palate.
SOUR
Almost a synonym for ACIDIC. Implies presence of acetic acid plus excess acid component. (Is also one of the four basic taste sensations detected by the human tongue).
SPICY
Almost a synonym for "peppery". Implies a softer, more rounded flavor nuance however.
SPRITZY
Considered a fairly minor fault stemming sometimes from the onset of a brief secondary malolactic fermentation in the bottle. Consists of pinpoint carbonation typically released when the bottle cork is pulled. Frowned on more if occurring in white wines vinified to be dry.
STALE
Wine with lifeless, stagnant qualities. Usually found in wines that were kept in large vessel storage for an excessive length of time.
STEELY
Mouth-feel and aroma applied to many non-oaked white wines. Duel meaning due to it fermentation in steel and its almost metallic flavor.
STONEY/STONELIKE
Describes a set of perceptions that seem to indicate a relatively young white wine fermented from ripe, but not overly so, grapes under cold fermentation conditions. Classic examples are made from Chardonnay grapes in the Chablis region of France. Wines from the Carneros region of the Napa Valley in California are sometimes so described as well. High acidity coupled with a tactile, mouth-filling sensation that has a cleanly "earthy" flavor characterize this type of wine.
STRUCTURE
Term for overall flavor. Used to suggest complete impression of the wine. Needs a modifier in order to mean something - (eg: "brawny" etc).
STURDY (see HEARTY above)
STYLISH
The style is distinctive and characteristic of the grape(s) used. Carries a connotation of briskness or jauntiness. Commonly used to describe an Australian or New Zealand wine.
SUPPLE
Term often used for young reds which should be more aggressive. More lively than an easy wine with suggestions of good quality. The near synonym "amiable" is also sometimes employed but does not quite emphasize the extra connotation of "leanness" implied.
SWEET
Refers to one of the four basic tastes detected by the sensory nerves of the human tongue. In the description of wine taste-flavor the term "sweet" is almost always used as an identifier denoting the presence of residual sugar and/or glycerin. Wine aromas require a descriptive term to identify the source of the perceived sensation - (eg:
"ripe", "lush").
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