Wine & Vine Glossary
Winemaking, tasting, viticulture… discover the glossary (non-exhaustive) of wine and vine compiled by Cavacave.
A
- AcerbicTasting
- Describes a wine made harsh and green by a strong excess of tannin and acidity
- AcidTasting
- One of the four fundamental tastes along with sweet, bitter, and salty
- AcidityTasting
- When present without excess, acidity contributes to the balance of wine by bringing freshness and liveliness
- AcidulousTasting
- Describes a wine whose acidity is high enough to be on the edge of pleasantness
- AggressiveTasting
- Describes a wine showing too much force and unpleasantly attacking the mucous membranes
- AmiableTasting
- A wine whose every aspect is pleasant and not too pronounced
- AlcoholWinemaking
- The most important component of wine after water, bringing its warm character
- AmpelographyViticulture
- The science of identifying grape varieties. It is based on the observation of buds, leaves, shoots, etc.
- AmpleTasting
- Describes a harmonious wine, giving the impression of fully and lengthily filling the mouth
- AngularTasting
- Describes a wine whose astringency and/or acidity dominates the other characteristics, giving an impression of hardness
- A.O.C.Viticulture
- Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (Controlled Designation of Origin)
- AstringencyTasting
- A somewhat harsh and rough character on the palate, often present in young red wines
- Alcohol contentWinemaking
- The alcohol richness of wine, generally expressed in degrees (corresponding to the percentage of alcohol volume contained in the wine)
- AgeingWinemaking
- Period of wine conservation, with a view to its maturation
B
- BitternessTasting
- Normal for certain young red wines rich in tannin, considered a fault in others
- BurntTasting
- A sometimes ambiguous descriptor for various aromas, ranging from caramel to charred wood
- Brut
- Sparkling wines containing very little sugar are called brut; brut zero means no sugar at all
- BodyTasting
- Characteristic of a wine combining good structure and flesh
- BlossomedTasting
- Describes a balanced wine that has acquired all its bouquet qualities
- BalancedTasting
- Describes a wine in which acidity and smoothness harmonise (along with tannin for reds)
- BarrelWinemaking
- An oak cask in which wine is aged. Its volume varies by region
- BackboneTasting
- Describes a well-structured, well-balanced, and complete wine
C
- CaudalieTasting
- A unit of measurement for the duration of aroma persistence on the palate after tasting / 1 second = 1 caudalie
- CellarWinemaking
- A building or room for storing wines, for their ageing in barrels or bottles before shipping
- ClosedTasting
- Applied to a young wine that has not yet acquired much bouquet and needs to be waited for before tasting
- CleanTasting
- Describes a wine as a whole or one of its aspects (colour, bouquet, taste, etc.) without fault or ambiguity
- ChewyTasting
- A term applied to a wine possessing both thickness and volume, which figuratively gives the impression it could be chewed
- CleanTasting
- Describes a straightforward wine with well-defined characteristics
- Country wineWinemaking
- A category of wine that has a specific geographical origin
D
- DosageWinemaking
- Addition of sugar in the form of expedition liqueur to a Champagne-method wine after disgorgement
- DryTasting
- For still wines, a character devoid of sweet flavour (less than 4 grams per litre); for sparkling wines, a character with little sugar (less than 35 grams per litre)
E
F
- FleshTasting
- A wine characteristic giving an impression of fullness and density in the mouth, without roughness
- FleshyTasting
- Describes a wine with flesh, body, and a certain smoothness
- Full-bodiedTasting
- Describes a wine with body and a certain alcohol richness (rich in degrees)
- FeminineTasting
- Characterises wines offering a certain finesse and elegance
- FermentationWinemaking
- The process of transforming grape sugar into alcohol through the action of yeast
- FinesseTasting
- The quality of a delicate and suave wine
- FlaconneurArt of Living
- A Flaconneur is a naturally curious person who knows how to appreciate wine or is interested in learning to appreciate it
- FreshTasting
- Describes a wine that is slightly acidic, but without excess, providing a sensation of freshness
- FatTasting
- Synonym of unctuous
- FullTasting
- Describes a wine with the qualities expected of a good wine, giving a sensation of fullness on the palate
G
- Grape varietyViticulture
- A variety of vine
- GenerousTasting
- Characteristic of a wine rich in alcohol, but without being tiring, unlike a heady wine, and presenting a certain richness in aromas and flavours
- GlycerolWinemaking
- A slightly sweet trialcohol, produced during grape juice fermentation, which gives wine its unctuousness
- GreenTasting
- Describes a very young wine that is not yet ready or an acidic wine
H
- HarshnessTasting
- A rough, slightly raspy sensation, caused by a strong excess of tannin
- HeadyTasting
- Characteristic of a wine very rich in alcohol, to the point of being tiring
- HardTasting
- A hard wine characterised by an excess of astringency and acidity, but which can sometimes soften with time
- HarmoniousTasting
- Describes a wine presenting happy relationships between its different characteristics, going beyond simple balance
- HeavyTasting
- Describes an excessively thick wine
- HarvestViticulture
- The operation of picking grapes when they have reached maturity
I
- IntenseTasting
- A concentrated wine, rich in aromas and with a vivid colour
K
- KeepingTasting
- A keeping wine. Describes a wine showing a fine aptitude for ageing
L
- LivelyTasting
- Describes a wine that is both fresh and fruity
- LegsTasting
- Traces left by wine on the walls of the glass when swirled or tilted
- LightTasting
- Describes a wine that is lightly coloured and light-bodied, but balanced and pleasant. Generally, to be drunk fairly quickly
- LusciousTasting
- Sweet white wines rich in sugar, obtained from grapes affected by noble rot, and distinguished among other things by a specific bouquet
- LongTasting
- Describes a wine whose aromas leave a pleasant and persistent impression on the palate after tasting. Also referred to as 'good length'
- LivelyTasting
- Describes a fresh and light wine, with a slight acid dominance but without excess
M
- MellowTasting
- Describes a wine, especially an old one, in which different characteristics blend harmoniously to form a homogeneous whole
- MassiveTasting
- A powerful, compact, well-structured wine
- Medium-sweetTasting
- Generally applied to sweet white wines falling between dry and luscious. Also used at tasting for a fat wine with little acidity
- MustWinemaking
- Grape juice obtained after the grapes are pressed and before it begins fermentation
N
- NervousTasting
- Describes a wine that marks the palate with well-defined characteristics and a touch of acidity, but without excess
- NoteTasting
- An aroma or olfactory characteristic perceived in a wine
- New wineWinemaking
- Wine marketed in the months following the harvest. It is intended to be drunk young
O
- OenologyWinemaking
- The science dealing with wine, its preparation, its conservation, and its constituent elements
- OenologistWinemaking
- A technician who possesses knowledge of oenology
- OpulentTasting
- A rich and well-constituted wine
- OldTasting
- A term that can have various meanings, but generally refers to a wine that is several years old
P
- PalateTasting
- A term describing all the characteristics perceived in the mouth
- PersistenceTasting
- A phenomenon whereby certain characteristics of the wine are perceived after it has been swallowed. Good persistence is a positive sign
- PrickedTasting
- Describes a wine affected by acescence, a condition resulting in a sharp, pronounced sour smell
- PrickTasting
- Acetic prick, synonym of acescence
- PointedTasting
- An aggressive and acidic wine
- PowerTasting
- Characterises a wine that is at once full, full-bodied, generous, and richly aromatic
Q
- QuaffableTasting
- Describes a fresh, light wine that glides pleasantly down the throat
R
- RoughTasting
- Describes a very astringent wine, giving the impression of scraping the palate
- RichTasting
- Describes a colourful, generous, powerful, and at the same time balanced wine
- RobustTasting
- A well-structured, vigorous but rustic wine
- RoundTasting
- Describes a wine whose suppleness, smoothness, and flesh give a pleasant impression of roundness on the palate
- RuggedTasting
- Describes a wine rich in rough edges with fairly hard tannins that pass over the tongue like a file
- RusticTasting
- A clean, honest wine, without elegance but without vulgarity, with simple and pleasant aromas
- RestrainedTasting
- A harmonious and properly vinified wine, without pretension or intensity
S
- SournessTasting
- A high acid character, accompanied by a particular smell reminiscent of vinegar
- ShortTasting
- Describes a wine that leaves little trace on the palate after tasting
- SweetTasting
- A term applied to sugary wines
- SmoothTasting
- Synonym of flowing
- SparklingWinemaking
- Effervescent wines falling into the categories of table wines and V.Q.P.R.D.
- Slightly sparklingTasting
- Describes a wine releasing small bubbles of carbon dioxide
- Semi-sparklingTasting
- Describes a wine whose effervescence is less than that of sparkling wines
- SolidTasting
- Describes a well-constituted wine, with notably good structure
- SommelierTasting
- In a hotel or restaurant, the sommelier is the person responsible for selecting, purchasing, storing, and serving wine to guests
- SuppleTasting
- Describes a flowing wine in which smoothness prevails over astringency
- SilkyTasting
- Describes a supple, flowing, smooth, and velvety wine, with a nuance of harmony and elegance
- StructureTasting
- An element that provides information about the constitution and backbone, i.e. the intensity of tannins. The better structured a wine is, the longer it will last
- SuaveTasting
- Describes a very pleasant wine, well-balanced, unctuous, and harmonious
- StillTasting
- A still wine refers to a non-effervescent wine
T
- ThickTasting
- Describes a deeply coloured wine, giving an impression of heaviness and thickness on the palate
- TiredTasting
- A term applied to a wine that has temporarily lost its qualities (for example after transport) and needs rest to recover them
- ThinTasting
- Describes a light wine whose different characteristics have little intensity
- Table grapeViticulture
- The fruit of the vine intended to be eaten fresh
- TanninTasting
- A substance found in grapes that gives wine its capacity for long conservation and certain gustatory properties
- TannicTasting
- Characteristic of a wine showing a note of astringency due to its richness in tannin
- TenderTasting
- Describes a supple and round wine on the palate
- TerroirViticulture
- The combination of soil type, climate, vine variety, and human know-how
- Table wineWinemaking
- A category of wine of European or national origin
U
- UnctuousTasting
- Describes a wine that is pleasantly smooth and fat on the palate
V
- VintageViticulture
- The harvest year of the wine
- VelvetyTasting
- Describes a wine that is at once supple, mellow, and harmonious
- VigorousTasting
- A well-structured, balanced, alcoholic, smooth, and full-bodied wine
- VinousTasting
- Describes a wine possessing a certain alcohol richness and clearly presenting the characteristics that distinguish wine from other alcoholic beverages
- VirileTasting
- Describes a wine that is at once well-structured, full-bodied, and powerful
- VolumeTasting
- Characteristic of a wine giving the impression of filling the mouth well
W
- WarmTasting
- Describes a wine that provides, notably through its alcohol richness, an impression of warmth
- Well-structuredTasting
- Good constitution of a wine with predominant tannins offering good ageing potential
- Wine grapeViticulture
- The fruit of the vine intended for wine production
- WineWinemaking
- A beverage resulting exclusively from the fermentation of grapes or grape juice
- WinemakingWinemaking
- All the operations that transform grapes into wine
Y
- YoungTasting
- A very relative qualifier that can describe either a wine of the year already at its best, or a wine past its first year without being fully developed