ΕΛΛ-ΟΙΝΩΝ ΧΩΡΑ

ΤASTING TERMS

The following terms refer to the sensory evaluation of wine.

AFTERTASTE - The taste (sensation) after the wine has been swallowed. It is usually called the finish.

ASTRINGENT (ASTRINGENCY) - Applies to the finish of a wine. Astringency is caused by tannins that produce a mouth-puckering sensation and coat the teeth with dryness.

BALANCE - 'The state of....', the harmony between components of a wine.

BILGY - An unfortunate taste like the bilge of a ship. Usually caused by mouldy ald oak.

BITTERNESS - A sensation detected at the back of the tongue. It is not correct in wine but desirable in beer.

BOUQUET - The aroma of a finished or mature wine.

BROAD - A wine that lacks fruit definition; usually qualified as soft or coarse.

CASSIS - A blackcurrant flavour common in cabernet sauvignon. It refers to a liqueur produced in France.

CHALKY - A sensation on the finish; extremely dry.

CHEESY - A dairy character sometimes found in wine, particularly sherries.

CIGAR BOX - A smell of tobacco and wood found in cabernet sauvignon.

CLOUDY - A fault in wine which is caused by suspended solids that make it look dull.

CORKED - Spoiled wine that has reacted with a tainted cork, and smell like wet cardboard. (The taint is caused by trichloroanisole, a mould).

CLOYING - Excessive sweetness that clogs the palate.

CREAMY - The feeling of cream in the mouth. A texture.

CRISP - Clean acid on the finish of a white wine.

DEPTH - The amount of fruit on the palate.

DULL - Pertaining to colour; the wine is not bright of shining.

DUMB - Lacking nose of flavour on the palate.

DUSTY - Applies to a very dry tannic finish; a sensation.

DRY - A wine that does not register sugar in the mouth.

EARTHY - Not as bad as it sounds, this is a loamy/mineral character that can add interest to the palate.

FINESSE - The state of wine, refers to balance and style.

FINISH - see AFTERTASTE.

FIRM - Wine with strong, unyielding tannins.

FLABBY - Wine with insufficient acid to balance ripe fruit flavours.

FLESHY - Wines of substance with plenty of fruit.

FLINTY - A character on the finish that is akin to sucking dry creek pebbles.

GARLIC - see MERCAPTAN.

GRASSY - A cut grass odour, usually found in semillon and sauvignon blancs.

GRIP - The effect on the mouth of tannin on the finish; a puckering sensation.

HARD - More tannin or acid than fruit flavour.

HERBACEOUS - Herbal smells or flavour in wine.

HOLLOW - A wine with a lack of flavour in the middle palate.

HOT - Wines high in alcohol that give a feeling of warmth and a slippery texture.

IMPLICIT SWEETNESS - A just detectable sweetness from the presence of glycerin (rather than residual sugar).

INKY - Tannate of iron present in a wine which imparts a metallic taste.

INTEGRATED (WELL) - The component parts of a wine fit together without gaps or disorders.

JAMMY - Ripe fruit that takes on the character of stewed jam.

LEATHERY - A smell like old leather, not necessarily bad if it is in balance.

LENGTH (LONG) - The measure of the registration of flavour in the mouth (the longer the better).

LIFTED - The wine is given a lift by the presence of either volatile acid or wood tannins, eg. vanillian oak lift.

LIMPID - A colour term usually applied to star-bright white wine.

MADEIRISED - Wine that has aged to the point where it tastes like a madeira.

MOULDY - Smells like bathroom mould; dank.

MOUTHFEEL - The sensation the wine causes in the mouth; a textural term.

MUSTY - Stale, flat, out of condition wine.

PEPPER - A component in either the nose or the palate that smells or tastes like cracked pepper.

PUNGENT - Wine with a strong nose.

RANCIO - A nutty character found in aged fortifieds that is imparted by time on wood.

RESIDUAL SUGAR - The presence of unfermented grape sugar on the palate; common in sweet wines.

ROUGH - Unpleasant, aggressive wine.

ROUND - A full-bodied wine with plenty of mouthfeel.

SAPPY - A herbaceous character that resembles sap.

SHORT - A wine lacking in taste and structure.

SPICY - A wine with a high aromatic content; spicy character can also be imparted by wood.

STALKY - Exposure to stalks (eg. during fermentation) leaves a bitter character in the wine.

TART - A lively wine with a lot of fresh acid.

TOASTY - A smell of cooked bread.

VANILLIAN – The smell and taste of vanilla beans; usually imparted by oak ageing.

VARIETAL – Refers to the distinguishing qualities of the grape variety used in the wine.