Wine Tasting Descriptors A-C

Front 1

A wine that is easy to drink without an overwhelming sense of tannin, acidity or extract.

Back 1

Accessible

Front 2

A term for the taste left on the palate after wine has been swallowed. "Finish" is a synonym.

Back 2

Aftertaste

Front 3

A wine with harsh and pronounced flavors. The opposite of a wine described as "smooth" or "soft"

Back 3

Aggressive

Front 4

A wine that has an out of balanced presence of too much alcohol.

Back 4

Alcoholic

Front 5

The smell of a wine. The term is generally applied to younger wines, while the term Bouquet is reserved for more aged wines.

Back 5

Aroma

Front 6

An overly tannic white wine.

Back 6

Astringent

Front 7

A wine that is dominated by harsh acidity or tannin and is lacking the fruit needed to balance those components.

Back 7

Austere

Front 8

Aroma of "yeasty" or acacia-like floweriness commonly associated with wines that have been aged sur lie.

Back 8

Autolytic

Front 9

A wine with a high alcohol content that gives the perception of stewed or baked fruit flavors. May indicate a wine from grapes that were exposed to the heat of the sun after harvesting.

Back 9

Baked

Front 10

A wine that incorporates all its main components—tannins, acid, sweetness, and alcohol—in a manner where no one single component stands out.

Back 10

Balanced

Front 11

A wine with intense flavor, or high in alcohol.

Back 11

Big

Front 12

A wine descriptor often associated with Pinot noir dominated-Champagne. It is sense of yeasty or bread dough aroma and flavors.

Back 12

Biscuity

Front 13

A firm and distinctive perception of tannins or acidity. This can be a positive or negative attribute depending on whether the overall perception of the wine is balanced.

Back 13

Bite

Front 14

An unpleasant perception of tannins.

Back 14

Bitter

Front 15

An exaggerated fruity aroma. Commonly associated with lower quality fruity wines.

Back 15

Blowzy

Front 16

The sense of alcohol in the wine and the sense of feeling in the mouth.[

Back 16

Body

Front 17

The layers of smells and aromas perceived in a wine.

Back 17

Bouquet

Front 18

When describing the visual appearance of the wine, it refers to high clarity, very low levels of suspended solids. When describing fruit flavors, it refers to noticeable acidity and vivid intensity.

Back 18

Bright

Front 19

A wine that has gone through malolactic fermentation and has a rich, creamy mouthfeel with flavors reminiscent of butter.

Back 19

Buttery

Front 20

The French term for the flavors associated with black currant. In wine tasting, the use of cassis over black currant typically denotes a more concentrated, richer flavor.

Back 20

Cassis

Front 21

A collective term used to describe the woodsy aroma of a wine that has been treated with oak.

Back 21

Cedarwood

Front 22

A subjective term used to describe a wine with a range pleasing properties but nothing that stands out in an obvious fashion.

Back 22

Charming

Front 23

An aroma element characteristic of aged Champagne that develops after an extended period of aging. It is associated with the aroma of aged, nutty cheeses such as gouda and is caused by a small amount of butyric acid that is created during fermentation and later develops into an ester known as ethyl butyrate.

Back 23

Cheesy

Front 24

The sense of tannins that is not overwhelming. It is not necessarily a negative attribute for wine.

Back 24

Chewy

Front 25

A term most often used of rich red wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot noir that describes the flavors and mouthfeel associated with ______--typically dark.

Back 25

Chocolaty

Front 26

A term used to describe the tobacco aromas derived from oak influence.

Back 26

Cigar-box

Front 27

A wine with the aromas and flavor from the citrus family of fruits.

Back 27

Citrous

Front 28

A subjective term used to denote a wine of exceptional quality that display the typicity of its varietal(s), displays layers of complexity and is very well balanced.

Back 28

Classic

Front 29

A wine that is not demonstrating any obvious faults or unwanted aromas and flavors.

Back 29

Clean

Front 30

A wine with no visible particulate matter.

Back 30

Clear

Front 31

A wine that is not very aromatic.

Back 31

Closed

Front 32

An aroma associated with oak treatment that gives the perception of cloves. It is caused by the creation of eugenic acid by the toasting of the oak barrels.

Back 32

Cloves

Front 33

A wine with a sticky or sickly sweet character that is not balanced with acidity.

Back 33

Cloying

Front 34

A term for a wine with a rough texture or mouthfeel. Usually applies the perception of tannins.

Back 34

Coarse

Front 35

Aroma perception of coconut derived from treatment in American oak.

Back 35

Coconut

Front 36

Opposite of "open knit". A wine with a dense perception fruit that is balanced by the weight of tannins and acidity.

Back 36

Compact

Front 37

Similar to the description of a "balanced wine" but more encompassing a wine that all the main components-acidity, alcohol, fruit and tannins-in long along with a pleasing mouthfeel and long finish.

Back 37

Complete

Front 38

A wine that gives a perception of being multi-layered in terms of flavors and aromas.

Back 38

Complex

Front 39

Intense flavors.

Back 39

Concentrated

Front 40

Usually a derogatory term used to refer to a wine that seems to have many different components that are "thrown together" rather than integrating into one cohesive profile.

Back 40

Concoction

Front 41

A sense of the wine's ability to relay its place of origin or terroir

Back 41

Connected

Front 42

A term similar to "bake" where the fruit flavors of the wine seemed like they have been cooked, baked or stewed. It may also indicate that grape concentrate was adding to the must during fermentation.

Back 42

Cooked

Front 43

A tasting term for a wine that has cork taint

Back 43

Corked

Front 44

A term used to describe the perception of a warm, creamy mouthfeel. In sparkling wines, the sense of _______ arises from a combination of the finesse of the mousse and the results of malolactic fermentation. The perception of ______ is generally picked up at the back of the throat and through the finish of the wine.

Back 44

Creamy

Front 45

A pleasing sense of acidity in the wine.

Back 45

Crisp

Front 46

Sediment, generally potassium bitartrate, that adheres to the inside of a wine bottle.

Back 46

Crust