Learn the Lingo and Talk Like a Wine-Tasting Pro
Speak wine to me!
The world of wines is broad, to say the least, and describing what you taste can be pretty complicated – it's like speaking a foreign language. Different flavors, aromas, mouth feels, and so forth all come together to create a wine's story and personality.
Often, we just want to enjoy a good glass of wine and don't care about the fancy words and descriptions. But then again, sometimes knowing these terms can come in handy. It can set the stage for your experience, give you more info about what to expect, and help you share your favorites – and not-so choices – with others.
There's no need to be intimidated by the seemingly vast vocabulary associated with wine tasting, and here are just a few standard terms to get you started.
Wine Vernacular
Tannin – This is a natural substance in grapes -- in the stems, seeds, and skins. Since red wine is fermented with the skins, it's higher in tannins than white. It's the thing in red wine that makes you feel that your mouth is drying out after a sip; it makes you pucker and smack your lips. You can compare this sensation to sipping a cup of strong black tea - which also contains tannins. Depending on how they present in a wine, people often describe the tannins as feeling silky or velvety, rustic or chewy.
How can you sum up something that you love in just a few words?
Dry – A dry wine has the sugar from the grapes converted to alcohol during fermentation. So it's not sweet or sugary tasting.
Sweet – Sweet wines maintain more residual grape sugar and are on the sweeter side. (There are also semi-dry and semi-sweet wines.)
Vintage – Often listed on the label, the vintage of the wine is the year the wine was made and must contain 75-100% of that year's grapes. Some people think that if a wine displays the vintage year, it's superior to one that doesn't. This sentiment isn't true at all and has nothing to do with the wine's quality. It provides you a reference of the year – primarily for more expensive wines – so you can say, "Wow, that was a rainy year," or "What a year for grapes!"
Legs – After swirling or sipping a glass of wine, look at how the wine runs back down the glass. Sometimes it moves slowly and clings to the glass; other times, it doesn't stick to the inside of the glass at all. This characteristic is known as the wine's legs (sometimes called tears). At one time, experts thought these legs were a critical trait, signifying a high-quality wine. Not so much anymore. It's just a science thing relating to evaporation and surface tension. (But you can still impress others with "Wow, this vintage has some nice legs!")
Are these words hitting home, yet?
Body – An overall impression of the wine rather than any specific taste or flavors determined by the alcohol. Some wines might feel heavier or fuller than others. Although an ounce is an ounce, what does it feel like as you're sipping? It might be light-bodied, full-bodied, or somewhere in between and medium-bodied.
Finish – The feeling you have in your mouth after you've swallowed your wine. In other words, the aftertaste. Better wines have a long finish and leave the essence of fruit or spice in the back of your throat and mouth. If your finishing taste is bitter, unpleasant, or absent altogether, it's most likely not such a good wine.
Get a chance to use your new vocabulary and discover more at one of Boston Winery's wine tasting events!
