Aftertaste
The flavour that remains after you swallow. Surprisingly, this may differ significantly from the taste while the wine is in your mouth. The persistence of the aftertaste - the length - may be used as an indicator of the quality of the wine.

Aggressive
Describes a wine that has an unpleasantly harsh taste or texture, usually due to high levels of tannin or acid.

Anise
Faint liquorice element.

Appearance
Refers to a wine's clarity, not colour. Common descriptors refer to the reflective quality of the wine; brilliant, clear, dull or cloudy for those wines with visible suspended particulates.

Apple
Pleasant apple-fruit aroma, particularly characteristic of Chardonnays made without excessive oak.

Apricot
Apricot flavours are often noted in sweet white wines, particularly if affected by botrytis.

Aroma
The smell of a wine is part of the tasting experience, because smell and taste are closely related. It is interchangable with bouquet.

Astringent
Describes wines which leave a coarse, rough, furry or drying sensation in the mouth. Astringency is usually attributed to high tannin levels found in some red wines (and a few whites). High tannin levels are frequently found in Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. A wine's astringent quality often diminishes as the wine ages.

Attack
A technical term for the first impression the wine makes as it reaches your palate, distinguished (in time sequence) from 'middle' or 'mid-palate' and 'finish' or 'aftertaste.'

Austere
Tasting term for relatively hard, high-acid wines that lack depth, roundness, richness and body. Can also describe young wines that need time to soften. Some very good wines - French Chablis and Italian Gavi - may be described as austere.

Backbone
Describes the structure of a wine, referring to balanced acidity, alcohol and, in red wines, tannin. Wines lacking structure are thin or flabby.

Backward
Wines described as backward are undeveloped and not ready to drink. They are often young and tannic, and may also be described as austere. The opposite of forward.

Balance
A tasting term. Wines said to have balance have a harmonious combination of tannin, acidity, texture and flavour. A wine may show many good characteristics, but it will not be complete unless it is balanced.

Barnyard
'Earthy,' 'organic' character reminiscent of country lanes. Expected in red Burgundies, and in proportion, considered desirable.

Beaujolais-like
Resembling Beaujolais - Light, fruity and fresh, a wine more for quaffing than contemplation.

Big
A broad, general term for a full-bodied, strong, assertive, robust and flavourful wine. Some people like wines big, others prefer them delicate. Such wines are also said to be chewy.

Bitter
Not common in wines but found occasionally - particularly in the aftertaste, and usually in subtle, refreshing form - in some Italian wines and Alsatian whites. If the bitter taste dominates the wine, it is considered a fault and can be ascribed to poor fruit or excessive use of oak or oak chips.

Black Cherry
Quite common in red wines, particularly Merlot, Pinot Noir and Chianti.

Black Fruit
A catch-all term for mixed black cherry, blackberry, plum and similar fruit aromas, commonplace in many good red wines.

Black Pepper
Fragrant, floral, and distinctively peppery. A trademark of Syrah, also found in Grenache, Carignan, Petite Sirah.

Blackberry
A common descriptor for the smell or taste in young Zinfandels.

Blackcurrant
'Cassis' in French, a fruity and herbaceous quality that's the hallmark of red Bordeaux.

Body
A wine with plenty of flavour, alcohol, extract and tannin may be described as full bodied. It is a less specific term than texture. Glycerine is the component of wine most responsible for body.

Bouquet
The smell or scent that is one of wine's most important characteristics, indicating the taste. It is also associated with the smells that develop with age in the wine bottle, as opposed to 'aroma', the smells associated with the fruit.

Brilliant
Describes the appearance of very clear, bright wines with absolutely no visible suspended or particulate matter. Not always a plus, as it can indicate a highly filtered wine.

Browning
Describes a wine's colour and indicates wine that has been aged. A bad sign in young red and white wines, but less significant in older wines. Wines 20 to 30 years old may have a brownish edge and still be enjoyable.

Buttery
Indicates the aroma or flavour of melted butter. Also a reference to texture, as in 'a rich, buttery Chardonnay.' This term more often refers to oak-aged white wines than reds; many Chardonnays and white Burgundies are said to have buttery aromas and flavours. The malolactic fermentation is largely responsible for this flavour.

Candied, Candied Fruit
Specific flavour descriptor, just like the bits of fruit found in Christmas cake. It is often found in California Pinot Noirs.

Cantaloupe
As the name indicates. This and other melon flavours are typical of Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio and Chenin Blanc.

Caramely
Used to describe wines, usually white, that have been aged for a longtime and have a rich, burnt-sugar flavour. Oak also contributes to this flavour.

Cassis
French blackcurrant liqueur, classic description for the aroma of red Bordeaux. Also used to make the traditional Kir. (White wine with a little Cassis)

Cedary
Describes the smell of cedar wood frequently associated with mature Cabernet Sauvignon or Cabernet blends aged in French or American oak.

Character
Balance, assertiveness, finesse and most other good qualities combine to create character.
It is a term usually used as a compliment.

Cheesy
Organic, ripe natural cheese aromas, almost always a flaw, typically indicating filthy wine making and an unwanted secondary fermentation in the bottle.

Chewy, Chunky
A textural description for a red wine with unusual thickness of texture or tannins - so full-bodied that it almost seems as if you could chew it.

Chocolate, Dark-Chocolate
Not sweet but rich, pleasantly 'burnt' flavour, usually in robust red wines. In some cases may be associated with aging in oak barrels.

Cigar Box
Mixed cedar and tobacco, a surprisingly lovely scent that's typical of some fine Bordeaux.

Citric
Generic citrus fruit, a pleasurable element in many whites.

Clean
Overall description for a wine with no unpleasant or 'off' aromas or tastes.

Closed
Young, undeveloped red wines that do not yet reveal their positive qualities and are sometimes harsh. Describes wines that are concentrated and have character, yet are tight or timid in aroma or flavour.

Cloudy
An evident lack of visual clarity. Fine for old wines with sediment, but in younger wines cloudiness can be a warning signal.

Cloves
Spicy flavour often associated with oak. Look for it in Spanish Rioja.

Cloying
Describes sweet wines that lack the acidity to balance their sugar content. Rather than leaving the palate clean, a sticky, gummy sensation remains.

Coarse
Usually refers to texture, especially the roughness associated with excessive tannins or oak. Also describes harsh, large bubbles found in some lesser sparkling wines.

Complex
The best wines display a fairly broad range of qualities that render their taste complex and challenging - in contrast to simple wines that lack depth and character.

Cooked
Burnt-fruit flavours resembling raisins. This quality is often found in wines from very hot growing regions.

Confected
A tasting term to describe a sweet aroma/flavour, but more manufactured (like candy) than honey.

Corked or Corky
Describes a wine with the off-putting flavour and aroma caused by a tainted cork; musty basement or mouldy newspaper.

Creamy
A textural description used to describe a mouth feel, most often in discussing bubbly wines.

Crisp
Acidic tartness noticeable without overwhelming; a favourable term, typical of good whites.

Delicate
Describes light- to medium-weight wines, which nevertheless have intense flavours. A desirable quality in wines such as Pinot Noir or Riesling.

Depth
Describes the complexity of flavours in a wine, as in a wine with many layers of flavour that unfold on the palate. Contrast with vinous.

Developed
Wine that has under-gone positive changes during its years of ageing. Wines can also develop after a bottle has been opened.

Dirty
Describes wine with foul, off-putting smells resulting from poor winemaking.

Distinctive
Elegant, refined character that sets the wine apart.

Dominant
The aroma or flavour in question outweighs everything else in the wine. Not usually a favourable description; opposed to 'balance.'

Drying Out
Describes wine that has reached maturity and begun to decline, losing its fruit flavour (or sweetness in a sweet wine); the wine becomes unbalanced as acid, alcohol or tannin begin to dominate.

Dull
Lacking flavour and/or enough acidity. Sometimes wines go through a dull phase in their evolution process, and may emerge as a good or even great wine.

Dumb
An ageworthy wine that has lost its youthful fruit but not yet gained the complex bouquet of bottle age, and not showing much of anything during the interim.

Earthy
Describes wines with aromas or flavours of soil or earth. In small amounts the aromas or flavours can add complexity and be positive characteristics, but become negative as the intensity increases. Frequently associated with Pinot Noir. European wines are more apt to be earthy than wines from other continents.

Elegant
Describes balanced, harmonious, refined wines. A wine with flavour, quality, and style, and that isn't heavy, tannic or acidic. A balance of components is also implied.

Entry
A tasting term. Describing the wine on 'entry' is to describe your impression of the wine as it lands in your mouth. Followed by midpalate, finish and length.

Evolution
The development of complex and desirable aromas and flavours (see 'bouquet' above) in ageworthy wine cellared under appropriate temperature conditions.

Fading
Describes a wine that is losing colour or flavour, usually as a result of age.

Fat
Full-bodied, high alcohol wines give a 'fat' impression on the palate. Can be a plus with bold, ripe, rich flavours.

Figs
As with 'dates,' an aroma reminiscent of the fruit. May show in oaky Chardonnays or Sauvignon Blancs.

Finish
Finish refers to the length of time a wine's flavours and mouthfeel linger after swallowing or spitting, and like aftertaste, is an important indicator of quality. In general, the longer the finish, the better the wine.

Firm
This means the elements of a wine's structure are tightly wound together, and also implies the wine has quite a bit of flavour. 'Firm tannins' might indicate a red wine that is well made and has a bright future.

Flat, Fat, Flabby
Heavy, insipid. Critical term for a wine without sufficient acidity, therefore lacking 'structure.'

Fleshy
A wine with a lot of big, ripe fruitiness. These wines are thick on the palate. Glycerine can also give a fleshy impression in the mouth.

Flinty
A dry, mineral-like flavour component that comes from soils containing a lot of limestone. It is an interesting flavour that is a big selling point for French white wines.

Floral, Flowery
General term for a wine with aromas more reminiscent of flowers than fruit. May be very pleasant, especially in white wines. Riesling is often described as floral.

Forward
A tasting term. This denotes a wine which is felt by the taster to be developing quickly, and is ready to drink before it might otherwise be expected. The opposite of backward.

Fragile
An older wine, fully mature, of such age that it's declining.

Fragrant
General term for a wine with a full, accessible aroma.

Fresh
Describes wine with good levels of acidity and a lively, crisp character.

Fruit
One of the taste components of wine. The interaction of alcohol and organic acids results in the development of fruit esters. These compounds imitate the flavours and aromas of other fruits.

Fruity
Overall description for wines in which fruitiness is the predominant quality without any specific fruitiness coming forward. Blackberries are often referenced in the aromas of Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel wines.

Full, Full-Bodied
A textural description for a wine that feels full and weighty on the palate, typically associated with wines of relatively high alcoholic content.

Garnet
A colour description, reddish-purple. A cooked jam colour to describe the luxurious appearance of fine wines.

Gold
Colour description for white wines; a full gold colour generally reflects either some age or substantial oak.

Grapefruit
Just like the fruit; most commonly found in Sauvignon Blanc, also commonplace in Gewurztraminer.

Grapey
Denotes the simple flavours and aromas of fresh table grapes, as opposed to the more complex fruit flavours (such as currant, black cherry, fig and apricot) found in fine wines.

Grassy
Having the scent of grass, including freshly mown grass and hay. A pleasant signature descriptor for Sauvignon Blanc unless overbearing and pungent.

Green
Tasting of unripe fruit. Wines made from less ripe grapes will often possess this quality. Pleasant in lower concentrations when balanced with other flavours. Often associated with Riesling and Gewürztraminer.

Green Olive
Specific vegetal aroma, often noted in Cabernet Sauvignon. May, surprisingly, be closely chemically related to the typical 'blackcurrant' or 'cassis' of Cabernet.

Green Peppers
Herbaceous or vegetal quality generally thought excessive.

Grip
A function of tannin. The slightly bitter and dry taste of moderate tannin seems to give the other flavours 'traction' in the mouth. Young reds with a lot of tannin may have too much grip.

Hard
Beyond firm; having so much acidity or tannin that the wine requires cellaring to be pleasant to drink; most frequently a descriptor for young red wines. Usually results from high acidity or tannins.

Harmonious
Wines whose elements - fruit, alcohol, acidity and tannin - are not totally balanced but appear to blend seamlessly.

Harsh
Rough, biting character from excessive tannin and/or acid. Excessive tannin or acid may be perceived due to a lack of fruit.

Hay
Similar to 'grassy', only more so.

Heady
Strong, aromatic wine with a high concentration of alcohol and other components.

Herbaceous
Describes the aromas and flavours of herbs in a wine. A plus in many wines such as Sauvignon Blanc and, to a lesser extent, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Herbal is a synonym, though when the concentration of the aroma is high and becomes less than pleasant, the term herbaceous is used. Mint, sage and eucalyptus are three herbs often detected in wine.

Hollow
Lacking in flavour, especially in the mid-palate. Describes a wine that has some flavour on the beginning of the sip and on the finish, but is missing intensity or distinct flavours in between.

Honest
A relatively flawless but simple wine. It is implied that the wine sells for a fair price.

Honey
Specific flavour and aroma description, characteristic of botrytis but may also appear as a flavour nuance in dry white wines.

Hot
Describes high alcohol, unbalanced wines that tend to burn with 'heat' on the finish. Generally a fault, but acceptable in fortified wines.

Jammy
So fruity that it's reminiscent of jam or jelly. Often applied to big Zinfandels.

Juicy
Forward, approachable fruit, not necessarily found in a complex wine, but tasty and pleasing.

Lean
Yet another synonym for 'acidic,' this one suggesting a light wine with sharp acidity, a good food wine.

Leather
Another take on 'earthy,' often found in older reds; may add a specific adjective, as appropriate, such as 'bookbinder's leather' or 'saddle leather.'

Legs
The viscous droplets that form and ease down the sides of the glass when the wine is swirled. The more pronounced and persistent the legs, the higher the alcohol content of the wine. Note that neither legs nor alcohol content are absolute indicators of quality.

Lemon
Specific citric flavours, commonplace in dry white wines, demonstrating why these wines go so well with seafood and fish, just as fresh lemons do.

Length
The amount of time that taste, flavour or mouthfeel persist after swallowing a wine. The longer the finish, the better the wine quality. Common descriptors are short, long and lingering.

Light
Refers to a wine that is light in alcohol and/or to its texture and weight in the mouth. Sometimes lightness is desired, and sometimes it is considered a weakness; it depends on the wine. Great Pinot Noirs from Burgundy are often light; great New World Cabernet Sauvignons are never light.

Lively
When a wine is lively, it has a clean aroma and fresh acidity. This term is also used for sparkling wines that have a good amount of carbonation without being too carbonated.

Maderized
Describes the brownish color and slightly sweet, somewhat caramelized and often nutty character found in mature dessert-style wines such as Madeira. Sometimes used to describe a wine that is oxidized due to poor storage.

Mature
The stage at which the wine will not gain any additional complexity with further bottle aging and is ready to drink. Also describes grapes when they are fully ripe.

Meaty
Describes highly extracted red wines that are so full-bodied and concentrated, they seem chewy. Can also describe the aromas of cooked meat, bacon and game that are sometimes associated with Syrah and Pinot Noir.

Medicinal
Herbal aromatics, not necessarily unpleasant, may evoke alcohol or witch hazel.

Medium, medium-bodied
As the name implies, a wine that's neither light-bodied nor heavy-bodied. Because of its middle-of-the-road status, this is rarely worth mentioning in a tasting note.

Mellow
A wine adjective describing a low-acid wine that is smooth and soft, rather rough around the edges. Well-made Merlot tends to be a mellow red wine.

Melon
As with 'cantaloupe', a musky, melon aroma that's found in many whites: Pinots Blanc, Gris and Grigio, also Muscadet and sometimes Riesling.

Middle, Mid-Palate
Another technical term (see also 'attack' and 'finish' or 'aftertaste') for the sequence of sensations as the wine hits your palate. This alludes to the impression between first taste and swallowing; you'll sometimes hear a wine described as having 'a hole in the middle' if the mid-palate impression isn't up to the attack or the finish.

Mineral
Difficult-to-describe term that may reflect the 'stony' character of Chablis. Associated with the minerals in the soil.

Minty
A desirable aroma in some wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon.

Mouth-Filling
Similar to 'full-bodied,' a wine that impresses itself with weight, texture and flavour on the palate.

Mushrooms
A mild earthy quality, pleasant in restraint, although a musty, mushroomy quality may also indicate a 'corked' wine.

Musty
Usually an indication that the wine is 'corked,' although some older wines may show an initial mustiness that blows off with time in the glass. Corked wines never improve with breathing.

Nose
Describes how a wine smells.

Nutmeg
Pleasant spice, akin to 'cloves,' typical of some reds, particularly those aged in oak.

Nutty
Describes the aroma and flavour frequently found in fortified wines such as Madeira and Sherry; the result of exotic fermentations or deliberate oxidation. Can be a negative character in wines not intended to be made in an oxidative style.

Oak, Oaky
Showing substantial influence of the oak barrels in which the wine was aged. This may manifest itself in many forms depending on the wine, the source of the oak, whether the barrels were 'toasted' (charred) and whether they are large or small, new or old. Oaky white wines often show such flavours as pineapple and tropical fruit. Oaky reds may show strong vanilla aromas, herbal dill, or spices.

Pale
Used to describe wines with less colour than similar-styled wines.

Peach
Specific fruit description, often found in Riesling or Gewurztraminer and sometimes in dessert wines.

Pear
Specific fruit description, typically associated with Chardonnay aged in toasted oak barrels.

Peppery
Spicy with the fragrant pungency of black pepper. Typical of Rhone and Languedoc reds made from Syrah and Grenache.

Perfumed
Describes the intense aromas found in some wines, especially in floral white wines.

Persists, Persistent
Generally describes the length of a wine's finish or aftertaste, roughly synonymous with 'long.'

Pineapple
Specific fruit flavour, often associated with California Chardonnay, particularly if heightened by oak. Primary component of 'tropical fruit'.

Plum, Plummy
Very common description for red wines, particularly budget-range reds made from grapes grown in particularly warm climates.

Prickle
Presence of tiny natural bubbles in some young wines.

Raisiny
When perceptible as a specific fruit, generally the sign of a simple table wine made from warm-weather or over-ripe grapes. Australian red wines are often raisiny. Muscat wines are inherently raisiny, irrespective of the ripeness of the harvested Muscat grapes.

Raspberry
Specific fruit description, often found in Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Young Cabernet.

Raw
Describes a young and undeveloped, often tannic wine; typical of red wine sampled from the barrel.

Red Fruit
Broad catch-all term for red wines with mixed flavours of apples, raspberries, strawberries, etc., and quite typical of Languedoc reds, among others.

Rich
Describes full-bodied wines with generous flavours and a pleasing roundness.

Ripe
General term for the overall impression of fruit in a wine; a favourable description for a wine in good balance, stops a bit short of 'juicy,' 'jammy' and similar terms describing wines in which fruit is dominant.

Rising Bread Dough
Very specific aroma description for a fresh, yeasty quality that is found in Champagnes and White Burgundies. Also 'toasty' or 'biscuity' is used to describe this scent.

Robust
Akin to 'big' as a description for a full-bodied, full-flavoured wine, but perhaps even more so.

Rough
Slight, usually acceptable harshness in a wine, characteristic of 'country-style' and 'spaghetti' wines. Rough wines are sometimes a good match with garlic.

Round
Describes a mouthfeel that is smooth and harmonious, not rough or tannic.

Rustic
Describes wines made by old-fashioned methods or tasting like wines made in an earlier era; usually coarse and earthy, can at times also resemble a simple and fruity table wine.

Sharp
A wine with high acidity level is said to be sharp. Sharp wines can cut through rich, creamy sauces.

Short
Finish or aftertaste that doesn't last. Opposite of 'long' or 'lingering.'

Silky
An adjective describing wines with a smooth texture and finish. Glycerine is the component most closely related to silkiness. 'Silky' is not very different from 'velvety'.

Simple
Opposite of complex. Straightforward, inexpensive wines are often referred to as being simple. It is not a negative term when describing a £5 bottle of wine, but it's certainly an insult to a £20 bottle.

Smoky
An aroma sometimes associated with Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir.

Smooth
General textural term, favourable; contrasts with 'rough' or 'astringent'. Describes a wine somewhat rich in glycerine and usually light in tannin and acidity, which feels good in the mouth.

Soft
A low-acid wine, not tart nor sour. Taken to extremes, it yields a wine that's 'fat' or 'flabby'. Many mass-market wines are consciously made on the soft side.

Spicy
A descriptor for many wines, indicating the presence of spice flavours such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, mint and pepper. Gewurztraminer, red Zinfandel and Côte du Rhone are often described as spicy.

Stalky or Stemmy
Describes an unpleasant greenness and astringency from overlong contact with the grape stems or the use of under ripe grapes.

Steely
Firmly structured; taut balance tending toward high acidity.

Straw
Common colour in white wines, lighter and less yellow than gold.

Strawberry
Specific fruit aroma descriptor, commonplace in Beaujolais and some Ports.

Structure
Related to the mouthfeel of a wine, provided by acidity, tannin, alcohol, sugar and the way these components are balanced. Wines with low, unbalanced levels of acidity or tannin can be described as 'lacking in structure' or 'flabby.' When the acidity or tannin levels are sufficiently high, a 'firm structure' is the result.

Sweet
Usually indicates the presence of residual sugar, retained when grape sugar is not completely converted to alcohol. Even dry wines, however, may have an aroma of sweetness, the combination of intense fruit or ripeness. It is considered a flaw if not properly balanced with acidity.

Tannin
Wine component (found mostly in red wines) derived primarily from grape skins, seeds and stems, but also from oak barrels. Tannin acts as a natural preservative that helps wine age and develop. Excessive, unbalanced tannin can taste bitter and leaves the same drying, furry sensation in the mouth as very strong tea. Common tannin descriptors include smooth, velvety, mouth-drying and rough.

Tart
A sharp taste that comes from a wine's natural acidity. Not necessarily a negative term.

Thin
A negative term for a wine (usually red) with insufficient body, flavour and/or colour.

Tight
Describes a wine's current structure, concentration and body in comparison to its potential. Although it may have the potential to be a good wine, its components are 'tightly wound' like a spring ready to be released.

Tired
A wine that is past its peak of flavour development. Such a wine should have been opened at an earlier time.

Toast, Toasty
Descriptive flavour and aroma term that may result from making wine in lightly toasted or charred oak barrels; Also found in fine Champagnes and older Bordeaux.

Tobacco, Tobacco-Leaf
Specific vegetal aroma quite common in some Bordeaux and California Cabernet.

Tropical Fruit
General term for mixed figs, dates and pineapple, with an emphasis on the latter; highly characteristic of oaky California Chardonnay.

Truffles
Subtle, earthy mushrooms. The choice of this pricey fungus as a descriptor strongly implies a favourable intent, as is not necessarily the case with its cousin 'mushroom.'

Unctuous
An adjective to describe a thick, rich, and glycerine-laden wine with an equally rich aroma.

Vanilla
Specific spice term, highly characteristic of some wines (particularly Spanish and some California reds) aged in new American oak.

Varietal Correctness
A wine that exhibits the signature characteristics of the grape variety with which it is labelled is considered to be varietally correct. Many cheaper varietals are not varietally correct, although they might taste good.

Vegetal
Describes wines containing scents reminiscent of herbs and green vegetables such as bell pepper, celery and asparagus. A positive descriptor in small amounts when this quality varietally character correct, as with Cabernet Sauvignon. A negative descriptor when the vegetal element dominates.

Velvet, Velvety
A rather imprecise texture description implying delicious smoothness, classically used to describe red Burgundy and other fine Pinot Noir. Low acid, low tannin and generous glycerine make for a velvety wine.

Vinegar
When a wine begins to go bad from exposure to oxygen, it turns to vinegar. Some wines have a natural vinegary quality to them - not high praise.

Violets
A truly lovely floral quality characteristic of some Italian reds, particularly Barolo, Barbaresco, and others made from the Nebbiolo grape.

Walnuts
The most overtly nutlike of the various nut descriptors; classic definition for Sherry.

Woody
A wine that has absorbed too much oak flavour from casks or barrels is described as woody. However, some wood is good, because it adds complexity to wine.

Yeasty
A bready smell, sometimes detected in wines that have undergone secondary fermentation, such as Champagne. This can be used as either a positive or negative adjective. Compare 'rising bread dough.'

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