This glossary intends to explain some of the terms that I use when describing wines. This is not meant to be an exhaustive guide, but it will cover all the terms I use. If there is anything you feel I have omitted, or would like explaining, please e-mail me.

A

Acidity: Detectable as a sharpness in the mouth, this should neither be too obvious nor absent. Its absence makes a wine dull and 'flabby'. Too much makes the wine difficult to drink. A wine with a good balance of tannin and acidity, and good fruit, will age well.
Alcohol: The product of fermentation by yeasts, its presence is measured in percent volume (or "proof").
Appellation: A delineated wine producing region, particularly with reference to France. Wines that qualify for appellation contrôlée status must meet numerous legal criteria, such as correct grapes, restricted yields, etc., but there are no actual tests of quality.

B

Balance: This describes a wine in which the tannins, acidity and level of fruit all co-exist at a harmonious level. The tannins are not too obtrusive, the acidity not obvious but present, and a pleasant level of fruit (or other factors, such as oak).
Bâtonnage: The term for stirring of the lees (dead yeasts), which is employed to impart body and flavour to the wine.
Bead: The size of the bubbles in a glass of sparkling wine or Champagne. Some people say that the smaller the bead, the finer the wine. Champagne does seem to have a finer bead than New World wine.
Body: Describes the consistency of the wine. A more watery wine has a light body. Wines with a thicker consistency are medium and then full bodied.
Botrytis: Also known as Noble Rot, Botrytis cinnerea is a fungus which, under suitable conditions, attacks grapes on the vines, leaving them shrivelled and dehydrated. Fermentation of these grapes will result in a rich, sweet, concentrated wine, as the fermenting yeasts will die long before the sugar has all been converted to alcohol.
Bretty: Refers to a farmyardy, 'mousy', sometimes metallic smell which is the result of contamination of the wine by species of Brettanomyces fungus.
Bricking: Refers to a tawny, brick red colour, which implies age in a red wine.

C

Chaptalised: Wine that has been chaptalised has had sugar added before fermentation in order to result in a higher alcohol content.
Closed: Some wines (red rather than white) that are built to age will go through an awkward phase when a few years old. The nose will be unimpressive and the wine will seem short on flavour. It is a temporary phase before the development of the characteristics of a mature wine.
Confected: A sweet note, but more manufactured (like candy) rather than honey. Generally a negative aspect of the wine.
Corked: A wine contaminated with TCA, a product of fungal contamination of the cork (a corked wine is not one with bits of cork floating in it). It may result in a wine that simply lacks fruit and can be difficult to spot, or it may be horribly obvious, with cardboardy, musty, mushroomy, dank aromas and flavours, rendering the wine completely undrinkable.

D

Doux: A French term used to describe a sweet wine, usually seen written as 'vin doux'.
Dry: Basically the opposite of sweet, although wine that tastes dry still contains sugar, perhaps just a few grams per litre. The term 'dry' can also be used to describe the tannins or mouthfeel, when it refers to the dry, puckering sensation the wine imparts.

E

Extraction: This refers to the extraction of phenolic compounds from the grapeskins, in order to provide tannins, colour and body. It may be increased by leaving the wine in contact with the skins for longer, although too long will result in an excessively powerful wine that seems 'over-extracted'.

F

Finish: Your impression of the wine at the point of, and just after, swallowing.
Forward: This denotes a wine which is packed with obvious fruit and other aromas, which may be felt by the taster to be developing quickly.

G

Goût de terroir: This term suggests that the wine in some way tastes of the earth in which it was grown, as well as the flavours derived from the grapes. For example, some German Rieslings may be said to be slatey, reflecting the slate that is present in the vineyards,

H

Hollow: Describing a wine as hollow implies that something more was expected of it. For example, a wine with a promising nose and forepalate, which then seems thin, perhaps lacking in flavour or body, on the midpalate may be described as 'hollow on the midpalate'.

I

In bond: This term describes wine which is held in a bonded warehouse, which has not passed through customs in order to officially enter the UK and consequently has not been subject to duty or value added tax (VAT). Once purchased (case quantities only), wine may be held 'in bond' for a fee, and this is useful if you plan to export the wine, or sell to a foreign buyer, at a later date. If you're like me and tend to drink it rather than sell it, however, in order to get your hands on your wine you will have to pay duty (about £14 per case for still wine, more for sparkling or fortified wine) and then VAT (17.5% on top of the full amount, including duty - which means that you pay tax on the duty as well as the wine) which often significantly increases the amount you have to pay. Always take this into account when buying in bond or en primeur, and don't forget that shipping charges may also be incurred.
Integrated: Describes whether or not the various flavour components of the wine are acting in harmony or not. A young wine often seems to be poorly integrated (or 'disjointed'), but this will often change with time. A term often used with regard to oak.

J

K

L

Leesy: The rich aromas or flavours which result from the wine resting on its lees (the dead yeast cells, that were originally responsible for the fermentation).
Legs: The tear-like tracks that a wine makes down the side of a glass after it has been swirled. May be related to alcohol or glycerol content - it's a matter of contention. Not essential for assessing the quality of a wine, but pleasant to look at.
Length: How long the flavours of the wine persist in the mouth after you have swallowed it. It is generally thought that the longer the length, the better the wine.
Lieu-dit: A French term most often used when describing Burgundy. It refers to a named vineyard which does not have Premier or Grand Cru appellation.

M

Madeirised: Refers to wine that has oxidised and tastes like Madeira. If you are not familiar with Madeira, a wine that tastes like old and bad sherry is probably also oxidised.
Malolactic fermentation: After the initial alcoholic (yeast-driven) fermentation, the malolactic (bacterial) fermentation may be permitted, resulting in conversion of the sharp malic acid to the softer lactic acid. Whether a winemaker permits or blocks the malolactic (or 'malo') depends on the style of wine he/she aims to make.
Moelleux: A French term for a sweet wine.
Mousse: How fizzy a sparkling wine seems in the mouth. A soft mousse is not too fizzy. A harsh mousse is too fizzy, like a carbonated soft drink, perhaps.

N

Nose: Describing how a wine smells.

O

Oxidised: Tasting like bad old sherry or madeira, this is the result of prolonged contact of the wine with oxygen. This may have happened in the winery, or because or a poor cork.

P

Palate: Describing how a wine tastes in the mouth. May be divided into fore-palate (the initial impression), mid-palate (taking your time over it) and hind or end-palate (how it seems on swallowing).
Pétillant: Very lightly sparkling, much less so than most sparkling wines (such as Champagne) which have a 'mousse' rather than a 'pétillance'.
Phenolics: Compounds derived from grapes (specifically, from skins and pips) which include tannins.

Q

R

Residual sugar: This is the amount of sugar left in the wine after alcoholic fermentation. The vast majority of wines have less than 2g/L. Sweet wines obviously have more, some reaching ridiculous levels - up to 480g/L has been recorded.

S

Sec: French for 'dry'.
Structure: An ambiguous tasting term implying that the harmony of fruit, tannins, acidity and alcohol is perfectly woven. A wine with good structure is often suitable for ageing.
Sulphur: This may show through as rubbery or mothball type aromas, and is the result of heavy-handed use of sulphur dioxide, implying poor wine making. Having said that, some Rhône reds can exhibit rubbery aromas with age in the absence of sulphur, and here it would not be considered a fault.

T

Tannin: A compound derived from the pips and stalks, which is detectable by a furring of the mouth and teeth in a similar manner to stewed tea. Too much tannin may render a wine very difficult to drink, but they do soften with age. Tannin gives a wine body and structure, and together with acidity and fruit it is necessary for a wine to improve with age.
TCA: The compound that taints a wine when it is corked, 1-2-4 Trichloroanisole.
Toasty: Literally means just that - smelling or tasting of toast. It may reflect 'toasting' of the barrels, when they may be placed around a fire (sometimes as they are made), the flames altering the physical and chemical composition of the wood surface, and subsequently this will have a significant effect on the flavour of the wine.

U

V

Volatile acidity: A small amount of aromatic compounds help to lift the fruitiness of wine. In excess, however, they are regarded as a fault, manifesting as acetone, furniture polish and vinegar-like aromas.

W

Weight: Describes the consistency of the wine, in a similar way to body. The thicker and richer the wine feels in the mouth, the more weight it is said to have.

XYZ

Yeast: Micro-organism responsible for the conversion of sugar to alcohol. They are endemic in many vineyards, but if not they may be cultured in the laboratory and introduced to commence the fermentation.