The tart, refreshing quality of a wine that provides liveliness and structure and helps it pair with food and age well.

The process of exposing wine to oxygen to enhance its flavors and aromas, often achieved through decanting, swirling, or using a wine aerator.

The taste and sensation that remains in the mouth once the wine has been swallowed, closely related to the finish.

The ethanol produced by fermentation, which contributes warmth, body, and texture and influences a wine's perceived balance.

A large, ancient ceramic vessel used for fermenting, storing, and transporting wine, which has experienced a resurgence in popularity for its unique influence on wine flavors and textures.

An Italian technique of drying harvested grapes on mats or racks to concentrate sugars and flavors before pressing and fermentation.

A legally defined geographical area used to identify where grapes for a wine were grown and to maintain quality standards.

The French term for the blending of different lots, varieties, or vineyard parcels to compose the final wine.

A drying, puckering mouthfeel caused mainly by tannins binding with proteins in saliva.

Describes a wine that is firm, restrained, and lacking in obvious fruit, often because it is young or high in acid and tannin.

The firm structural core of acidity and tannin that gives a wine definition and the ability to age.

The harmonious relationship between a wine's acidity, sweetness, tannins, alcohol, and fruit, where no single element dominates.

A wooden vessel, usually oak, used to ferment or age wine and to impart flavor, texture, and slow oxygen exposure.

A small oak barrel of roughly 225 liters, originally from Bordeaux, prized for the strong flavor and oxygen exchange it gives wine.

The practice of stirring the lees back into a wine during aging to add texture, body, and complexity.

An individual grape on a cluster; its size, skin thickness, and ripeness shape the resulting wine's color and flavor.

A holistic, organic-based approach to farming that treats the vineyard as a self-sustaining system guided by lunar and seasonal cycles.

The art of combining different grape varieties, vineyard lots, or vintages to create a wine with greater complexity, balance, or consistency.

The perceived weight and fullness of a wine in the mouth, ranging from light to full, influenced by alcohol, sugar, and extract.

A beneficial fungus, also called noble rot, that shrivels grapes and concentrates their sugars, producing intensely sweet dessert wines.

The slow maturation of wine in the sealed bottle, during which flavors integrate and complex tertiary aromas develop.

The complex aromas that develop in a wine as it ages, as distinct from the primary fruit aromas of a young wine.

Allowing wine to interact with air after opening, softening it and releasing aromas before drinking.

Short for Brettanomyces, a yeast that can produce barnyard, leathery, or medicinal aromas, considered a fault in excess.

A tasting descriptor for wine with vivid, fresh acidity and clean, lively fruit.

A measurement of the sugar content in grape juice, used to estimate the potential alcohol level of the finished wine.

A designation for dry sparkling wine, indicating very low residual sugar after the final dosage.

The spring stage when dormant vine buds swell and open into new green shoots, marking the start of the growing season.

A rich, creamy flavor and texture, often in oaked white wines, produced largely by malolactic fermentation.

A mature, woody shoot from the previous season, selected and trimmed during pruning to bear the coming year's fruit.

The leaves, shoots, and stems of the vine, whose density affects sunlight, airflow, and ripening of the grapes.

Vineyard practices such as trimming and leaf removal that control the vine's foliage to optimize ripening and grape health.

The thick layer of grape skins and solids that floats to the top of the must during red wine fermentation.

A fermentation method using whole, uncrushed grapes in a carbon-dioxide-rich environment, yielding bright, fruity, low-tannin reds.

Storing wine under stable, cool conditions to allow it to mature and improve over time.

Bringing a wine, typically a red, gently up to a moderate room temperature before serving.

The addition of sugar to grape must before fermentation to raise the finished wine's alcohol level, common in cool regions.

The removal of suspended particles from wine to make it clear, using settling, fining, or filtration.

A subtype of a grape variety propagated from a single parent vine, selected for specific traits such as flavor, yield, or disease resistance.

Describes a wine, often young, whose aromas and flavors are muted and have yet to fully open up.

The seal of a wine bottle, such as a natural cork, synthetic stopper, or screwcap, that controls oxygen exposure.

Unpleasantly sweet and heavy, the result of sugar not being balanced by enough acidity.

A bunch of grapes growing together on the vine; clusters may be fermented whole or destemmed.

A pre-fermentation technique of steeping crushed grapes at low temperature to extract color and flavor before alcoholic fermentation begins.

The layered range of aromas, flavors, and sensations in a wine that reveal themselves over time, a hallmark of quality.

The intensity and density of a wine's flavors and extract, often linked to low yields and ripe fruit.

A wine-access device that draws wine through a thin needle while replacing it with inert gas, letting a bottle be poured without removing the cork.

A permanent horizontal arm of the vine trained along a wire, from which fruiting spurs or canes grow.

A wine fault caused by a tainted cork, giving the wine musty, moldy aromas reminiscent of wet cardboard.

Plants grown between vine rows to improve soil health, control erosion, and manage vine vigor.

A descriptor for wine, usually white, with fresh, clean, mouthwatering acidity.

A French term denoting a vineyard or group of vineyards recognized for producing wine of distinctive, superior quality.

The breaking open of grapes to release their juice, and by extension the harvest and start of the winemaking season.

A specific blend or batch of wine, often a producer's signature bottling or a base blend for sparkling wine.

A glass vessel into which wine is poured to separate it from sediment and expose it to air.

Pouring wine from its bottle into another vessel to separate it from sediment and to aerate it before serving.

A French term for an off-dry to medium-sweet style, used especially for sparkling wines.

Removing grapes from their stems before fermentation to reduce harsh, green tannins.

The removal of frozen sediment from a sparkling wine bottle after secondary fermentation, before the final dosage and corking.

The difference between daytime high and nighttime low temperatures in a vineyard, which helps grapes retain acidity while developing flavor.

A small dose of wine and sugar added to sparkling wine after disgorgement, setting its final sweetness level.

Describes a wine with little or no perceptible residual sugar, the result of fermenting nearly all the grape sugar into alcohol.

Growing grapes without irrigation, relying solely on natural rainfall and stored soil moisture.

A descriptor for aromas and flavors suggesting soil, mushroom, forest floor, or minerals.

The bubbles of carbon dioxide in sparkling wine that produce its characteristic fizz and lively texture.

The French term for the maturation and care of wine between fermentation and bottling, including aging, racking, and blending.

The science and study of wine and winemaking, encompassing fermentation, aging, and the chemistry of the finished product.

A property where grapes are grown and the wine is made and bottled by the same producer.

The dissolved solids — tannins, pigments, and flavor compounds — that give a wine body, color, and concentration.

The process by which yeast converts grape sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide, transforming juice into wine.

Passing wine through a fine medium to remove particles and microbes for clarity and stability.

Adding a clarifying agent that binds with and removes suspended particles, softening or clearing the wine.

The flavors and sensations that linger after a wine is swallowed; a long, pleasant finish is a marker of quality.

Describes a wine lacking sufficient acidity, leaving it soft, dull, and lifeless.

Lacking acidity or, for sparkling wine, having lost its carbonation and liveliness.

A descriptor for wine with soft, ripe, mouth-filling fruit and a generous texture.

A selection of several wines served together for comparison, often by theme, region, or vintage.

A descriptor for flower-like aromas such as rose, violet, or orange blossom, often driven by terpenes.

Wine to which a distilled spirit, usually brandy, has been added to raise the alcohol level, as in Port, Sherry, and Madeira.

The juice or wine that flows naturally from grapes by gravity, before pressing, generally the most refined fraction.

Describes a wine in which ripe fruit flavors dominate over earth, oak, or savory notes.

A tasting descriptor evoking the wild Mediterranean scrubland of herbs like thyme, rosemary, and lavender.

Joining a fruiting grape variety onto a separate rootstock, widely used to resist phylloxera and adapt to soils.

A descriptor for the herbaceous, vegetal, or under-ripe character that comes from unripe grapes.

Cutting away some unripe grape clusters in summer so the vine ripens fewer, more concentrated bunches.

The firm, gripping sensation that tannins and acidity give a wine on the palate.

A cane-pruning and training system in which one or two canes are tied to a wire to bear the season's fruit.

The length of time grapes remain on the vine after reaching ripeness, allowing further flavor and sugar development.

The picking of ripe grapes from the vineyard, timed to capture the desired balance of sugar, acid, and flavor.

A metric unit of area equal to 10,000 square meters, commonly used to measure vineyard size and report planted area.

A descriptor for green, leafy, or grassy aromas, often from compounds called pyrazines.

A comparative tasting of different wines from the same vintage, highlighting differences in producer or site.

A descriptor for a wine whose high alcohol creates a burning sensation that overwhelms its balance.

A grape variety bred by crossing different species, often for disease resistance or cold hardiness.

A sweet wine made from grapes frozen on the vine, pressed while still frozen to yield intensely concentrated juice.

Adding a selected cultured yeast strain to grape must to initiate and control fermentation.

Supplying water to vines artificially, used in dry climates but restricted in some regions to preserve quality.

A descriptor for cooked, very ripe, sweet-fruited flavors reminiscent of fruit preserves.

A descriptor for wine with mouthwatering, fresh, succulent fruit and lively acidity.

Grapes left on the vine well past normal ripeness to build sugar, used to make sweeter wines.

A descriptor for a thin-bodied, austere wine lacking richness, often high in acidity.

The sediment of dead yeast cells and grape particles left after fermentation; aging on the lees adds texture and complexity.

The streaks of wine that cling to and run down the inside of a glass after swirling, related to alcohol and sugar content.

How long a wine's flavors persist on the palate after swallowing; greater length signals higher quality.

Steeping grape juice with skins, seeds, and stems to extract color, tannin, and flavor.

The broad climate of an entire wine region, the largest scale of climatic influence on grape growing.

A secondary fermentation that converts sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid, giving wine a rounder, creamier mouthfeel.

The climate of a specific site or vineyard, between the regional and vine-level scales.

The very localized climate within and immediately around the vine canopy.

A tasting descriptor for flinty, stony, or saline characteristics in a wine, often associated with the vineyard's soil.

The frothy texture and feel of the bubbles in a sparkling wine on the palate.

The tactile sensations a wine creates in the mouth, including weight, texture, and astringency.

The freshly crushed grape juice, including skins, seeds, and pulp, that is fermented into wine.

Wild yeasts naturally present on grapes and in the cellar, used to ferment wine without commercial cultures.

Wine made with minimal intervention, typically from organically grown grapes, native yeast, and little or no added sulfites.

Freshly made oak barrels that impart strong wood-derived flavors and tannins, used to add structure and aroma.

The overall aroma of a wine as perceived by smell, encompassing both primary fruit scents and developed bouquet.

Maturing wine in oak barrels to impart flavors such as vanilla, spice, and toast, and to soften tannins through gentle oxidation.

A descriptor for pronounced wood-derived flavors such as vanilla, toast, smoke, or spice from barrel aging.

A connoisseur or lover of wine who appreciates its qualities, history, and culture.

Mature vines, often decades old, that yield small crops of concentrated, characterful fruit.

White wine made by fermenting the juice in contact with grape skins, gaining color, tannin, and texture.

Grape growing without synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers, relying on natural methods.

The reaction of wine with oxygen, which in small amounts softens it but in excess dulls fruit and browns it.

Describes a style or character resulting from deliberate or excessive oxygen exposure, giving nutty, dried-fruit notes.

The taster's sense of taste, and by extension the flavors and structure a wine shows in the mouth.

A distinctive kerosene-like aroma that can develop in aged Riesling, prized by some enthusiasts.

A microscopic root-feeding louse that devastated the world's vineyards in the 19th century, now controlled by grafting onto resistant rootstock.

The solid residue of skins, seeds, and stems left after grapes are pressed.

A descriptor for an intense, concentrated, high-impact wine with substantial body and flavor.

The deeper-colored, more tannic wine extracted by pressing the grape solids after the free run is drained.

Applying pressure to grapes or pomace to extract juice or wine from the solids.

Cutting back vine wood during dormancy to control growth, shape the vine, and regulate the coming crop.

Drawing fermenting juice from the bottom of the tank and pouring it over the cap to extract color and flavor.

Pushing the floating cap of skins back into the fermenting juice to aid extraction, also known as pigeage.

Aromatic compounds responsible for green, bell-pepper, and herbaceous notes, prominent in under-ripe grapes.

The process of transferring wine off its sediment from one vessel to another to clarify it during aging.

A low-oxygen condition or style that can preserve fresh fruit but may also create sulfurous, struck-match odors.

A term, loosely regulated in many regions, suggesting a wine of higher quality or longer aging than a producer's standard bottling.

The natural grape sugar left unfermented in a finished wine, which determines its level of sweetness.

A descriptor for a full, generous, mouth-filling wine with abundant flavor and texture.

The state of grapes having developed full sugar, flavor, and physiological maturity, ready for harvest.

The root system, often of a phylloxera-resistant species, onto which a fruiting grape variety is grafted.

Pink wine made by giving red grape juice only brief contact with the skins before fermentation.

A descriptor for a smooth, well-integrated wine with soft tannins and no sharp edges.

Bleeding off some juice early in red wine fermentation, used to make rosé or to concentrate the remaining red wine.

A descriptor for non-fruity, umami-like flavors such as meat, herbs, soy, or mushroom.

Solid deposits that settle in a bottle as wine ages, separated from the wine by decanting.

The temperature at which a wine is poured, which strongly affects its aromas, flavors, and balance.

A descriptor for biting, aggressive acidity that can feel harsh when unbalanced.

A wine made entirely from grapes grown in one named vineyard, intended to express that specific site.

Letting grape juice macerate with the skins to extract color, tannin, and flavor compounds.

A descriptor for smoke-like aromas from toasted oak, certain grapes, or volcanic soils.

A descriptor for a wine with soft, well-rounded tannins and a seamless, easy texture.

A descriptor for a wine low in tannin or acidity, giving a gentle, approachable mouthfeel.

The ground in which vines grow, whose composition and drainage are key components of terroir.

A fractional blending system, used for Sherry and other wines, in which older and younger vintages are gradually combined.

A trained wine professional, typically working in fine dining, who specializes in wine service and food pairing.

Wine with significant dissolved carbon dioxide that produces bubbles, made by trapping the gas from a secondary fermentation.

A descriptor for peppery, clove, cinnamon, or other spice-like aromas from the grape or oak aging.

Treatments that prevent unwanted changes such as cloudiness, crystals, or refermentation in bottled wine.

Glassware with a stem and bowl designed for serving wine, shaped to concentrate aromas and suit different wine styles.

Wine without significant bubbles, as opposed to sparkling wine.

The framework of a wine formed by its acidity, tannins, alcohol, and body, which together determine its feel and aging potential.

Sulfur compounds, naturally present and often added in small amounts, that act as preservatives and antioxidants in wine.

A descriptor for a wine with soft, pliant tannins and a smooth, yielding texture.

Describes a wine with noticeable residual sugar, ranging from off-dry to lusciously dessert-like.

Rotating wine in the glass to release its aromas by increasing contact with air.

A broad, everyday category of still wine of ordinary strength, often the most basic legal classification.

Naturally occurring compounds from grape skins, seeds, and oak that create a drying, astringent sensation and contribute to a wine's structure and aging.

A descriptor for a sharp, sour impression created by high acidity.

A written description of a wine's appearance, aromas, flavors, and structure, used to record and communicate its character.

Trichloroanisole, the chemical compound responsible for cork taint, which gives affected wine its characteristic musty, corked smell.

A grape variety with red flesh as well as red skin, used to deepen the color of blended red wines.

Aromatic compounds found in grapes that contribute floral and citrus scents, especially prominent in varieties like Muscat and Riesling.

The complete natural environment of a vineyard — soil, climate, topography, and tradition — that gives a wine its sense of place.

Complex aromas — such as leather, tobacco, and dried fruit — that develop with bottle age, distinct from primary fruit and secondary winemaking scents.

The tactile quality of a wine in the mouth, from silky and smooth to grainy or coarse.

Describes a young, compact wine whose flavors are held back and need time to open.

The bottling of base wine with added yeast and sugar to begin the in-bottle secondary fermentation of sparkling wine.

The charring of a barrel's interior over fire, which influences the flavors oak gives the wine.

A descriptor for warm, bread-like, or caramelized aromas from toasted oak or lees aging.

Refilling a barrel or tank to replace wine lost to evaporation and limit oxygen contact.

The framework of posts and wires that supports the vine and arranges its canopy and fruit.

The degree to which a wine expresses the typical characteristics of its grape variety and region of origin.

The empty space between wine and the top of its container or cork; excessive ullage can signal evaporation or a faulty seal.

The savory, brothy fifth taste sometimes perceived in wine, often linked to lees aging or maturity.

Describes a wine bottled without filtration, which may leave it slightly cloudy but can preserve texture and flavor.

A wine labeled and made predominantly from a single named grape variety.

A distinct type of grape, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay, defined by its botanical and flavor characteristics.

A descriptor for an exceptionally smooth, plush mouthfeel created by ripe, fine-grained tannins.

The onset of ripening, when grapes change color and begin to accumulate sugar while losing acidity.

A comparative tasting of several vintages of the same wine, revealing how it changes from year to year.

The vegetative growth energy of a vine; excessive vigor can shade fruit and dilute concentration.

The grape-bearing plant itself, whose health, age, and training shape the character of the wine.

A plot of land planted with grapevines for wine production.

The complete process of turning grapes into wine, from crushing and fermentation through aging and bottling.

Descriptive of qualities characteristic of wine itself, used for aromas or flavors that are winey rather than overtly fruity or floral.

The year in which the grapes for a wine were harvested, an indicator of the growing-season conditions that shaped the wine.

The cultivation and science of grape growing, encompassing vineyard practices from planting and pruning to harvest.

The European grape species responsible for nearly all of the world's fine wine varieties.

Vinegary, acetic-acid aromas that, in excess, are considered a fault but at low levels can add lift.

Fermenting grapes with their stems intact, which can add structure, spice, and aromatic complexity.

A defect that detracts from a wine's quality, such as cork taint, oxidation, or excessive volatile acidity.

The microorganisms that convert grape sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation.

The quantity of grapes or wine produced per unit of vineyard area; lower yields are often associated with greater concentration and quality.

A descriptor for wine with lively, tangy, citrus-like freshness and bright acidity.