Wine tasting descriptors

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The use of wine tasting descriptors allows the taster to qualitatively relate the aromas and flavors that the taster experiences and can be used in assessing the overall quality of wine. Wine writers differentiate wine tasters from casual enthusiasts; tasters attempt to give an objective description of the wine's taste (often taking a systematic approach to tasting), casual enthusiasts appreciate wine but pause their examination sooner than tasters. The primary source of a person's ability to taste wine is derived from their olfactory senses. A taster's own personal experiences play a significant role in conceptualizing what they are tasting and attaching a description to that perception. The individual nature of tasting means that descriptors may be perceived differently among various tasters. [1]

Contents

The following is an incomplete list of wine tasting descriptors and a common meaning of the terms. These terms and usage are from Karen MacNeil's 2001 edition of The Wine Bible unless otherwise noted.

A–C

D–H

I–P

R–Z

See also

Notes

  1. MacNeil 2001, pp. 98–110.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Walton 2000, p. 11.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ""Women Are Like Fine Wine" – A witty way to detect and remember top wine descriptors". TASTEnPAIR. Archived from the original on 2016-01-12. Retrieved 2016-02-11.
  4. 1 2 MacNeil 2001, p. 862.
  5. 1 2 3 MacNeil 2001, p. 863.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Robinson 2003, p. 16.
  7. MacNeil 2001, p. 4, 863.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Robinson 2006, p. 686.
  9. 1 2 3 MacNeil 2001, p. 864.
  10. 1 2 3 MacNeil 2001, p. 865.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 MacNeil 2001, p. 866.
  12. MacNeil 2001, p. 6.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 MacNeil 2001, p. 867.
  14. MacNeil 2001, p. 5.
  15. "Velvety, bright, flabby: Stop to consider how wine feels". Chicago Tribune. 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2023-10-20.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 MacNeil 2001, p. 868.
  17. winepros.com.au. The Oxford Companion to Wine. "foxy".
  18. 1 2 3 MacNeil 2001, p. 869.
  19. "/Glossary of Wine Tasting Terms: Lactic Acid to Lush or Luscious". Theworldwidewine.com. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  20. 1 2 3 4 MacNeil 2001, p. 870.
  21. "Bottle aromas and the petrol character in Riesling". Archived from the original on 2012-12-04. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
  22. MacNeil 2001, p. 871.
  23. 1 2 3 4 MacNeil 2001, p. 872.
  24. 1 2 3 MacNeil 2001, p. 873.
  25. MacNeil 2001, p. 515.
  26. 1 2 3 MacNeil 2001, p. 874.

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Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to be a diminutive of merle, the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the color of the grape. Its softness and "fleshiness," combined with its earlier ripening, make Merlot a popular grape for blending with the sterner, later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, which tends to be higher in tannin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cabernet Sauvignon</span> Red-wine variety of grape

Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley. Cabernet Sauvignon became internationally recognized through its prominence in Bordeaux wines, where it is often blended with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. From France and Spain, the grape spread across Europe and to the New World where it found new homes in places like California's Napa Valley, New Zealand's Hawke's Bay, South Africa's Stellenbosch region, Australia's Margaret River, McLaren Vale and Coonawarra regions, and Chile's Maipo Valley and Colchagua. For most of the 20th century, it was the world's most widely planted premium red wine grape until it was surpassed by Merlot in the 1990s. However, by 2015, Cabernet Sauvignon had once again become the most widely planted wine grape, with a total of 341,000 hectares (3,410 km2) under vine worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sauvignon blanc</span> Green-skinned grape variety

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the city of Bordeaux in France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words sauvage ("wild") and blanc ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in South West France. It is possibly a descendant of Savagnin. Sauvignon blanc is planted in many of the world's wine regions, producing a crisp, dry, and refreshing white varietal wine. The grape is also a component of the famous dessert wines from Sauternes and Barsac. Sauvignon blanc is widely cultivated in France, Chile, Romania, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Bulgaria, the states of Oregon, Washington, and California in the US. Some New World Sauvignon blancs, particularly from California, may also be called "Fumé Blanc", a marketing term coined by Robert Mondavi in reference to Pouilly-Fumé.

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Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. In France, plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in South West France, though the grape is grown worldwide. It is also available as an Argentine varietal.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agiorgitiko</span> Variety of grape

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maceration (wine)</span> Winemaking process where grape skins and seeds are kept in contact with the juice

Maceration is the winemaking process where the phenolic materials of the grape—tannins, coloring agents (anthocyanins) and flavor compounds—are leached from the grape skins, seeds and stems into the must. To macerate is to soften by soaking, and maceration is the process by which the red wine receives its red color, since raw grape juice is clear-grayish in color. In the production of white wines, maceration is either avoided or allowed only in very limited manner in the form of a short amount of skin contact with the juice prior to pressing. This is more common in the production of varietals with less natural flavor and body structure like Sauvignon blanc and Sémillon. For Rosé, red wine grapes are allowed some maceration between the skins and must, but not to the extent of red wine production.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aging of wine</span>

The aging of wine is potentially able to improve the quality of wine. This distinguishes wine from most other consumable goods. While wine is perishable and capable of deteriorating, complex chemical reactions involving a wine's sugars, acids and phenolic compounds can alter the aroma, color, mouthfeel and taste of the wine in a way that may be more pleasing to the taster. The ability of a wine to age is influenced by many factors including grape variety, vintage, viticultural practices, wine region and winemaking style. The condition that the wine is kept in after bottling can also influence how well a wine ages and may require significant time and financial investment. The quality of an aged wine varies significantly bottle-by-bottle, depending on the conditions under which it was stored, and the condition of the bottle and cork, and thus it is said that rather than good old vintages, there are good old bottles. There is a significant mystique around the aging of wine, as its chemistry was not understood for a long time, and old wines are often sold for extraordinary prices. However, the vast majority of wine is not aged, and even wine that is aged is rarely aged for long; it is estimated that 90% of wine is meant to be consumed within a year of production, and 99% of wine within 5 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aroma of wine</span> Olfactory sensation of wine

The aromas of wine are more diverse than its flavours. The human tongue is limited to the primary tastes perceived by taste receptors on the tongue – sourness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness and savouriness. The wide array of fruit, earthy, leathery, floral, herbal, mineral, and woodsy flavour present in wine are derived from aroma notes sensed by the olfactory bulb. In wine tasting, wine is sometimes smelled before taking a sip in order to identify some components of the wine that may be present. Different terms are used to describe what is being smelled. The most basic term is aroma which generally refers to a "pleasant" smell as opposed to odour which refers to an unpleasant smell or possible wine fault. The term aroma may be further distinguished from bouquet which generally refers to the smells that arise from the chemical reactions of fermentation and aging of the wine.

This glossary of winemaking terms lists some of terms and definitions involved in making wine, fruit wine, and mead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ripeness in viticulture</span> How the term "ripe" is used in viticulture and winemaking

In viticulture, ripeness is the completion of the ripening process of wine grapes on the vine which signals the beginning of harvest. What exactly constitutes ripeness will vary depending on what style of wine is being produced and what the winemaker and viticulturist personally believe constitutes ripeness. Once the grapes are harvested, the physical and chemical components of the grape which will influence a wine's quality are essentially set so determining the optimal moment of ripeness for harvest may be considered the most crucial decision in winemaking.

References