Wine glossary
More than 35 essential wine terms, explained clearly for hospitality professionals.
A
Acidity
The component that gives wine freshness and energy and helps balance alcohol, fruit and sweetness.
Aeration
Exposing wine to oxygen so aromas open and firm tannins soften.
Assemblage
The blending of different base wines to create a final cuvée, common in Champagne and Bordeaux.
Ageing
The period a wine spends developing in barrel, tank, amphora, bottle or a combination of vessels.
Appassimento
Partial drying of grapes before fermentation to concentrate sugar, flavour and texture.
B
Barrel
A wooden vessel, usually oak, used to mature wine and add texture, spice and gentle oxygenation.
Bouquet
The complex tertiary aromas that develop as wine ages in bottle.
Botrytis
A fungus that, under controlled conditions, creates noble rot and concentrates grapes for sweet wines.
Biological ageing
Maturation beneath a layer of flor yeast that protects the wine from oxidation.
Body
The perceived weight and density of wine, influenced by alcohol, extract and residual sugar.
C
Clarification
Removing suspended particles to make a wine clearer and more stable.
Cuvée
A selected blend, batch or bottling; in Champagne it can also mean the first pressing.
Carbonic maceration
Fermentation of intact grapes in a carbon-dioxide-rich vessel, producing fresh, fruity wines.
Charmat method
A sparkling-wine method in which the second fermentation takes place in a pressurised tank.
D
Decanting
Pouring wine into another vessel to separate sediment or increase contact with oxygen.
Disgorgement
Removing frozen lees from a traditional-method sparkling-wine bottle after second fermentation.
F
Fortification
Adding grape spirit to must or wine to stop fermentation or raise alcohol.
Filtration
Removing particles and microorganisms before bottling to improve clarity and stability.
Finish
The flavours and sensations that remain after swallowing or spitting the wine.
Flor
A natural yeast layer that protects partly filled barrels from oxidation and shapes Fino and Manzanilla.
G
Gran Reserva
A Spanish ageing category whose exact minimum periods depend on the appellation and wine type.
L
Lees
Spent yeast cells left after fermentation; contact can add texture and bready complexity.
Late harvest
Grapes picked later than usual to obtain greater ripeness and sugar concentration.
M
Malolactic fermentation
The conversion of sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid by bacteria.
Maceration
Contact between juice and grape skins to extract colour, tannin and aroma.
Minerality
A debated tasting descriptor suggesting stone, chalk, flint or saline sensations.
N
Nose
The complete set of aromas perceived when smelling a wine.
O
Oxidative ageing
Controlled exposure to oxygen that develops amber colour and nutty, spicy aromas.
Oak
Wood used for maturation; origin, grain, vessel size and toast all affect the wine.
R
Reserva
A Spanish ageing category whose minimum maturation periods vary by appellation and wine type.
S
Structure
The framework created by acidity, tannin, alcohol, sweetness and extract.
Single-variety wine
Wine made wholly or predominantly from one grape variety, subject to local rules.
Sulphites
Sulphur compounds used to protect wine from oxidation and microbial spoilage and declared on the label.
T
Traditional method
A sparkling-wine method in which the second fermentation occurs in the individual bottle.
Tannins
Phenolic compounds from skins, seeds and wood that add grip, structure and ageing capacity.
Terroir
The interaction of place, climate, soils, topography and human practice that shapes a wine.
V
Varietals
Grape varieties or wines labelled primarily by the variety used.
W
Winemaking
The complete process from harvest to bottling, including fermentation, maturation and stabilisation.
Want your team to master this vocabulary?
Winerim brings wine knowledge into the digital wine list so each reference is easier to understand and recommend.
Request a demo