ABV
Alcohol by volume. Expressed as a percentage on the bottle. Higher alcohol usually means the grapes were riper when picked, so wines from hot regions tend to have higher alcohol than wines from cool regions.
Acidity
Acidity is a structural component of wine rather than a flavour or aroma. It is an essential part of a balanced wine (along with tannin, alcohol and sweetness). Without sufficient acidity, wine would taste flat and boring. Acidity also helps preserve the wine, very important for wines capable of maturing in the bottle. It also matters when choosing the right wine to pair with food. Cooler climate wines, or wines from regions where night-time temperatures are cold, will have higher acidity than those from warmer regions. So if you don’t like highly acidic wines, choose wines from warmer regions and stay away from cool-climate wines!
AOP/AOC
Appellation d’Origine Protégée/Appellation d’Origine Controllée. This is a classification meaning the wine comes from a controlled geographical area and has been made according to certain specified practices using permitted types of grapes only so as to preserve the typical style of that appellation. AOC wines are meant to reflect the “terroir” of the area to which they apply.
Body
Body refers to the mouthfeel of a wine, whether it feels “thick” or “thin” in the mouth (think fresh cream versus water). Contrary to what some may think, the body of a wine is not an indicator of quality.
Corked
A corked wine is a wine that has gone bad due to chemical compounds present in the cork. The wine will display unpleasant aromas such as moldy cardboard, wet dog, or damp basement. The wine is safe to drink, but will not taste good. If you get a bottle of corked wine from us, please contact us and let us know. Don’t throw the bottle or its contents away yet.
Decant
Decanting refers to pouring wine from the bottle into another receptacle (usually a crystal or glass decanter). Decanting serves 2 purposes: first, where wine has sediment, it can be carefully decanted, leaving the sediment behind in the bottle and second, decanting aerates the wine which can soften the tannins and open up the aromas. Certain wines (especially younger, powerful red wines such as Bordeaux, and those from southern France) will benefit from decanting and prolonged aeration (by leaving the wine in a wide-bottomed decanter for an hour or more).
Finish
The finish of a wine is, simply, how long the desirable aromas of the wine linger on your palate after you’ve swallowed (or spit) it. A long finish is an indicator of a good wine.
Garrigue
A French term describing the vegetation growing on the limestone hills on the Mediterranean coast. In wine, this refers to aromas of the dried herbs and plants that grow in this environment e.g. thyme, rosemary, lavender.
Grand vin
Literally, “great wine”. This term refers to what a producer considers to be its main wine.
Herbaceous
Herbaceous aromas are a group that include aromas such as grass, bell peppers, asparagus etc… These can be quite prominent in certain Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon-based wines.
IGP/VDP
Indication Géographique Protegée/Vin de Pays. These are lower levels of classification compared to AOP/AOC. Wines must still come from a specified geographical area, but this area is generally larger than AOP/AOC areas, and the controls on winemaking methods and grape varieties are less strict. Some winemakers choose to use a lesser appellation because it allows them more freedom in making the wine, so a lesser appellation does not necessarily mean the wine is of lower quality than a higher tier appellation wine.
Magnum
The name for a 1.5L bottle of wine.
Malolactic
Malolactic fermentation is a winemaking process where lactic acid bacteria (the same sort found in yogurt) are allowed to do their thing and feed on the malic acid in the wine, turning it into lactic acid which is softer and smoother. This process can give aromas of cream, butter, and other dairy products to the finished wine.
Minerality
This refers to the group of aromas such as steel, flint and wet stone. These aromas are usually present in cooler climate wines.
New world
This refers to countries outside Europe.
Oak
Some wines are fermented and/or matured in oak barrels. Oak, especially American oak, contains an organic compound called vanillin which leaches into the wine e.g. during maturation in oak barrels. When new oak is used, more vanillin leaches into the wine compared to old, or previously used, oak, and a stronger vanilla aroma will be present. Other aromas imparted include coconut and toast. Oak will also let some small amounts of oxygen in, which helps develop the other aromas in the wine, and also helps soften the tannins.
Old world
This refers to European countries.
Primary aromas
These are aromas that come from the fruit itself, and are not a result of winemaking techniques such as oak aging or bottle maturation. Primary aromas are are, for example, fruit and floral aromas.
Red wine
Wine made from black grapes that has been left in contact with the skins during the winemaking process and has taken on colour from the skins. Can range from purple to tawny in colour. Red wine will usually have aromas of red and/or black fruit.
Rosé wine
Wine made in a similar way to red wine, but with shorter contact with the skins so that less colour leaches into the juice. Colour can vary from the palest of pinks to deep salmon, almost orange. Rosé wine will typically display aromas of red fruit and flowers.
Secondary aromas
These are aromas such as vanilla, coconut, butter or cream introduced by winemaking techniques like aging the wine in oak barrels or by using malolactic fermentation.
Sulfites
These are antioxidants (preservatives) usually added to wine during the winemaking process to protect the wine from oxidation. Sulfites are a natural byproduct of yeast fermentation, so even if the winemaker adds no sulfites, there will be some present in the wine naturally. Sulfites in wine are not harmful to health unless you are allergic to them. In fact, dried fruit can contain about 10 times more sulfites than wine!
Tannins
Tannins are organic compounds occurring in the seeds, stems and skins of grapes, and in oak. They cause the drying feeling you get in your mouth when you drink certain wines, sometimes when unripe, they can come across as bitter or astringent. Tannins help give wine more structure and act as an antioxidant to help preserve the wine. Red wines will have far more tannins than white wines (tannins are usually not detectable in white wines).
Terroir
Refers to the land and environment the grapes are grown in. Differences in soil and climate affect the way grapes grow and ripen, which in turn affects the aromas found in the wine. The particular combination of soil in the vineyards together with the climate in the region is unique and cannot be reproduced.
Tertiary aromas
Tertiary aromas are a result of aging wine. During the aging process, the fresh fruit aromas will, in better wines meant for aging, evolve into riper, cooked fruit, and other aromas such as earth, mushrooms and leather can develop for red wines. Some white wines can also age and can develop honey, petrol and toast aromas. Tertiary aromas are a good indication that the wine is not a “young” wine.
White wine
Wine which can be made from black or white grapes, but which has been made in such a way that no colour from the skin (if using black grapes) has leached into the juice. White wine can range from pale greenish yellow to deep gold in colour. White wines will usually have aromas of flowers, citrus, green fruit, stone fruit and/or tropical fruit.