Aftertaste – the impression the wine leaves after it is swallowed. Sometimes called the “finish” of a wine.

Appellation – a recognized wine-growing region.

Aroma – fragrance of the wine, which comes from the grapes used to make it.

Astringency – is mainly associated with red wines, due to levels of tannin; it is experienced on the palate as a rough, drying sensation.

Balance – is the harmonious interplay of components in a wine. For example, acidity balances sweetness; fruit balances oak; alcohol balances flavor.

Barrel Aging – the process of holding wine in oak containers to allow flavor and aromatic compounds to mature and change beneficially.

Big – description of full-bodied wines with rich flavors. Powerful.

Body – fullness of a wine in the mouth. The overall weight and texture of the wine, sometimes related to alcoholic content.

Bouquet – is the complex of fragrances that develops in a wine as it matures.

Buttery – the rich flavor or smoothness of a wine, similar to the oiliness of butter. Usually used to refer to aged white wines.

Complex – a wine with many aromas and flavors. Normally, complex wines are highly sought after.

Crisp – refers to the lively taste of a white wine.

Delicate – subtle fragrance, flavor and body.

Dry – describes a lack of noticeable sweetness. In dry wines, all or most of the sugar is fermented into alcohol.

Fat – describes a full-bodied wine, where the level of acidity is lower than the perceptible sweetness or alcohol.

Fermentation – the conversion of sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide by yeast. Many of the flavors of wine are created during this process.

Finish – sensation of taste and texture during or after swallowing. In the finest wines, the finish should be long and lingering.

Firm – balanced structure, so tightly knit that individual elements are not distinguishable.

Flowery – flower aromas.

Fruity – indicates lots of fruit flavor in the wine.

Legs – the rivulets that run down the inside of the glass after it is swirled. Caused by the glycerin and alcohol in a wine. Lack of legs means a “thin” wine.

Lively – usually refers to acidity that gives a positive “zing” to wine.

Mature – ready to drink, well aged.

Muscular – robust, powerful body and flavor, pronounced fruit taste.

Nose – refers to the aroma of a wine, or the act of smelling the wine.

Oaky – the smell and taste, sometimes akin to vanilla, cedar or toasted flavors, which come from aging wine in oak barrels.

Robust – a full-bodied wine with an unrefined rough texture.

Round – smooth and well-developed flavors.

Smoky – a flavor associated with some types of oak aging.

Soft – describes a low level of acid and/or tannin.

Steel – wines are fermented in steel tanks to emphasize fresh fruit flavors.

Structure – the totality of the wine’s composition and individual elements.

Sulfites – are a derivative of the element sulfur, widely used in winemaking, though most wineries keep their application to a minimum. Sulfur may be sprayed in the vineyard as a preventive against diseases, pests and mildew. Sulfites may be used in the winery to clean and sterilize equipment, to kill off bacteria that could harm the wine, to prevent browning in the juice, to inhibit native yeasts on the grapes, or to guard against spoilage at bottling. Sulfites are also a natural by-product of fermentation, and most wines contain very low levels of added sulfites. By law, any wine with sulfites higher than 10 ppm must state “contains sulfites” on the label.

Tannin – chemical from skins, seeds and stems of grapes that gives red wine an astringent “puckering” taste. Most prominent in red wines and usually mellows with age.

Vintage – is the year in which the grapes were picked, and also refers to the picking process.