A
Abboccato - Slightly sweet / medium dry
Acidic - A wine with a noticeable sense of acidity
Acidity - The quality of wine that provide a crispiness and vitality to it. The three main acids found in wine are tartaric acid, malic acid and lactic acid. The first two come from the grapes and the third from malolactic fermentation
Aftertaste - A term for the taste left on the palate after wine has been swallowed. Synonyms savor or finesse
Alcohol - Here we specifically refer to Ethyl Alcohol, the product of alcoholic fermentation of sugar by yeast. Measured in percent volume
Amphora - A type of ceramic vase, used for transporting and storing of wines in ancient times
Aperitif - ((ah-pehr-ee-teef) A French word that describes an alcoholic beverage served before dinner to stimulate the appetite
Aroma - The fruity smell of the grape variety in wine
Appellation - Defines the area where a wine's grapes were grown
Astringency - An overly tannic white wine, which produces, mouth puckering sensation while drinking

B
Balanced - A wine that incorporates all its main components—tannins, acid, sweetness, and alcohol—in a manner where no one single component stands out
Baumé - A measure of the sugar concentration in the juice or wine
Bianco - White (Italian)
Bitter - An unpleasant perception of tannins. One of the four flavours. It is detected by the back of the tongue and is reminiscent of quinine sulphate, not to be confused with tannic or metallic tastes
Blending - The winemakers task of taking wines from different lots or barrels and blending them together for bottling.
Blush wines - A pale, pinkish color wine. It may refer to a sweet rosé such as White Zinfandel
Body - The weight of the wine in the mouth and on the palate. Or the sense of alcohol in the wine and the sense of feeling in mouth. Wines are commonly described as full-, medium- or light-bodied
Botrytis - The ‘Noble Rot’ - a beneficial kind of mould or fungus that may appear on late-harvested grapes, causing them to shrink and dry so the natural sugars become highly concentrated
Brix - A measurement of the dissolved sucrose level in a wine
Brut - A French term for a very dry champagne or sparkling wine. Drier than extra dry

C
Cabernet Sauvignon (ka-behr-nay soh-vihn-yawn) - One of the noblest of the red wine grape varieties, used in Bordeaux and successfully grown in many countries. Often referred to as the king of red wines
Chardonnay (shar-doh-nay) - One of the world's most well known and noble white grape varieties that produces possibly the most popular medium to full-bodied white wines. Varies widely in style from crisp lemon-lime-mineral flavours to rich, oaky, buttery wines. Apple and green apple aromas are classic
Chenin Blanc (shen-in blahnk) - A versatile, noble, French white wine grape used to make the famous dry, slightly sweet whites of the Loire Valley. Can be found in California and other regions too, and is somewhat variable, although pleasant honey overtones along with cantaloupe and honeydew melon flavours and light muskiness are common.
Cantina - Cellar, winery.
Cap - The layer of grape skins that are forced by rising carbon dioxide gas to the top of the fermentation vessel during cuvaison Carbonic Maceration - A winemaking practice of fermenting whole grapes that have not been crushed, in presence of CO2 gas
Casa Vinicola - Wine house or merchant ("commerciante)" who bottle wines made with other cellar's wines
Castello - Castle
Cask - Oak barrel used to age wine. The adjective casky refers to a specific smell passed on to the wine from the wooden container in which it has been aged.
Cellaring - To age wine for the purpose of improvement or storage
Character - A wine's distinctive personality that stems from a combination of a region's wine-making traditions, soil, & grape varieties.
Chaptalization - A winemaking process where sugar is added to the must to increase the alcohol content in the fermented wine. This is often done when grapes have not ripened adequately
Clarification - A winemaking process involving the fining and filtration of wine to remove suspended solids and reduce turbidity
Complex - A wine that gives a perception of being multi-layered in terms of flavors and aromas
Cold Stabilization - A winemaking process where wine is chilled to near freezing temperatures for several weeks to encourage the precipitation of tartarate crystals.
Cork - A wine bottle stopper made from the thick outer bark of the cork oak tree
Crisp - A pleasing sense of acidity in the wine
Cru - French term, used internationally, to mean the wine estate's best vineyards

D
DOC "Denominazione di Origine Controllata" (controlled place of origin) - It is a quality assurance label given to a wine indicating details about where the wine comes from, the grapes used and how it was produced (including the viticulture techniques).
DOCG Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita" (controlled and guaranteed place name) - which entails the same as DOC, but with stricter rules
Dessert wine - A Sherry or other fortified wine. Sweet wine usually drunk with/in place of dessert, usually in small amounts
Destemming - The process of removing the stalks/stems from the grape bunches before fermentation Dolce (though-l-chay) Sweet
Dolcetto (though-l-chet-toh) Dry wine red grape, predominately grown in northern Italy (especially Piedmont )
Dry - Wines with zero or very low levels of residual sugar. The opposite of sweet.

E
Earthy - This can mean a wine with aromas and flavor reminiscent of earth such as forest floor or mushrooms. It can also refer to the drying impression felt on the palate caused by high levels of geosmin that occur naturally in grapes
Elevage - The process of improving a recently fermented wine by functions such as blending, fining, filtering, and aging
Elegant - A term to describe a wine that possesses finesse with subtle flavors that are in balance
Enology - American English spelling of oenology, the study of wine
En Tirage - French for "in pulling", refers to the period of time in which bottled sparkling wine is rested in contact with lees generated during secondary fermentation. Part of the Méthode Champenoise process
Extra dry - A champagne or sparkling wine with a small amount of residual sugar. Not as dry as Brut

F
Fermentation - The conversion of sugars to alcohol by yeast
Fiasco - The classic Chianti bottles from the 70's, covered in straw, which symbolized low quality
Filtration - The removal of unwanted particles suspended in wine or grape juice
Fining - A clarification process where flocculants, such as bentonite or egg white, are added to the wine to remove suspended solids. Fining is considered a more gentle method of clarifying a wine than filtering
Finesse - A very subjective term used to describe a wine of high quality that is well balanced
Firm - A stronger sense of tannins
Flat - In relation to sparkling wines, flat refers to a wine that has lost its effervescence. In all other wines the term is used interchangeably with "flabby" to denote a wine that is lacking acidity, particularly on the finish
Fresh - A positive perception of acidity
Fruit wine - A fermented alcoholic beverage made from non-grape fruit juice which may or may not include the addition of sugar or honey. Fruit wines are always called "something" wines (e.g., plum wine), since the word wine alone is often legally defined as a beverage made only from grapes
Frizzante/ Frizzantino - Slightly sparkling/ semi sparkling, Not fully sparkling like‘Spumante’
Full-bodied - A wine with a generous proportion of flavour and alcohol; feels weighty on the tongue

G
Grappa Italian digestive made from the pomace of grapes
Grape juice - The free-run or pressed juice from grapes. Unfermented grape juice is known as "must
Grassy - Unpleasant aroma or taste reminiscent of the green parts of the vine (stalk, leaves). It may be due to the lack of ripeness of the original grapes or to their being subject to overly vigorous processes during production, facilitating the extraction of desirable portions of the bunch of grapes. The terms also have a positive meaning in wine-tasting when it is applied to the primary nature of some young wines, reminiscent of hay or aromatic plants.
Greasy - Synonym for the ropey nature of wine, a problem that is detected when the wine falls into the glass as that of a string of oil
Green - Overly acidic wine. Typically used to describe a wine made from unripe fruit

H
Harmonious - A wine in which the balance of components and characteristics is just right. It is the maximum expression of quality in a wine
Harsh - Similar to "coarse" but usually used in a more derogatory fashion to denote a wine that has unbalanced tannins and acidity
Heavy - A wine that is very alcoholic with too much sense of body
Herbaceous - The herbal, vegetal aromas and flavors that maybe derived from varietal characteristics or decisions made in the winemaking process-such as harvesting under-ripened grapes or using aggressive extraction techniques for a red wine fermented in stainless steel

I
IGT Indicazione Geografica Tipica (typical geographic name), referring to wines that may be produced from a large variety of grapes from one geographic area. Used by emerging wine producers or the established one for experimental wines. Labels may contain the region, the grape variety, and the vintage, but do not meet the requirements of the stricter DOC and DOCG designations
Inky - A term that may refer to a wine's dark coloring and opacity
Isinglass - A clarifying agent which is a form of collagen derived from fish
Ice Wine - This is a wine made from frozen grapes;

J
Jammy - A wine that is rich in fruit but maybe lacking in tannins

L
Layer - Intensity of wine's colour
Lactic acid - The acid in wine formed during the process of malolactic fermentation
Late harvest - Wines made from grapes picked later than normal with high sugar levels, usually affected with noble rot or botrytis, thus producing sweet dessert-style wines
Legs - The tracks of liquid that cling to the sides of a glass after the contents have been swirled. Often said to be related to the alcohol or glycerol content of a wine. Also called tears
Lees - Wine sediment that occurs during and after fermentation, and consists of dead yeast, grape seeds, and other solids. Wine is separated from the lees by racking
Light - Weak wine which can be pleasant but which is low on alcohol and extract
Liveliness - A term used to describe a wine with slight carbonation and fresh, bright acidity. Wine which is brilliant in appearance, seemingly producing its own light, even though it may be an aged wine likely to evolve well in the bottle
Liquoroso - Fortified Wine

M
Maceration - The contact of grape skins with the must during fermentation, extracting phenolic compounds including tannins, anthocyanins, and aroma.
Magnum - A bottle equal to two regular 750ml bottles
Malic acid - A strong tasting acid in wine reminiscent of the flavor of green apples
Malolactic fermentation - Also known as MLF, a secondary fermentation in wines by lactic acid bacteria during which harsh tasting malic acid is converted to softer, creamier tasting lactic acid
Malvasia An ancient grape, cultivated in Europe for two thousand years; both in red and white colours. Malvasia is one of the two white varietals allowed in DOC Chianti
Marchio Brand name
Maturation - When used to describe a wine, it defines an intermediate process between elaboration and ageing Methode champenoise(France) - Process whereby sparkling wines receive a second fermentation in the same bottle that will be sold to a retail buyer. Compare with Charmat, transfer or bulk fermented methods
Must - Unfermented grape juice, including pips (seeds), skins and stalks

N
Nebbiolo The black grape used to produce rich Barolo and Barbaresco wines in Piemonte.
Nero Black.
Nero d'Avola Black of Avola in Italian. Important black grape variety in Sicily. Produces wines with sweet tannins & plum and peppery flavours.
Noble rot - A beneficial kind of mould or fungus that may appear on late-harvested grapes, causing them to shrink and dry so the natural sugars highly concentrated. Also called Botrytis Cinerea.
New - Young wine less than one year old
Non-Vintage - A blend of wines made in different years to produce a consistent quality
Nose - Usually portrays how the wine ‘smells’

O
Oak - The most commonly used wood source for fermentation vessel and barrel aging. Oak influence can also be imparted to a wine by the used of oak chips or staves
Oenology - The science of wine and winemaking
Off-dry - A wine that has the barest hint of sweetness; a slightly sweet wine in which the residual sugar is barely perceptible
Opalescent - Slightly cloudy wine
Oxidation - Chemical reaction occurring between different components of a wine & oxygen in the air. The degradation of wine through exposure to oxygen

P
Pinot Noir (PEE-noh NWAR) - Highly regarded noble red grape variety originally from Burgundy, proven to produce some of the most smooth, voluptuous red wines
Pinotage (pee-noh-TAHJ) - A red grape that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, grown commercially only in South Africa, where it is fermented at higher temperatures and matured in new oak for finesse and elegant berry flavours
Passito / Passita - Used to refer to partially dried grapes and also the sweet unctuous wines are made from them. Tordiruta of Moncaro is an example of Passito
Podere Small farm or estate- in Tuscany

Q
Querce Oaks

R
Racking - The process of drawing wine off the sediment, such as lees, after fermentation and moving it into another vessel
Residual Sugar - Also known as RS, the level of sugar that remains unfermented in a wine
Reserva - A Spanish term for a red wine that has spent at least three years in barrels and bottles before release
Rosé wines - Pink wines are produced by shortening the contact period of red wine juice with its skins, resulting in a light red colour. These wines are also made by blending a small amount of red wine with white wine
Round - Describes a texture that is smooth as compared to coarse
Rosato (ro-za-toh) - Rose Wine
Rosso (raw - s- so) - Red Wine

S
Sauvignon Blanc (soh-vihn-yawn blahnk) - Noble white grape variety grown in the Loire and Bordeaux regions of France, with plantings now in other regions. Generally speaking produces soft, assertive, herbaceous, sometimes complex wines
Shiraz - A Dark skinned grape variety. Mostly term in Australia or South Africa; same as Syrah. Aroma can range from hits of berries, espresso, Chocolate, Black pepper
Sangiovese (sahN-jo-vay-zhe) Main red grape varietal used in Tuscan red wines.
Smokey - A wine exhibiting the aromas and flavors of the various types of smoke, such as tobacco smoke, roasting fire smoke and a toasty smoke derived from oak influences
Smooth - A wine with a pleasing texture. Typically refers to a wine with soft tannins
Soft - A wine that is not overly tannic
Sommelier (saw-muh-lyay) - French term for the steward or waiter in charge of wine. The sommelier is expected to have extensive knowledge of wines and their suitability with various cuisines
Secco - Dry
Semisecco - Off dry, medium sweet. Used when referring generally to sparkling wines
Spumante - Literally means "foaming", refers to sparkling wine, fully sparkling
Superiore - Superior; may indicate a grade between the standard wine and the riserva, or may indicate a more restricted sub-region of the appellation

T
Tannin - Phenolic compound that give wine a bitter, dry, or puckery feeling in the mouth
Tannic - A wine with aggressive tannins.
Tart - A wine with high levels of acidity and with substantial astringency caused by excess tannins or herbaceous components from the grape stalks, pips or grape skins
Texture - A tasting term for the mouth feel of wine on the palate
Tartaric acid - An important acid found in grapes that increases during the veraison period
Tartarates - Crystalline deposits of the tartaric acids that precipitate out of the wine over time or through exposure to cold temperatures such as the process of cold stabilization
Terroir (teh-RWAHR) - French term meaning 'soil' or 'earth', generally referring to all the physical and environmental characteristics in and around a particular vineyard site that are imparted into a wine such climate, soil, topography, etc.

U
Unbalanced - Wine whose components are out of harmony owing to an excess or lack of one of them.
Unctuous - A type of wine which leaves a film on the wineglass and which is smooth on the palate. (CREAMY). The term is applied to wines which are both full and smooth
Unpleasant - Describes the taste and smell of defective wines
Uva - Grape

V
Varietal - A wine made from a single grape variety
Vintage - Used to describe a wine of high quality made from the harvest of a single identified district in a good year. Vintage port refers to one of the most original wines from Oporto, which undergoes lengthy ageing in the bottle
Viticulture -The science, cultivation and study of grape growing
Vitis Vinifera - The classic, primary grape species used to produce nearly all of the world's best wines
Vinification - The process of making grape juice into wine
Vendemmia - Grape hervest
Verdicchio (Ver - dik - kio) - White Grape variety grown mostly in the Marche region of Italy. Verde literary means green, due to it's slight green / yellow hue. Produces hign quality white wines in the area of Castelli di Jesi & Metelica Vigna / Vigneto (vee-nya) - Vineyard
Vite - Vine
Vitigno - Vine or grape variety.

Y
Yeast - A microscopic unicellular fungi responsible for the conversion of sugars in must to alcohol. This process is known as alcoholic fermentation
Young - Wine that is not matured and usually bottled and sold within a year of its vintage

Z
Zinfandel (ZIN-fahn-dell) - Versatile, red wine grape variety most common in California, producing a wide range of wines styles
Zymology - The science of fermentation