Glossery of Wine Terms Do you feel intimidated when faced with a
wine list? Do you stand uncertainly in the
aisles of your local wine store for hours?
In short, do you feel like a wine dummy?
When you lack the right knowledge,
wine can be intimidating and confusing
— but learning about it can be exciting and invigorating. Take
a wine tasting class at Peter Kump's and you'll feel confident in
your understanding of vinification and varietals. If you're not even
sure what those words mean, check out the brief glossary of wine terms
below.
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aeration:
letting a bottle of wine "breathe" before
consuming it
aging: all wine is
allowed to grow older before it can be consumed, for periods
ranging from months to years
appellation: the name
of the place where the grapes used to make the wine were grown
bouquet: the aroma of the wine
brix: term of measurement used to define the sugar
content of grapes capsule:the
protective covering over the cork and neck of a wine bottle
cellar: any area where wine is stored
dry:
used to describe wines with no perceptible sugar content
decant: to pour wine out of
its bottle and into a larger container, leaving behind any sediment
fermentation: the process
by which grape sugar turns into alcohol and carbon dioxide
finish: the aftertaste that
remains when the wine has been swallowed
fortified wine: a wine with
brandy or other spirits added, such as port or sherry
fruity: used to describe wines
with a high sugar content
grape: the only fruit that
can be used to make true wines
green: used to describe a
wine made from unripe grapes
legs: wine drops that slide
down the side of a glass when wine is swirled
must: juice of crushed grapes and grape solids
nose: a wine's smell, including
all components
split: a six-ounce bottle
table wine: a wine intended
to accompany a meal, usually containing less than 16% alcohol
tannin: an organic compound
found in grape skins that makes wine taste astringent
