A few days of rest is the cure.īOUQUET: The smell that a wine develops after it has been bottled and aged. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are shaken in travel. Commonly expressed as full-bodied, medium-bodied or medium-weight, or light-bodied.īOTTLE SICKNESS: A temporary condition characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. Normally, a fine, mature wine should not be bitter on the palate.īLUNT: Strong in flavor and often alcoholic, but lacking in aromatic interest and development on the palate.īODY: The impression of weight or fullness on the palate usually the result of a combination of glycerin, alcohol and sugar. In young red wines it can be a warning signal, as bitterness doesn't always dissipate with age. In sweet wines a trace of bitterness may complement the flavors. If the bitter quality dominates the wine's flavor or aftertaste, it is considered a fault. Another source of bitterness is tannin or stems. Some grapes-notably Gewurztraminer and Muscat-often have a noticeable bitter edge to their flavors. An acid grip in the finish should be more like a zestful tang and is tolerable only in a rich, full-bodied wine.īITTER: Describes one of the four basic tastes (along with sour, salty and sweet). Usually said of young wines that need time to soften, or wines that lack richness and body.ĪWKWARD: Describes a wine that has poor structure, is clumsy or is out of balance.īACKBONE: Used to denote those wines that are full-bodied, well-structured and balanced by a desirable level of acidity.īACKWARD: Used to describe a young wine that is less developed than others of its type and class from the same vintage.īALANCE: A wine has balance when its elements are harmonious and no single element dominates.īITE: A marked degree of acidity or tannin. When the harshness stands out, the wine is astringent.ĪUSTERE: Used to describe relatively hard, high-acid wines that lack depth and roundness. "Bouquet" has a similar meaning.ĪSTRINGENT: Describes a rough, harsh, puckery feel in the mouth, usually from tannin or high acidity, that red wines (and a few whites) have. Now it more commonly means the wine's total smell, including changes that resulted from oak aging or that occurred in the bottle- good or bad. This quality is noticeable in aroma and aftertaste.ĪPPEARANCE: Refers to a wine's clarity, not color.ĪROMA: Traditionally defined as the smell that wine acquires from the grapes and from fermentation. A wine with too much alcohol will taste uncharacteristically heavy or hot as a result. Great wines have rich, long, complex aftertastes.ĪGGRESSIVE: Unpleasantly harsh in taste or texture, usually due to a high level of tannin or acid.ĪLCOHOLIC: Used to describe a wine that has too much alcohol for its body and weight, making it unbalanced. The aftertaste or "finish" is the most important factor in judging a wine's character and quality. Aeration can soften young, tannic wines it can also fatigue older ones.ĪFTERTASTE: The taste or flavors that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted, spit or swallowed. It's debatable whether aerating bottled wines (mostly reds) improves their quality. Tasting wine from a barrel also gives you some understanding, and appreciation, for the transformation it will go through before making it to the bottle!” ~ Bruce and Pam Boring, Founders, The California Wine ClubĪCIDIC: Used to describe wines whose total acid is so high that they taste tart or sour and have a sharp edge on the palate.ĪERATION: The process of letting a wine "breathe" in the open air, or swirling wine in a glass. “A hands-on tasting experience in a winery’s Barrel Room is the perfect way to get up-close and personal with the winemaker. Shall we remove the bung and use a thief to empty the cooperage? It can also mean the place where those barrels were made, or, the storage capacity of a winery. THIEF: This is a tube made of glass or plastic that you can use to extract a sample of wine from the barrel.ĬOOPERAGE: The barrels or casks that hold the wine. On your next visit to wine country, why not ask for a chance to taste wine straight from the barrel? Though the tasting will be unlike anything you experience from a bottle, it will be fun and memorable. And members, remember your member benefit: Let us know when you’re traveling to wine country so we can arrange a VIP Tasting for you.īUNG: That is the little stopper that sits on the barrel's side that allows you to add wine or siphon off wine as needed. WINE WORDS TO REMEMBER: Thief, Bung and Cooperage
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