Wine Tasting

In all of these, the practice of wine tasting revolves around the senses of:

• Sight
• Odor
• Taste
• Touch

Sight

Surface

White Wine Colors

• yellow-green - common in young whites due to residual chlorophyll and characteristic of Chablis of Mosel. Rarely seen from hot climates.
• straw-yellow - common color, particularly in dry whites.
• yellow-gold - common in sweet wines, Sauternes, German Prädikats. Certainly abnormal in young, dry wines.
• gold - a lusciously sweet wine or one with much bottle age.
• yellow-brown - seen in many dessert and fortified wines.
• amber-brown - indicative of an over-mature wine, considerable bottle age, or even oxidation.
• madeirized - a drab, pallid, yellow-brown color indicating oxidation; not disastrous, but unpleasant.
• brown - probably well past drinking.
• other descriptive terms - lemon-yellow, white gold, red gold, bronze, topaz, burnt topaz, caramel, mahogany

Rosé Wine Colors

• pink - true color of rosé wines.
• orange - an off color, sometimes the color of a Grenache rosé.
• brown or tawny - over-aged or oxidized.
• purple - often indicates a low acid rosé, may taste flat.
• other descriptive terms - grey, light red, violet, russet, salmon pink

Red Wine Colors

• purple - extreme youth and immaturity.
• ruby - young, red wine.
• red - traditional claret color at medium age.
• brick-red, tile-red - medium aged, mature red.
• red brown - mature red wine or from a particularly hot vintage or some oxidation.
• mahogany - considerable maturity.
• tawny - associated with a kind of port.
• amber-brown - considerable age; presumably old and/or oxidized.
• black - some red wines from certain grapes in hot climates produce a wine that is very dark.
• other descriptive terms - garnet, vermillion, tile-red, maroon

Depth of Color

Red wines - A very deep, nearly opaque wine will have much tannins and other natural components derived from rich, ripe grapes. A pale red results from too high a yield per acre, a poor year, or hasty vinification.

• descriptive terms - light, weak, poor, faded, pale, true, consistent, ample, rich, dense, heavy, deep, opaque

Clarity

• blind - a lack of clarity, an unsettled cloudiness.
• bright - crystal clear.
• brilliant - impeccably clear.
• cloudy - not clear; something is wrong with this wine.
• dull - not bright.
• hazy - slightly clear, may be off.
• limpid - absolutely clear and start-bright.

Sediment

Legs or Tears

Odor

Aroma is derived from the grape variety itself acquired during fermentation in contact with the skin. It is usually more pronounced in younger wines. Bouquet is derived from fermentation, processing, and aging.

Resin odors

• almonds - from a badly clarified wine.
• oaky - vanilla-like smell from aging in oak casks.
• other descriptive terms - juniper, turpentine, pine, vanilla

Chemical odors

• acetic - a vinegary smell from wine that has been exposed to air.
• beery - undesirable smell caused by secondary fermentation.
• butyric - rancid odor of spoiled wines.
• madeirized - heavy, flat smell of over-mature, oxidized white wines.
• rotten-eggs - result of poor production; over use of sulfur.
• other descriptive terms - sulphur, yeasty

Spice odors

• garlic - from an artificial preservative, sorbic acid.
• other descriptive terms - clove, laurel, pepper, mint

Flower odors

• flowery - smell of white wines such as Moselles.
• fragrant - attractive and naturally scented.
• scented - positive, grapey, flowery, high-toned aroma.
• other descriptive terms - violet, rose, jasmine

Fruit odors

• apples - a fresh, raw smell due to malic acid in young wine.
• bananas - old wine in poor condition; sometimes caused by frost damage.
• blackcurrant - characteristic of Cabernet Sauvignon.
• foxy - unique tang of native American (vitis labrusca) grapes; similar to "Welch's" grape.
• grapey - rich aroma from certain grape varieties including Muscat and Sylvaner hybrids.
• honey - odor of mature white Sauternes and Trockenbeerenauslesen indicates bottle age.
• peaches - notable in Moselles.
• other descriptive terms - raspberry, plum

Other plant smells

• beetroot - characteristic of the Burgundian Pinot Noir.
• corky - disagreeable odor of rotten wood.
• herbaceous - greeny odor, peculiar to some varieties such as Cabernet.
• mouldy - scent of mouldy grapes from humid weather during mid-summer.
• nutty - smell of walnuts or hazel nuts in some reds or sherries.
• spicy - rich, herb-like aroma from grape varieties such as the Gewürztraminer.
• stalky - reminiscent of damp twigs; from prolonged contact with the grape stalks.
• other descriptive terms - tea, hay, damp straw

Miscellaneous

• aromatic - fragrant, rich, and spicy overtones, especially from certain grape varieties such as Gewürztraminer or Muscat.
• baked - hot, earthy smell from from grapes grown in a hot climate. cooked heavy, slightly sweet smell from excess sugar or a high temperature during fermentation.
• dusty - cellar-like smell indicating high tannin content.
• flinty - unique smell of dry, austere wines such as Chablis.
• mousy - flat smell caused by bacteriologic disease.
• musty - spicy-dusty smell, sometimes passes with breathing.
• penetrating - powerful scent, high in alcohol and volatile compounds.
• pungent - assertive, heavily-scented, often from high-acidity.
• smoky - subtle overtone of some white grapes like the Chardonnay.
• sophisticated - any foreign odor intentionally added to a wine as in some herbs and spices.

Taste

Of the four main tastes, sweetness is due to glucose and fructose and to some extent glycerol and ethanol. Sweetness tends to mask certain other negative odors and tastes. Fresh white wines should have a delicate balance of sweetness and acidity.

Sourness is the tart, acidic taste of wines. Common acids present in wine in order of tartness: tartaric, citric, malic, and lactic.

Bitterness derives from polyphenolic compounds such as tannin and should not be confused with astringency or too much acidity. White wines are usually not bitter. Red wines with a lot of polyphenols age better, so a young bitter red will probably age well into a more mellow taste.

Saltiness is almost never noted in wines.

• acetic - sharp, over-tart flavor from a wine left exposed to air.
• acidulous - a sharp, tart effect of a wine with high acidity.
• austere - tough, severe, uncomplex taste, possibly undeveloped wine.
• balance - the combination of and relation between the components that give a wine its character: fruit, acidity, tannin, and alcohol; especially, having no individual component that predominates or is lacking.
• big - a wine with more than the average amount of body, alcohol, and flavor.
• bite - a lot of tart acidity and tannin; can indicate long life.
• bitter - unpleasant taste due to grape varieties or an overly dry vintage. May lessen as young reds mature.
• bone-dry - an absolutely dry wine; not a trace of sweetness.
• caramel - burnt, toffee-like flavor characteristic of Madeira and Marsala.
• cloying - sweet and heavy wine which lacks the acidity to make it crisp and interesting.
• coarse - rough in texture. Not to be confused with the rawness of an immature wine.
• crisp - firm, refreshing, positive acidity.
• dry - not sweet; an absence of residual sugar.
• earthy - a flavor overtone derived from the soil.
• fat - full body, high in glycerol; smooth but not firm.
• firm - a sound constitution and balance as opposed to flabby.
• flabby - lacking a crisp acidity and a good finish.
• flat - low in acid, unattractive, dull table wine. Also a sparkling wine that has lost all of its dissolved carbon dioxide (bubbles).
• flinty - a dry, clean, hard taste with subtleties of sulphur.
• fruity - attractive, fleshy quality derived from good, ripe grapes.
• gassy - a wine with an excess of carbon dioxide.
• green - youthful, mouth-watering acidity produced by immature grapes. Also, a wine young.
• hearty - robust, zestful, warm, high in alcohol.
• heavy - over-endowed with alcohol and extracts; without delicacy.
• iron - metallic, earthy tastes derived from the soil as in some Bordeaux St. Emillions.
• luscious - a balance of soft, sweet, fat, fruity, and ripe tastes.
• madeirized - flat, stale, off-taste of oxidized or heated wines.
• meaty - a heavy, rich wine; one that feels like it could be chewed.
• metallic - unpleasant tinny taste.
• nutty - crisp, rounded flavor associated with full bodied whites and sherries.
• oaky - somewhat subtle vanilla flavor derived from barrel aging. Can be overdone, especially in California wines.
• oxidized - flat, stale, off-taste of wines left exposed to air.
• peppery - a raw, harshness in young ports and full, young reds.
• piquant - fresh, mouth-watering acidity in many white wines.
• pricked - unpleasant sharpness due to excess acidity.
• rancio - unique, desirable flavor of certain barrel-aged, fortified wines akin to madeirization.
• rich - a high balance of fruit, flavor, alcohol, and sugar.
• ripe - a wine with fruit, no hardness, not too dry or sweet.
• robust - full-bodied, tough, yet rounded.
• rough - full of tannin.
• sharp - high-acidity beyond the level of refreshment.
• soapy - flat, low in acid, unappetizing.
• soft - not rough.
• sour - a wine that is acetic through exposure to the air.
• spicy - rich, herb-like flavor of certain grape varieties like the Gewürztraminer.
• steely - extremely hard and tart without being green.
• sturdy - tough and substantial.
• subtle - veiled richness, unobvious complexity.
• sulphury - an odd pasty taste, volcanic smell.
• supple - smooth and drinkable, yet with character and backbone.
• sweet - a wine with residual sugar from fermentation.
• tannic - drying taste derived from the grape skins or from will-ripened grapes; usually found only in red wines.
• tart - sharp, tongue-curling taste from high acidity.
• tough - full-bodied wine of overpowering immaturity and excess tannin.
• varietal - reminiscent of a specific grape variety.
• vigorous - lively, positive flavor associated with youth.
• woody - undesirable taste from wine aged too long in wood barrels.

Aftertaste

• short, long, lingering, quick

Touch

Astringency

Body

• full - high in ethanol and alcohol; fills the mouth.
• light - low in ethanol and alcohol; opposite of full.
• smooth - soft, easy texture.
• thin - lacking body and ethanol.
• unctuous - oily and viscous.
• velvety - more rich than smooth.

Carbon Dioxide

• cremant - slightly sparkling
• other descriptive terms - bubbly, pearly, semi-sparkling, effervescent, sparkling

Other Terms

• burning - sensation derived from high-alcohol content.
• gritty - coarse-textured.
• harsh - due to excess tannins and acetic acid.
• prickly - sharp-edged, raw quality; also a sparkling wine.
• silky - firm, yet distinctively soft texture.

Conclusions

General Terms

• backward - undeveloped for its age or vintage.
• character - a quality wine which has unmistakable features.
• clean - an absence of foreign and unpleasant flavors or odors.
• common - sound and drinkable, but lacking distinction.
• complex - many faceted taste and smell.
• delicate - charm and balance in a quality wine.
• distinguished - marked and exceptional character.
• dull - lacking character.
• dumb - an undeveloped wine; one that has potential.
• elegant - stylish balance and refined quality.
• empty - wine with bouquet and promise but lacking in body and character.
• forward - advanced maturity for its age or vintage.
• fresh - youthful charm, vitality, and acidity.
• great - should be reserved for wines with depth, richness, character, style, complexity, fragrance, and depth.
• harmonious - a balance of appearance, flavor, and bouquet.
• hollow - a wine with foretaste and finish but without a sustaining middle flavor.
• mature - a wine that is at its peak of attraction.
• mellow - soft, mature with no hardness.
• off - unclean, diseased, tainted wine with abnormal flavor or odor.
• ordinary - a wine of no pretensions.
• poor - of no merit, character, or quality.
• round - no raw, immature edges.
• sick - diseased, out of condition. Sometimes happens to bottles after travel; a few days rest or sufficient breathing time will cure the condition.
• small - little power or body; a wine of little consequence.
• solid - full-bodied, packed with alcohol, tannin, and acidity.
• superficial - without depth or finish.
• withered - an old, dried-out wine lacking fruit and body.
• unresolved - not old enough for components to have harmonized.