Accessible, approachable
Flavours and feel of the wine are harmonious, easily recognised; it is ready to drink
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Engelstalige proeftermen. Ook Nederlands · Italiaans · Frans · Spaans. Waar mogelijk gekoppeld aan het woordenboek. Definitions in English.
Flavours and feel of the wine are harmonious, easily recognised; it is ready to drink
The lingering flavours and impressions of a wine; its persistence — the longer, the better
Hot'or, in excess, burning character caused by imbalanced or excessive alcohol. Also simply spiritous
First sensations on palate/nose - pungent, aggressive, quiet etc
Usually meaning unyielding, sometimes harsh. Sometimes, more favourably, to imply a notable restraint/refinement
The wine is well formed, firm, not flabby or insipid
‘Hot’, earthy quality. Usually from scorched/ shrivelled grapes which have been exposed too long to the sun, or from too warm a barrel fermen-tation, especially in some whites
Desirable attribute. The wine's chief constit-wents-alcohol, acid, tannin, fruit and wood (where used) — are in harmony
Bubbles in sparkling wine; a fine, long-lasting bead is the most desirable. See also Mousse
Expansive in the mouth, weighty, full-bodied, as a result of high alcohol or fruit concentration
Imparted by tannin, acid and/or alcohol, important in young wines designed for ageing. If overdone can impart undesirable bitterness, harshness or spirity glow
Sensation perceived mainly on the back of the tongue, and in the finish of the wine. Usually unpleasant, though an accepted if not immediately admired character of certain Italian wines. Sometimes more positively associated with the taste of a specific fruit or nut, such as cherry-kernel or almond
Fullness on the palate
Negative or positive, depending on con-text. Positively describes development of aromas/ flavours (ie complexity) as wine moves from youth to maturity. Much-prized attribute in fine whites and reds. Negatively, bottle age results in a wine with stale, empty or even off odours
Flavour and texture associated with barrel-fermented white wines, especially chardonnays; rich, creamy smoothness
Engelstalige trend voor licht gekoeld rood in de zomer. Google Summergeist meldde in juni 2026 sterke zoekgroei naast Sancerre. Bedoeld voor frisse, lichte rode wijnen zonder zware tannines.
Another name for a dry red Bordeaux or Bor-deaux-like red
Showing characteristics of the classics of Bor-deaux, Burgundy etc; usually implying balance, ele-gance, subtlety. Coarse Rough, unbalanced tannins, acid, alcohol or oak
Strong recommendation. A complex wine has several layers of flavour, usually developing with age/maturation. See Bottle age. Concentration See Intensity. Confected Over-elaborately constructed, artificial, forced; sometimes overly sweet
Wine is faulty; its flavours have been tainted by yeast, fungal or bacterial infections, often but not necessarily from the cork. It smells damp and mouldy in its worst stages -but sometimes it's barely detectable. In a restaurant, a corked wine should be rejected and returned immediately; producers are honour-bound to replace corked wine
Not literally creamy, of course; more a silky, buttery feel and texture
Refers to acidity, Positively, means fresh, clean, Negatively, too tart, sharp
Having many layers; intense; also descriptive of a serious wine
Well-padded texture, flavour packed
Tasteless and harmless tartrates, acid crystals or tannin in older red wines. Evidence that wine has not been harshly fined, filtered or cold-stabilised
Bereft of fruit, harder constituents remaining. tired
Usually positive, wine showing its origins from soil, minerals, damp leaves, mushrooms etc
Undemanding (and hopefully inexpensive
Stylish, refined, 'classic. Esters Scents and smells usually generated by alcohols and acids in wine. A wine may be 'estery when. these characteristics are prominent
An indication of the 'substance of a wine, expressed as sugar-free or total extract (which would include some sugars). 18g/L would be low, light; anything much above 23g/L in whites is sig-nificant; the corresponding threshold for reds is around 30g/L
Big, full, ample in the mouth
Graceful, polished, Nothing excessive
The residual sensations - tastes and textures - after swallowing. Should be pleasant (crisp, lively) and enduring, not short, dull or flat. See also Length
Compact, has good backbone
Usually, lacking backbone, especially acid
Characterless, unexciting, lacks acid. Or bubbly which has lost its fizz
Very positive, meaning a wine is well fleshed out with texture and grape flavours
Reductieve geur van vuursteen of aangestreken lucifer. Bij Fuchs-Steinklammer Gemischter Satz 2024 eerst dominant, daarna op de achtergrond. Zie ook: reductie, mineraliteit.
the smell of rose, honeysuckle, jasmine etc. Distinct from fruity, smell/taste of papaya, cantaloupe, grape! etc
rather than shy; advancing in age too; mature
Lively, youthful, invigorating. Closely related to the amount of acid in the wine and absence of oxidative character: a big, intensely sweet dessert without a backbone of acidity will taste flat and sickly, enough acid and the taste is fresh and uncloying
See Flowery
High in alcohol and extract
Overripe, decadent, not universally unattrac-tive; also meaty, wild
With suggestions of mineral, earthy qual-ity; also firm texture
Usually unripe, sour; also herbaceous; sometimes simply youthful
Gripping, firm on palate, in finish. Acid, tannin, alcohol are contributors
Usually refers to the smell of a wine. High in alcohol; intense, high-toned
Grassy, hay-like, heathery; can also indicate under-ripeness
Sometimes literally a honey/ beeswax taste or flavour; a sign of developing matunty in some varieties or more generally a sign of bottle-age
Burning sensation of alcohol in finish
No flab, plenty of driving flavour; also deep colour
Thin, mean, lacking charm of ample fruit; also, more positively, compact, sinewy
Taste-imparting dead yeast cells (with grape skins and other solid matter) remaining with wine in tank/barrel (or bottle in the case of methode champenoise sparkling wines) after fer-mentation. The longer the wine is 'on its lees' (sur lie the more richness and flavour it should absorb
Officially wines under 10% alcohol by volume; also light in body and often short on taste); a health-conscious trend in both reds and whites
Bouncy, fresh flavours
Enduring; wine's flavours reverberate on the palate long after swallowing
Oxidised and flat; colour is often brown-ish. Over-mature
Sometimes suggesting a general savourines; but also literally the aroma of meat - raw, smoked
Fizz in sparkling wines; usually refers also to quality, size and effervescence of the bubbles. See also Bead
Texture, feel; racy, crispness (fine with appropriate dishes) or generous, supple, smooth
What it says, neither here nor there
Generally implies accessible, bold, often extrovert (in terms of fruit and use of oak). Old World embraces terms like subtle, complex, less oaky, more varied and generally more vinous (than fruity). See also Classic
Exaggerated oak aromas and flavours such as vanilla, spice, char or woodsmoke. Balanced oak may soften with age
Wine with a touch of sweetness, not fully dry
Combination offlavour, taste and texture of a Pebbly See Gravelly
Strong fragrances (fruity, flowery, animal etc
Well fleshed in a charming, cherubic way
Heavy, over-ripe, stewed; a negative in unfort- fied wine
Flavourful, intense, generous, Not necessarily sweet
Strapping, full- bodied (but not aggressive)
Bull-in-a-china-shop wine, or throat sandpapering quality
Well balanced, without gawkiness or jagged edges
All about acid, usually unbalanced. But occasionally sharpish, fresh wine is right for the occasion
Insubstantial wine, leaving little impression
One-dimensional or no flavour excitement
Unripe, bitter, stemmy
Over-ripe, cooked, soft, soggy fruit
Vague word, usually refers to the wines make up (acid, tannin, alcohol) in relation to its ageing ability; if a wine is deemed to have 'the structure to age it suggests these principal preservatives are in place
Class, distinguished; also voguish
Very desirable (not necessarily subtle), yield-ing, refined texture and flavours. See also Mouthfeel
Wine with noticeable sweetness on the palate, typically from residual sugar
Tannins are prominent in the wine, giving a mouth-puckering, grippy quality when positive, or a harsh, unyielding character when negative
English descriptor for Nebbiolo: tar, dried rose, smoke, anise and red cherry as primary fruit-driven aromas. Zie ook: Nebbiolo
Racy, nervous fruity-acid play on the palate
Strong, floral compounds influencing the aromas of especially riesling, gewürztraminer and the muscats; with bottle-age, terpenes offen develop a pungent resinous oiliness
Tactile feel in the mouth: hard, acidic, coarse and alcoholic; or, smooth, velvety, 'warm'.63
Often used for barrel-fermented or -aged wines showing a pleasant biscuity, charry character
Grassy, leafy, herby - in contrast to fruity, flowery, oaky. Overdone, a no-no
Wood aromas from barrel aging such as toast, spice or smoke when balanced with fruit
Warm bakery smells, often evident in barrel-fermented whites and méthode champenoise sparkling wines, where yeasts stay in contact with the wine after fermentation