The art of allowing a wine to breathe. Mainly with red wines, it allows the wine to "open" and the true flavor to emerge.

An unpleasant wine that tends to be highly acidic and heavily tannic. Often a wine before its time.

Derived from the fermentation process during which yeast cells convert sugar from the grape juice into alcohol (and CO2). When a fermentation fails to complete, such as in dessert wines, some sugar remains which we call residual sugar.

Wine that is drunk before eating to open the apetite.

Abbreviation for "Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée" (Appellation of controlled origin), as specified under French law. Administraded by "Institut National des Appellations d'Origine". The AOC laws specify and delimit the geography from which particular wine may originate and methods by which it may be made.

A geographically designated region from which a wine's grapes originate.

A broad term to describe a wine's smell. Younger wines have aroma, which evolve into a bouquet with bottle age.

A smooth texture and lactic flavors often found in Chardonnay wines.

White wines ("White from White") made of all white grapes. Mostly used in French champagnes which are made from Chardonnay grapes.

White wines made from red grapes ("White from Black"). The wines retain only a very pale rosé color because they are not fermented with the skins of the grape. The skin is what gives red wine its ruby color.

There are a variety of "oaky" aromas derived from the aging process of the wine in wood casks such as vanilla, chocolate or coffee.

Also known as botrytis bunch rot, is a parasitic fungus that effect wine grapes. The fungus gives rise to two kinds of infections on grapes: gray rot, which arises in consistently humid conditions and results in the loss of effected grapes, and the second, known as noble rot, is the result of wet followed by drier conditions, and can yield distinctive sweet dessert wines, such as Sauternes in Bordeaux.

A bad cork or an improperly corked bottle can turn a good wine bad often leaving mouldy flavours and aromas. Wines become corked when bacteria in the cork interact with chemical residues that remain in corks or bottles after they are cleaned. Any wine - regardless of quality or price - can become corked.

The collection of mature aromas which develops with age in fine wines.

Sparkling wine containing very little sugar, just enough to temper the high acidity of the wine.

Strong aromatic wine with a high alcohol content.

The weight and texture of a wine in the mouth, determined by its alcohol and extract.

A winery in Bordeaux made from grapes grown in estate vineyards. The term is also used by wineries in other parts of the world.

Red wine that falls between the range of a light red and dark rosé.

British term which designates Bordeaux red wines.

A robust red wine full of flavor.

French word for hillside or slopes of a hill region that is contiguous.

French word for hillside or slopes of a hill region that is not contiguous.

Sparkling wine that is made in the rest of France using the Champagne method.

A French term meaning "growth" that is used in classifying vineyards. Often, but not always, grand cru is a classification awarded to the finest vineyards and to the wines they produce. The term has different meanings in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, and Alsace.

Classification of the best Bordeaux wine estates in Medoc that were not part of the 1855 Bordeaux classification.

A French term for officially classified vineyard or winery.

A blend of a variety of grapes or a selected vat (eg cuvee exceptionnelle).

Abbreviation for "Coopérative de Vignerons". On label, it refers to wines made by local cooperative.

Slowly pouring a mature wine from its bottle into a decanter to allow it to breathe and separate the wine from its sediments.

Tasting and evaluating wine without knowing what it is.

The small particles in wine from the grape skins, seeds, and other grape particles. Sediment often settles at the bottom of the bottle overtime, and should be left behind when pouring or decanting as it tastes bitter.

Moderately sweet champagne or sparkling wine.

French term for "estate", a domaine refers to a wine producer.

French term for "spirits" (alcoholic beverages produced from distillation).

Wine presenting a balanced style without being agressive or overly powerful.

Wine which exhibits spicy aromas such as black pepper or tobacco, which can originate from barrel aging as well as a grape variety's specific profile (such as Syrah).

Harmony among the wines components (fruit, acidity, tannins, alcohol).

Credentials of a wine.

Full-bodied, full-flavored, and high in alcohol.

A delightful, lighter bodied wine that is softer on the palate.

Aftertaste or final impression a wine gives as it leaves your mouth. The lingering flavor left on your palate. The longer the finish the more sophisticated the wine.

Wine glass commonly used to serve Champagne, which is a tall narrow bowl with a long stem.

A crisp, fruity wine which is usually consumed young.

French term for a "Great growth" in vineyard. In Burgundy, Champagne or Alsace, this designates the top vineyards, whereas in Bordeaux, Grand Cru status is afforded to top chateaux according to a classification established in 1855.

Oily traces running down the side of the glass after agitation, the legs give an indication on the viscosity of a wine, which is proportional to its levels of alcohol, sugar, and glycerol.

Wines which offer less volume and weight on the palate, and which tend to be lower in alcohol.

Meaning liqueur like, term used to describe luxurious dessert wine.

A wine with a lingering flavor.

Full-bodied, heavily tanned wines.

A bottle with 1.5 litres capacity, the equivalent of two regular wine bottles.

A wine lacking concentration and depth.

Wine that has fully developed and is ready to drink after sufficient bottle aging.

A bottle with six litres capacity, the equivalent of eight regular wine bottles.

Estate bottled wine.

The year that the grapes were harvested in to produce the wine, usually indicated on the label. The vintage is important in cooler climates, where the weather varies significantly from year to year.

Markedly sweet wine.

Vineyards under single ownership.

Wine merchant who bottles and sells purchased wines, or wines produced from purchased grapes.

Refers to the aromas or bouquet of a wine.

The study of wine and winemaking.

One who loves, appreciates and studies wine.

Chemical reaction affecting wines in contact with air. When specifically vinified in this method, wines such as Jura's vin jaune develop characteristic nutty aromas and a strong resistance. Bottled wines that has been exposed to too much air however, develop unpleasant bruised apple aromas for whites, or port-type aromas in reds, and are considered defective.

Characteristic of floral, aromatic wines.

The term is used for Bordeaux wine estates which have no official designation of classification.

Lacking flavor.

A big wine with high levels of extract and/or alcohol.

The interaction between air and wine after a bottle is opened. Wines can be decanted to encourage this exchange.

A full-bodied, deep and complex wine.

The appearance of a wine.

A smooth more balanced wine that has the feeling of rolling on your tongue.

Opposite of sweet. No obvious sugar or sweetness in the wine.

A wine that is soft to the taste with a contained acidity and gentle tannins.

A restaurant employee who purchases wine for the restaurant and assists customers wishing to order wine.

The framework of a wine, made up of its acid, alcohol, and tannin content. A good structure allows a wine to age longer in bottle.

Found in grape skins, seeds and stalks. Tannins are harsh, bitter compounds which if present in large amounts make a wine difficult to drink as they leave a dry, puckered sensation in the mouth. In the mouth, it gives that drying, cotton-like feeling. Tannins mellow with aging and is a major component in the structure of red wines.

Aromas in a wine which usually develop with bottle age, they are reminiscent of truffles or wet leaves.

A French term referring to the unique combination of soil, climate, elevation and topography that gives wine its character.

Cloudiness is the product of sediment particles in a wine, whether it be aged or simply unfiltered.

Changed to AOVDQS, abbreviation for "Appellation d'Origine Vin Délimite de Qualité Supérieure" system that ranks below AOC but above "Vin de pays".

Grapes that are left to ripen on the vine harvested later than the regular crop to produce a sweeter style wine such as dessert wines.

Describe a young wine that hasn't developed enough maturity to balance out its acidity.

Maturation of the wine, either in oak casks or in the bottle.

Wine produced from and displaying the specific characteristics of a single grape variety, such as Chardonnay, Cabernet, Merlot, Riesling or Pinot Noir.

Sweet wine that is consumed at the end of a meal.

A wine with quality level between table wine and AOC wine, originating from a specific region.

An unregulated term often used to indicate a wine of higher quality within a producer's range.

A good every day drinking wine. In France, it refers to a quality level of the wine.

Wine whose alcoholic content has been strengthened by addition of grape spirits, thus halting the fermentation and retaining some residual sugar. Port wine is one example of fortified wine.

Wines blended from several vintages to create a consistant style and quality. Common practice in Champagne.

First wines of the vintage, meant for immediate drinking, such as Beaujolais Nouveau, which may be released within weeks of the harvest.

The process of winemaking from harvest to bottling.

Science and cultivation of grapes, specially for wine making.