British Columbia Wine Information Centre

Acetic	Acetic acid is the acid that gives vinegar its characteristic taste. Small amounts of acetic acid, about 0.5 grams/litre are normal in wine; amounts over 1.0 gram/litre give wine a vinegar-like character
Acidity	The agreeable sharp taste caused by natural fruit acids. In moderate amounts it is a favourable characteristic, not to be confused with sourness, dryness, or astringency.
Aftertaste	The sensation left in the mouth after a wine has been swallowed. Length of palate or flavour persistence.
Aggressive	Opposite to soft and smooth; a young wine may seem aggressive, but can round out with a little time in the bottle.
Aging	The process of allowing time to develop the character of a wine. The life differs greatly in different wines.
Aging Sur Lie	Translated “aging on the lees,” and often referred to as “yeast contact.” Wine is aged in the barrel with the yeast retained, rather than being clarified before aging. Aging on the lees increases the complexity and creaminess of the wine.
Alluvial	Soil that contains clay, silt, sand or gravel deposited by running water is said to be alluvial. Grapes grown in mostly sandy and stony alluvial soil produce wine with more concentrated fruit flavours.
AOC	Abbreviation for Appelation d’origine Controlee, the French equivalent to VQA, a guarantee of rudimentary quality control.
Aperitif	A drink taken before a meal to stimulate the appetite.
Aroma	The fragrance of the fruit directly related to the variety of the grape used to make the wine. The aroma of the grapes will change as the wine ages to its final bouquet.
Aromatic	A wine that has an abundant aroma (also perfume).
Aromatized wines	Fortified wines flavoured with aromatic substances such as herbs, fruit and flowers.
Astringency	A normal characteristic of some young wines, usually caused by an excess of tannin, lessening with age. It has a puckering effect on the mouth. It may be more noticeable with red wines. Astringent; bitter, lots of tannin.
Austere	A wine that lacks fruit and is dominated by harsh acidity and/or tannin.
Backbone	Capable of aging well.
Backward	A wine that is slow in maturing
Balance	A term of praise denoting a wine whose sugar, acidity and many odour and taste elements are present in such proportions as to produce a harmonious and pleasant sensation.
Barrel Aging	The process of holding wine in oak containers to allow flavour and aromatic compounds to mature and change beneficially.
Barrel Character	The flavour and aromatic compounds an oak barrel contributes to the wine. Barrel character varies by the origin or forest of the wood, coopering techniques including toasting and length of oak aging, and the age of the barrel.
Barrel fermentation	The conversion of grape juice into white wine by yeast in a 60 gallon French oak barrel. Barrel fermentation gives Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc more complexity and integrated oak flavour.
Bentonite	Fine clay containing a volcanic ash derivative called montromillonite, a hydrated silicate of magnesium that activates a precipitation in wine when used as a fining agent.
Berry fruit	A character found mainly in younger red wines. Reminiscent of fruits such as blackberry, raspberry, black currant (cassis).
Big Wine	Full bodied, powerful flavours and aromas (does not refer to alcoholic strength).
Bite	Sharp, high acidity.
Bitter	Dries out the mouth.
Blanc de Blanc	A French term “white from white”. Usually applied to an outstanding pale green, gold champagne of great delicacy and finesse. It is made primarily from the Chardonnay grape.
Blanc de Noirs	A white wine made from black grapes – primarily pinot noir.
Blending	The specialized craft of combining wines to achieve a batch of wine of high standard and uniform quality.
Blind Tasting	A tasting where the identity of wines is unknown to the taster until after notes and scores have been given. All competitive tastings are blind.
Bloom	Flowering of the grapevines. Bloom is also a waxy substance found on the skins of grapes.
Blush (Rose)	Wines made by fermenting red grapes in contact with their skins for only a matter of hours until the winemaker judges he has obtained the degree of pink colour which gives the wine its name. The juice is then separated from the skins so no further colouration takes place and fermentation continues. As for white wine, it can be semi-sweet or dry.
Body	The taste sensation of substance in a wine, which can be related to alcohol content. Wine may have a heavy body or a light body. This cannot be measured. It is a matter of taste or mouth feel. The weight of the wine in the mouth, texture.
Bone dry	Very dry with no perception of sweetness (residual sugar).
Botrytis Cinera (also called “Bunch Rot”)	A “noble rot” or white mould which forms naturally on the skins of white grapes and occasionally red grapes and shrivels them. This dehydration causes an increase in sugar levels as well as intensity of fruit flavour and bouquet in the resulting wine.
Bottle age	How long the wine has been in the bottle; as opposed to vintage which indicates the overall age of the wine, including time in the cask.
Bouquet	The fragrance (odours) given off by a mature wine when it is opened. Applies to smells directly attributable to wine’s maturity in the bottle.
Breathing	Opening the bottle a period of time before pouring. This process enhances the bouquet by allowing air to come in contact with the wine by removing the cork and/or decanting it prior to serving. A young red wine will benefit from being given at least an hour to breathe. Older wines will benefit less.
Brettanomyces (Brett)	A wild yeast strain that can taint wine and or wood barrels if the winery is not very careful about cleanliness. “Brett” can give the wine an off-putting “horsey,” “barnyard,” or “cheap wine” smell and a bitter, metallic aftertaste. The Australians refer to it as “sweaty saddle” and French winemakers refer to it as “animale”. It is considered a major flaw when the flavour is over-pronounced. It is almost impossible to eradicate and most winemakers take great pains to avoid it.
Brix	The measurement of soluble solids (sugar content) in grapes at harvest, taken with a refractometer and expressed in degrees. Most grapes are harvested between 10 and 24 degrees brix. One-degree brix corresponds to approximately 18g/L sugar.
Brut	Normally reserved for sparkling wine, it literally means “raw” or “bone-dry”. It is a French term designating driest (least sweet) grade of Champagne or sparkling wine.
Bung	The wooden or silicone rubber stopper in a wine cask.
Burnt	Hot country smell, as if the wines have been given too much heat.
Buttery	A developed fruit character detected mainly on the nose of mature Chardonnay. A rich, fat and delicious character.
Canopy	The leaves and shoots of grapevines.
Cap	The grape skins that float to the top of fermenting red wines, forming a cap.
Capsule	Metal foil over the cork and outer top neck of the bottle.
Chaptalization	The addition of sugar to fresh grape juice to raise a wine’s alcohol potential.
Character	The combination of taste, bouquet, and colour in a wine.
Charm	Elegant, attractive, a very pleasant wine.
Chewy	Full bodied, you could almost eat/chew it.
Clarify	Refers to the wine-making operation which removes lees – dead yeast cells and fragments of grape skins, stems, seeds and pulp – from grape juice or new wine.
Classic	Typical of grape variety or region.
Clean	Describes a refreshing wine without any foreign or off-character on the palate – a requirement for a quality wine. No unpleasant tastes, smells fresh.
Clone	A sub-group within a variety of genetically identical plants propagated from a single vine to perpetuate selected or special characteristics.
Closed	No obvious tastes or smell (also dumb).
Cloudy	Hazed, protein, whether stored too cold or badly made; a fault.
Cloying	Over sweet, sickly.
CO₂	Chemical formula for carbon dioxide. It is naturally produced in wine during fermentation when sugar is converted into almost equal parts of alcohol and CO_2. The CO₂normally escapes as gas. If the gas is prevented from escaping, the wine becomes sparkling.
Coarse	Rough.
Cold Stabilization	A technique of chilling wines before bottling to cause the precipitation of harmless tartrate crystals.
Complete	All the right elements are there in the correct balance, correct levels.
Complexity	The term used when a wine has multiple flavour and aroma characteristics.
Cooked	Smell and taste of overheated grape juice. See burnt.
Cooperage	The general term used to designate containers where wine is stored and aged. These can be oak casks and stainless steel aging tanks. The term derives from ’Cooper’; one who makes or repairs wooden containers.
Corked, Corky	An “off” characteristic in wines due to imperfect corks. Often caused by the chemical compound trichloroanisole or TCA, corkiness is believed to come from fungi that are not detectable on dry corks, or by a cork processed with chlorine. The faulty cork imparts a musty, unpleasant taste and smell to the wine.
Correct	Like complete but less so.
Creamy	Texture and taste found in some white wines.
Crisp	A clean wine with good acidity showing on the finish, yielding a fresh and positive aftertaste.
Cross	A vine bred by crossing two plants of the same species with different genetic constituents.
Crush	The grape harvest or vintage – measured in tonnes.
Cuvee	French for a large vat or tank in which wines are fermented or blended as in champagne. Also a blend made for a special purpose.
D.V.A.	Designated Viticultural Area in British Columbia. A term established by the 1990 Wine Act (eg. Vancouver Island (VI), Okanagan Valley (OKV), Similkameen Valley (SV), Fraser Valley (FV)).
Decant	To pour wine from the original bottle to a glass carafe or other container. Will assist in breathing or aeration of the wine, and separating any deposits that an aged wine might have in the bottom of the bottle.
Declining	Past it’s best and getting worse.
Definition	A wine with good definition is clean, with a correct balance of acidity, tannin and fruit and a positive expression of varietal character.
Delicate	Not obvious, subtle, light, also elegant.
Depth	Refers to a wine’s depth of flavour.
Dessert wines	Special wines that tend to have higher alcoholic content of 14% to 20% by volume; they can be either sweet or dry (eg. Port, sherry, ice wine, late harvest).
Dilute	Watery taste from overproduced grapes or rain at harvest.
Dirty	Unclean, unpleasant smells and flavours.
DOC	Commonly used abbreviation for Denominazione de Origine Controllata. DOC is the Italian equivalent to the French AOC and the British Columbia VQA.
Dosage	The sweetener added to bottles of sparkling wine or Champagne after disgorging of the sediment accumulated during secondary fermentation in the bottle.
Dry	This much-abused word refers to the absence of sweetness. The degree of dryness is determined by the proportion of total grape sugar converted to alcohol.
Dry-fermented	Wine that is fermented until it is dry, meaning that all the sugar is converted to alcohol and carbon dioxide during the fermentation process.
Drying	Well past it’s peak and losing fruit quickly.
Eiswein	(or Ice wine) Originally a German concept, this rare wine is made from grapes pressed when frozen. The ice rises to the top of the vat and is scraped; the remaining concentrated juice produces a wine with a unique balance of sweetness, acidity and extract.
Elemental sulphur	A chemical used to dust vineyards as a control for powdery mildew.
Enologist	The American and South African spelling of Oenologist, one who studies wine and winemaking.
Enology	The American and South African spelling of Oenology, the study of wine and winemaking.
Estate bottled	These words indicate that the wine was produced and bottled on a property controlled by the winery and no portion of production was done away from the property.
Ethyl Alcohol	In wine, a colourless flammable liquid.
Expressive	A wine that expresses true varietal character and “terroir”.
Extract	Sugar-free soluble solids that give body to wine
Fat	A wine full of body and rich in extract
Feel	Term used to describe sensation that wine gives in the mouth before swallowing.
Fermentation	A biochemical process by which enzymes secreted by yeast cells convert sugar into alcohol and carbonic gas (carbon dioxide). It is through this process that grape juice is transformed into wine.
Filtration	Passage of wine through cellulose pads, diatomaceous earth or membranes to remove suspended solids, yeast or malolactic bacteria. Sweet wines must be filtered to remove yeast and prevent re-fermentation in the bottle.
Finesse	A certain fine delicate quality that makes a good wine outstanding.
Fining	The clarification of grape juice.
Finish	The after-taste of flavour that is left in your mouth after you have swallowed a wine. The longer it lasts, the better. In red wine, tannin and acid provide this character and in white wine, acid gives appealing, clean crisp finish.
Flabby	Dull wine, lack of tannin, acid.
Flat	Dull wine, sparkling wine that has lost its fizz.
Fleshy	A wine that has plenty of fruit and extract.
Floral	Smells like fresh flowers.
Fortified wine	Wines such as port and sherry, which have distilled spirits added, usually in the form of brandy or grape spirit to increase alcohol content. This is a world-wide practice.
Free run	Wine that separates from grape skins with little or no pressing. The wine is generally higher in quality, fruitier and lower in tannins than pressings that follow.
Fruit	Term applied to a fine young wine which has the aroma and flavour of fresh fruit. A fruity wine should have the correct balance of acidity, ripeness and tannin.
Full	Pleasingly strong in flavour, bouquet or taste. Plenty of flavour.
G.I.	Geographic indicator. A term established by the 1990 B.C. Wine Act.
Grapey	Applied to the aroma and flavour reminiscent of grapes rather than wine, e.g. Gewurztraminer has a certain grapey aroma.
Gravity-flow	Winemakers prefer to rely on the natural force of gravity in the winemaking process to avoid the use of pumping. For example, in the process of racking, the undesirable solids in the wine (lees) fall to the bottom of the tank by force of gravity. The clear wine is siphoned off of the lees into an empty container.
Green	Term applied to young wine of excessive acidity and unripe fruit. Can be either a derogatory term or simply and indication of youth.
Gutsy	Lots of body.
Hard	Wine taster’s term for a wine with excessive tannin. Not necessarily a fault in young wines where it may indicate a long maturity (may soften in time). Usually indicates a certain severity due to excessive acidity and tannin.
Heavy	Excessive alcohol content without a corresponding balance of flavour.
Hollow	Lacks depth of flavour.
Hot	Dusty, hot country wine flavour. Can also describe the mouthfeel of excessive alcohol content in wine.
Hybrid	A grape variety made by a combination of two different wine varieties usually vitis vinifera and one of the American native vines, such as vitis labrusca or vitis rotendifolia. This is achieved by cross pollination.
Hydrogen Sulphide (H₂S)	When hydrogen combines with sulphur dioxide, the result is a smell of bad eggs. If allowed to progress, hydrogen sulphide can develop into mercaptans and ruin the wine.
Ice Wine	Produced from grapes that are left on the vine well past normal harvest times. The temperature must drop to at least 13⁰ F or -9⁰C before picking the grapes. The grapes are then pressed while frozen to achieve concentration of both sugars and acid. The end result is a wine that is sweet, acidic and highly concentrated in flavour.
Inoculation	The introduction of a special yeast culture, or any other organism into the pressed grape juice.
Ink	Refers to deep purple colour found in young wines.
Integrated	Describes the wood/fruit balance in wines.
Jammy	A term used to describe a fat and eminently drinkable red wine, rich in fruit. Can sometimes refer to a wine of heavy character that results from over pressing big-ripe fruit. As such wines age, the fruit oxidizes to produce a character reminiscent of port.
Lees	The sediment made up of mainly spent yeast cells that are deposited in the storage vessel. The lees are left behind by racking.
Length	The amount of time that the aftertaste stays in the mouth. The better the wine, the longer the length; also applies to very bad wines.
Light	A complimentary term applied to pleasant refreshing wines; the opposite of full-bodied. Pale colour, light weight.
Lingering	Flavour/aroma that stays.
Lively	A wine with lots of fizz.
Loam	A soil containing a mixture of clay, silt and sand that is best for the growth of most plants. Loam is not necessarily ideal for viticulture, as it can encourage excessive growth.
Maceration	A period when the fermenting juice is in contact with the grape skins.
Maderized	Derived from Madiera, a fortified wine that undergoes a heating process to achieve a certain desirable character. When applied to table wines, the term is derogatory. A Maderized wine will display a dull nose and flat taste. Storage in bright sunlight or excessive heat can cause maderization.
Malolactic Fermentation	The bacterial conversion of the crisper, apple-like malic acid to the softer, milk-type lactic acid in wine. Also called ML or secondary fermentation, this acid conversion yields wines with increased complexity and softer acidity.
Mature	A wine in which all the elements have softened over time and will not develop further. Maturity; a state reached by wine through aging.
Mellow	A soft, easy drinking and well matured wine (usually reds or port). Mature and soft.
Mercaptans	Foul-smelling compound derived from a problem with hydrogen sulphide, which gives a smell of onions, garlic, burnt rubber or stale cabbage.
Metallic	An almost bitter, tinny or inky, hard finishing flavour of metals in reds.
Methode champenoise	A French term describing the original method of champagne-making in which the wine undergoes a secondary fermentation to obtain the gas which gives it bubbles, but in the same bottle in which it is finally sold. This process is used for sparkling wines other than champagne as well.
Mouthfeel	The in-mouth impression of wine when wine tasting, especially the tactile sensations such as “heat” from high alcohol content or “heaviness” or body due to the viscosity form high alcohol and residual sugar in the wine.
Must	Freshly pressed, unfermented grape juice, with our without skins and pips.
Musty	Unpleasant mouldy taste and smell.
Native Yeast	Yeast occurring naturally in the winery.
Nematodes	Microscopic worms that live in the soil and feed on vine roots. Nematodes can stunt the growth of vines, and transmit viral diseases.
Nose	A term used to describe the odour or smell of a wine, encompassing both aroma and bouquet.
Oaky	A warm, toasty flavour from maturation in oak barrels.
Oily	Texture, also smell and taste, sometimes in Riesling.
Opaque	Cloudy and oxidized; a wine left exposed to the air, turning to vinegar.
Open	A fully developed wine, showing all of its characteristics.
Oxidized	A fault in wine caused by excessive exposure to air. Can be detected both by nose and by palate. Oxidized wine tastes stale, flat and sherry-like.
Palate	The part of the mouth that identifies flavour.
Peak	At its peak, fully mature.
Peppery	Usually used to describe the spicy characteristics of certain red wine varieties, particularly cool climate, and immature wines.
Perfumed	Term used for a very aromatic wine whose bouquet smells of flowers or fruits (especially traminers).
Petillant	Lightly sparkling or crackling wine.
pH	The measure of acidity. The warmer the growing climate, the higher the pH of the wine made, the cooler the climate, the lower the pH. The scale is from 0 to 14, 0 being the most acidic and 14 being the most alkaline. Lower pH helps prevent bacterial spoilage and gives wine a better colour.
Phenolics	A large group of compounds, found in grapes and wine, including many colour, tannin and flavour compounds.
Phylloxera	A tiny louse that attacks the root system of wine grape vines, responsible for killing over three million acres of vines in /Europe in the 1800s. Grafting to resistant rootstock is the only known way to combat this pest.
Pomace	The debris from grape processing which consists of stems, seeds, pulp and dead yeast cells. It can be distilled into brandy and is also called press cake.
Porty	The over-ripe character on the nose and palate that is produced by hot-picked over ripe fruit. (Not common in British Columbia wines)
Post-fermentation maceration	Skin contact with red wines following fermentation. Also called “extended skin contact,” the process extracts flavour compounds, colour and tannin, resulting in greater varietal character and more developed tannins.
Powdery mildew	One of several fungi that can cause severe damage to grape crops; also called oidium.
Press	A machine which, by applying direct pressure forces the juice from the grapes. There are many types of presses, ranging from the ancient hand-operated wooden press to sophisticated hydraulic or air-bladder filled machines made of stainless steel.
Pump-Overs	The pumping of fermenting red wine over the cap of skins to extract more flavour, colour and tannin from the skins.
Pungent	A very aromatic sometimes “earthy” wine with a high level of volatiles.
Punt	The indentation in the base of a wine bottle originally intended to strengthen it (especially champagne bottles).
Quaffing Wine	Unpretentious wine that is easy and enjoyable to drink.
Racking	The process whereby clear wine is drawn off its lees and sediment and transferred from one storage container to another.
Racy	French; meaning breed, exciting and vital.
Red wine	Made by fermenting red grapes in the presence of their skins so that pigments in the skins can colour the wine. Red wines are often aged in wooden barrels one to two years before bottling.
Remontage	The process of circulating the liquid in the fermentation during red wine fermentation. This aerates the wine, prevents drying on the top, (the cap) and encourages extraction of colour and tannins into the wine.
Residual sugar	The fructose and glucose that remains after the fermentation of wine has been completed – gives sweetness level. The quantity of sugar is usually measured in grams/litre.
Richness	A balance of wealth of fruit and good depth on the palate and finish.
Riddling