Newsweek: Wine Speak 101: How To Talk Like a Wine PRO

Reproduced from https://apple.news/A_zCIa1xKSY2IMcgzhgDasQ

Ever read a wine review or maybe a “tasting note” and thought, “Say what?”

You’re not alone: “Wine speak” can be anything from overly enthusiastic to borderline absurd. These descriptive missives may sound silly, but they do serve a purpose—to help you understand a wine’s personality.

Key wine terminology

Attack

The immediate impression a wine makes on entering the mouth (apart from wet!). A wine with no attack feels “flabby” or light.

Balance

A wine’s vital statistics: Fruit, acidity, sweetness, alcohol and tannin (see below) should be present in pleasing proportions. Whether a lean Muscadet or a voluptuous oak-aged Chardonnay, balance is the key.

Complex

If a wine prompts you be really descriptive, it’s complex. (Plain and simple wines seldom inspire you to reach for fancy adjectives). Complexity is characteristic of good quality, well-made wines.

Finish

This is the final impression a wine leaves after you’ve swallowed. The longer-lasting and more agreeable, the better. Some finishes can go on for minutes, so it’s worth concentrating for a bit to see if you can pinpoint any cool flavors or characteristics as the finish lingers.

Mature

Not necessarily old, but ready to drink now. Most modern-style wines do not need years to mature.

Mellow

Quality almost unique to red wines and often associated with maturity. Means soft and smooth in the mouth.

Mouthfilling

Has nothing to do with how much wine you sip at once, but everything to do with its richness and concentration of flavors.

Smoky

Another ‘savory’ characteristic sometimes from the grape itself—or perhaps from the soil (especially in the wild herb-strewn Languedoc-Roussillon region in southwestern France). Also a pleasant aroma that comes from oak. Coopers traditionally ‘toast’ wine barrels over a flame to achieve this intriguing nuance.

Spicy

Describes savory rather than fruity flavors. Australian Shiraz often has a spicy or peppery edge. So too does Garnacha … and for that matter, most oak-aged wines. American oak in particular gives a strong, sweet vanilla-spiced character to wine, while French oak is known more for its baking spice notes (nutmeg, allspice).

Tannin

Ever bite into a too-green banana? You get that mouth-puckering, palate-drying effect in your mouth. That’s tannin. Some reds can deliver that same sensation. But as long as there’s plenty of fruit to balance it, there’s no problem. Tannin is extracted from grape skins during fermentation, and is essential in reds intended for long cellaring. Its effect softens as the wine matures.

Vibrant

The opposite of mellow: Lots of young, ripe fruit flavors that ‘tingle on the tongue.’ Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it’s often exactly what you want! (Sauvignon Blanc fans know what we’re talking about.)