Just like wine has a unique culture when compared to other alcoholic beverages, it has its own terms that are often used in daily conversations. Some of the following terms are more common compared to others. However, we tried to pick the most common ones to help you understand this special language in a sophisticated conversation. You can also take part in the conversation by learning some of these terms and their meanings. Without a doubt, these terms and their explanations will be very useful for you to have a better understanding of wines.
Common Wine Terms You Need to Know
Here are some of the most common wine terms you may want to know to broaden your horizon on this delicious treat.
Flavor
This is one of the easiest ones that refer to the smell and taste provided by the grape types during the production of wine.
Baume
This is a unit of measurement that is often used in wine production, which is used to define the sugar levels during production. 1 Baume is equal to 17-18 grams of sugar for each liter. For instance, if a pure wine will be produced with 12 Baume units, then the alcohol level of that wine will be 12%.
Bouchonne
It is a common term used to define spoiled wines due to fungal infection. This term is widely used among producers but rarely preferred in daily conversations. In general, people simply express this case as a fungal infection.
Estate Bottling
This refers to the bottling of wine in a region where the grapes were cultivated and fermented.
Fermentation
It is probably the easiest and most common term for wine production. It is a natural process that involves the conversion of sugar into ethyl alcohol and carbon dioxide with the help of special yeast.
Finish
The finish is a term that is used to define the length of the effect of wine on your palate after you swallow or spit it. This also one of the important determinants about the quality of wines. The longer it is, the better the wine quality is.
Liquor Wine
This refers to wines which their fermentation process ceased by adding alcohol. Therefore, the alcohol levels of liquor wines are higher than fully fermented ones. Jerez and Porto are some of the well-known liquor wines in the world.
Maceration
This is the procedure that defines keeping the grape skins and seeds together so that they can provide the tanning, color, and other organic compounds to red and rose wines.
Beaujolais
Beaujolais is a region located in Burgundy, France. It refers to cheap wines that are harvested, fermented, and bottled in the same year. Most of the wines you find in supermarkets are classified in this group.
Balance
This is a must-have feature of all high-end wines. Alcohol level and acidity, tannin, sugar contents must be perfect in a well-balanced wine. None of these contents will not surpass each other when you taste these wines.
Enology
Enology is the term that defines wine science and usually, people use it to describe the wine culture.