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Appear-
ance:
This refers
to clarity not color.
Wines should be free of cloudiness and
suspended particles.
Aroma:
This refers to the fruity scent in a young
wine, not to be confused with “bouquet”
which is a more complex scent in mature
wines.
Astringency:
The degree of astringency of a wine
depends primarily upon the amount of
tannin it has absorbed from the skins
and seeds of the grapes. Moderate
astringency is a desirable quality
in many red wines. Though dry-
ness refers to a lack of perceivable
residual sugar in the wine, guests
will often describe a tannic wine as
very dry.
Balance:
Balance indicates harmony among
the principle constituents of wine.
Body:
The degree of concentration and
intensity in a wine is referred to as
the body of the wine. Light bodied
wines tend to be low in alco-
hol, tannin,
and
extract. Big,
heavy bodied
wines tend
to be higher in
alcohol and fla-
vor
profile. Sweet wines are
often very rich and unctuous
in texture as
a result of moderate
alcohol
and high levels
of residual sugar.
Bouquet:
Scent of mature wine, to be distinguished from “aroma”,
which is given off by young wines. The scent originates
from the fermentation and aging of wine and is best
noticed when swirling the wine in the glass. Tableside
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Brut:
French term applied to Champagne with little perceivable
residual sugar. Brut is drier than Extra-dry. Ultra Brut,
Brut Nature, Brut Zero all refer to Champagnes with no
perceivable residual sugar.
Color:
Each wine has its own “right” color. A wine should be
judged against the color that is correct for each wine type.
Crust:
Deposit of sediment by wine
while
aging in the bottle. The
deposit adheres to the
inside of the bottle as a
crust.