
User’s Manual
COMMON TASTING TERMS
Acidity: A critical element of wine, preserves the wine’s freshness. In excess results in an overly tart and sour wine.
Balance: A desired trait where tannin, fruit and acidity are in total harmony. Wines with good balance tend to age gracefully.
Body: The weight and presence of wine in the mouth provided by the alcohol and tannin level.
Bouquet: The blending of a wine’s aroma within the bottle over a period of time. Caused by volatile acidity.
Complex: A subjective term often used in tasting. A wine is said to be complex if it offers a variety of flavors and scents that continue to evolve as it develops.
Flabby: A wine that lacks structure, or is heavy to the taste, lacks acidity.
Lean: Generally wines that are slim, lacking of generosity or thin.
Oaky: A desirable flavor imparted to wine if done in modera- tion. Most wines are aged in oak barrels one to three years, thereby receiving this toasty oak characteristic. However, if a weak wine is left in contact too long with an oak barrel it will tend to be overpowered with an oaky taste.
Tannin: Tannins are extracted from the grape skins and stems and are necessary for a well balanced red wine. Tannins are easily identified in wine tasting as the drying sensation over the gums. Tannins generally fade as a wine ages.
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