Wine 101- Terminology
Updated: Oct 26, 2022
As a 21 year old I have found that most people don't expect me to be interested in wine so they don't offer me any to try when they are having some or don't explain to me the intricacies of tasting and understanding the wine I was drinking so in a series I'm calling Wine 101 I'm going to break down what you should be looking for and and how.
Up first is terminology, when you first get into wine there are a bunch of niche terms that wine drinkers use to describe the wine their drinking, and i have noticed that they ether have no clue what the term means themselves or they have no clue how to properly describe what you should be looking for in order to help you understand both the term and what it means so I'm going to break down what I think are the four most common terms used, in easy to understand language so the next time your drinking wine with your friends you can impress them with your wine knowledge.
Acidity
The sour component to the wine, acidity make the wine taste fresh and crisp
How to evaluate- When you drink the wine is your mouth watering? if so then your wine is acidic and the amount your mouth is watering is an indicator of how acidic the wine is.
Body
The perception of 'weight' a wine gives on the palette
How to evaluate- To know how 'viscous' a wine is tilt your glass slightly to the side, is it thick?, or does it flow easily? you can also look at the alcohol content as a higher content of alcohol can also add 'Weight' to your wine.
Dryness/Sweetness
The amount of sugar thats in the wine. Most Wines are dry, however sweetness can often been confused as fruitiness
How to evaluate- If your lips are sticky or taste sweet after you take a sip than your wine is sweet
Tannins
Often confused as acidity, tannins are actually the opposite. Carefully extracted and matured tannins create mouthfeel, texture and structure
How to evaluate- If you are puckering your lips or have a dry sensation after drinking that the wine is high in tannins.
Thats all for my first post of Wine 101 with a few terms that are sure to impress your friends with your wine knowledge.