20 wine terms true wine lovers should know how to use

Wine lovers, beware: Wine that has been exposed to air for too long begins to oxidise, resulting in a brownish colour and a loss of freshness.

An aperitif is a wine typically served before a meal to stimulate the appetite and is therefore dry instead of sweet. A digestif, on the other hand, is served after a meal to aid digestion. Common aperitifs include champagne or any other dry, white wine, while digestifs include fortified wines like sweet sherry and port.

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Take time to notice how long a wine’s texture or flavour remains in your mouth after you’ve swallowed it. Is it a short or long period? The length of a particular wine depends how quickly it leaves your tongue or lingers on your taste buds.

When wines have reached their peak complexity, they have “matured” and are ready to drink. Salut! Ageing them any longer in the bottle will cause them to go past their prime.

Ever wondered what those purple flakes were at the bottom of your wine glass? That sediment consists of tannins and colour pigments that “fall out” of a wine that has been ageing for several years. You’ll typically find sediment in darker red wines, which tend to have more preservatives.

Contrary to popular belief, the body of a wine refers not to its quality, but rather the impression of weight that a wine leaves behind in your mouth. For example, a full-bodied wine feels “big” and heavy with many flavours and sensations occurring at once, while a light-bodied wine has a more delicate taste and aftertaste.

A blended wine is made from more than one grape varietal. They are often made to create a more complex wine or combine the attributes of the individual grapes for a fuller, richer taste.

The appellation of a wine refers to the particular area the grapes used in the wine were grown. Most wine-producing countries have specific guidelines for this.

All grapes contain acid, and acid helps preserve wine. Thankfully, the acidity is often rounded out with softer wine elements like alcohol and sugar. A wine with higher acidity tends to taste crisp and sharp.

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Forget swirling your glass. The best way to determine a wine’s quality is through its finish. The finish of a wine is a measurement that describes the type of flavour that lingers in your mouth after you swallow. It is also known as the “aftertaste” (although “finish” sounds classier).

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Source: RD.com