Vendange - Food & Wine

Acidity	The naturally occurring sour component of wine, which balances its other flavors and makes it refreshing and easy to drink. A wine with good acidity can still be fruity and even sweet.
Aroma	The natural scents of wine, originating in the grape varietal.
Balance	A combination of clean acidity, fruit character, reasonable tannins and good finish.
Body	The way the wine feels in your mouth, from light (thin) to full (thicker, slightly viscous).
Bouquet	The way wine’s natural aromas develop as a result of winemaking and bottle age. More complex than aroma.
Character	The specific qualities that make up the personality of a wine. Can be used to describe a single wine, grape varietal, area or vintage.
Clean	A well-made wine without flaws such as cloudiness, unpleasant tastes or off-aromas.
Complex	Describes a wine with lots of interesting qualities, including diverse aromas, flavors and texture.
Delicate	A restrained wine which is light, soft and clean.
Dry	In a dry wine, all the natural sugars have been fermented. Though not sweet, it can still have intense fruit flavor.
Earthy	Having interesting aromas or flavors of the outdoors such as mushrooms or damp earth.
Elegance	A clean, balanced quality in a wine that has an attractive but distinct character.
Finish	The length of time a wine’s flavors remain in the mouth and palate after being swallowed. A wine with a short finish seems to disappear immediately, while one with a long finish can linger up to several minutes.
Flabby/Flat	A flabby or flat wine is unbalanced because it has insufficient acidity. It quickly becomes uninteresting to drink even if its other qualities are good.
Full-bodied	A full-bodied wine feels rich and somewhat weighty in the mouth. Body (texture) can come from slightly higher alcohol, residual sugar, tannin or a combination of all three.
Legs	This describes the way a full-bodied, substantial wine runs down the side of a wine glass in visible lines (rather than separate drops, like water).
Light-bodied	A delicate, light wine with less noticeable texture, bouquet and flavor.
Lively	A fruity wine full of personality and outgoing flavor.
Nose	Literally, the scent of a wine, both its aromas and bouquet.
Oaky	Describes the natural flavors contributed by the oak barrels sometimes used in the process of wine fermentation or aging. Typical oaky flavors are vanilla, caramel, toast, and spice.
Residual Sugar	Unfermented natural grape sugar left in a wine after fermentation has stopped.
Round	A round wine has good balance, body and flavor.
Tannins	Naturally occurring preservative compounds with a slightly puckery, astringent taste in the mouth, similar to the effect of strong black tea or fresh walnuts. Tannins are most evident in young and full-bodied red wines.
Varietal	A particular kind of grape and its typical qualities.
Vintage	The specific year when grapes were grown and harvested to make a wine.