Wine Vocabulary You Should Know

Have you ever been to a wine tasting with people who just know so much more than you? It’s easy to get lost as people talk about things like tannins, rosés, pink wines, and white wines, all without telling you what these things are and what they mean. Let Fire and Ice try and help you out with some important wine vocabulary you should know. It’ll make having conversations easier if you’re surrounded by people who know more about wine than you anticipated.

Wine Vocabulary To Know

If you’re planning to go to a wine tasting and want to feel and sound as smart and informed as your friends, here are some terms you should know. If you can remember even a few of them, or become familiar enough with most of them, you’ll be able to carry on a conversation with other wine connoisseurs with no problem.

• Acidity: We measure the acidity of all foods and drinks, but we do more than measure pH when it comes to wine. When talking about the acidity of the wine, most are referring to its liveliness and crispiness.
• Aeration: This is a process of adding oxygen to soften and round out wine.
• Aging: The act of storing wine in barrels, tanks, or bottles so it will advance in age and taste.
• Aroma: Another word for the smell of wine.
• Bordeaux: This is an area in Southwest France that’s widely considered to be where the best wines are produced.
• Citric acid: This is one of the three acids in wine. Citric acid is made by fermenting sugar and makes the wine sweeter.
• Demi-sec: This is a french term that translates to “half-dry.” If a wine is demi-sec, it is likely a sweet sparkling wine.
• Dry wine: A wine is dry when it is the opposite of sweet. Dry wines cause puckering sensations attributed to tannins.
• Fining: When you add substances like egg whites or gelatin to clear the wine of unwanted particles.
• Full-bodied: This is a wine that is high in alcohol and flavors. It’s common for it to be described as “big.”
• House wines: These are inexpensive wines that can be served by the bottle to most patrons.
• Malic acid: Another one of the three main acids that make up wines. This acid gives wines, other drinks, and fruits the tartness of their flavor.
• Mature: This is shorthand to describe a drink that is ready to be consumed. Most avid wine-drinkers want to taste wine that has been aging for some time, rather than something that was recently made.
• Oxidation: When wine is exposed to air and undergoes a chemical change that changes its taste and contents.
• Rosé wine: Also known as a pink wine, this is when a wine is created with some of the grape skin, but not quite enough to be considered a full red wine. Rosés are considered to be somewhere in between red and white wines.
• Tannins: These are phenolic compounds in wines that lead to bitter, dry, puckery feelings in the mouth. The more tannins you have, the drier the wine becomes.
• Tartaric acid: The last of the three acids that make up wines. This is the principal acid in grapes that promotes the natural flavor and taste of the wine.
• Vintage: This is the year that the wine was bottled.
• Yeast: This is a microorganism that is key to the fermentation process vineyards use to produce wine.
• Young: This is a wine that was sold less than a year after it was bottled and produced. Some wines are supposed to be consumed while they’re young when they have their own fresh and crisp flavors.

Test Your Wine Knowledge at Fire and Ice

Fire and Ice always has an event coming up. We have musical performances, games, theme nights out, and wine tastings for some. You can keep track of everything we’re doing at Fire and Ice from our Facebook page. For the best bar and dining experience in Trucksville, Pennsylvania, make a reservation. We have some great food to go along with your next favorite wine.