Everything you need to understand wine terms, wine definitions and common wine vocabulary — whether you’re buying, tasting, or simply enjoying a glass at home.
🍇 A – Wine Terms Starting with A
Acidity – Fresh, lively tartness that gives structure.
Appellation (AOC, etc.) – Geographic and legal origin system ensuring style and quality.
Aroma – Scents that come from the grape itself.
🍷 B – Wine Terms Starting with B
Barrel-Aged – Wine matured in barrels for spice, vanilla and texture.
Blend – A wine made from multiple grape varieties.
Body – The weight or richness of wine in your mouth.
✨ C – Wine Terms Starting with C
Cellaring – Storing wine so it ages well, ideal for fine wine.
Chardonnay – A versatile global white grape.
Cuvée – A special blend or batch, often in sparkling wines.
🍾 D – Wine Terms Starting with D
Decanting – Pouring into a wine decanter to improve aroma and remove sediment.
Dry – Wine with little or no sugar left.
DOC / DOCG – Quality systems for Italian wines.
🌿 E – Wine Terms Starting with E
Estate Bottled – Wine grown, produced, and bottled on-site.
Elegant – Refers to refined flavour and balance.
🔥 F – Wine Terms Starting with F
Fermentation – Yeast converts sugars into alcohol: where wine begins!
Finish – The aftertaste that lingers once you swallow.
❤️ G – Wine Terms Starting with G
Grenache – Juicy, warming and popular in blends like Châteauneuf-du-Pape.
Glycerol – Adds smooth texture to wine.
🌱 H – Wine Terms Starting with H
Herbaceous – Green, leafy aromas like bell pepper.
Hybrid Grapes – Crossbreeds adaptable to cool climates.
👃 I – Wine Terms Starting with I
IGP / IGT – European classification below top-tier appellations.
Intensity – Strength of aroma and flavour.
🍾 J – Wine Terms Starting with J
Jeroboam – A large bottle format ideal for celebrations and ageing.
✡ K – Wine Terms Starting with K
Kosher Wine – Wine produced under strict religious oversight.
📍 L – Wine Terms Starting with L
Late Harvest – Grapes picked late for luscious sweetness.
Lees – Dead yeast; ageing on lees adds creamy richness.
💪 M – Wine Terms Starting with M
Maceration – Skin contact extraction of tannins and colour.
Minerality – Stony, chalky, saline flavours linked to terroir.
👃 N – Wine Terms Starting with N
Nose – The total smell of the wine, including aroma and bouquet.
Natural Wine – Minimal-intervention wine that may show sediment.
🌬 O – Wine Terms Starting with O
Oak Ageing – Time in oak adding spice, smoke, and structure.
Oxidation – Air affect — good in Sherry, not for most table wines.
🍫 P – Wine Terms Starting with P
Port – A fortified wine from the Douro; rich, sweet, and age-worthy.
Phenolics – Compounds shaping colour, tannin, and structure.
🔰 Q – Wine Terms Starting with Q
QWPSR – Former European designation for regionally produced quality wine.
🚀 R – Wine Terms Starting with R
Residual Sugar (RS) – Sweetness left after fermentation.
Reserve / Reserva / Riserva – Indicates extra ageing (rules vary).
🏺 S – Wine Terms Starting with S
Sediment – Natural particles; best removed using a decanter for fine wines.
Sommelier – A trained expert in wine service and selection.
🌳 T – Wine Terms Starting with T
Tannins – Drying, structuring compounds in age-worthy wines.
Terroir – Unique environmental character expressed in the wine.
✋ U – Wine Terms Starting with U
Ullage – Space between wine and cork during ageing.
🍇 V – Wine Terms Starting with V
Varietal – Wine labelled by grape variety.
Vintage – The year grapes were picked — quality varies by season.
🌾 W – Wine Terms Starting with W
Whole Bunch – Fermenting whole clusters including stems for spice/structure.
Wine Diamonds – Tartrate crystals — harmless, natural, sparkly!
🎉 X – Wine Terms Starting with X
Xarel·lo – Key grape variety in Cava, offering zesty freshness.
🧪 Y – Wine Terms Starting with Y
Yeast – Micro-organism responsible for fermentation; also enhances flavour when aged on lees.
🔊 Z – Wine Terms Starting with Z
Zinfandel – Bold, jammy red grape from California.
Zero Dosage – Brut nature style sparkling wine with no added sugar.
🍾 Ready to Explore More?
Check out our guides and products to level up your wine knowledge:
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✅ What Is Sediment in Wine? (Blog)
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✅ Shop Fine Wines
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✅ Browse Decanters to serve wine at its best
Because the more you know, the better you drink. 🍷😉
