Wine: Vino lingo

Wine terms can be so weird that they encourage parody. “An angular yet modest little wine, with a pomegranate nose,” you might opine, lifting your eyes as you swirl a glass. But some terms--even “cat pee”--actually mean something, so it can be useful to make friends with the lingo.

Acidic. Tartaric acid is a natural component in wines, lending some tartness. Especially tart, acidic wines are often called crisp.

Astringent. Mouth-drying or puckering. Astringency usually comes from tannin, a substance in grapes' skins, stems, and seeds that make red wine and in the oak barrels that store wine. Their level also determines a wine's color. Over time, tannins become “softer”--less astringent.

Balanced. No single flavor dominates. A complex wine has lots of intermingled aromas and flavors.

Body. The “weight” of wine on the palate. It contributes to mouthfeel, which also covers any attributes, such as granular texture or dissolved solids, that make wine seem viscous.

Bouquet. Describes odors acquired through fermentation and aging, while nose covers everything you smell in a wine.

Cat pee. This term--like wet dog, leather, soy sauce, tobacco, and Juicy Fruit gum--is a legitimate, and often desirable, description. Compare it to an off-note that adds complexity to a piece of music.

Dry. A perceived absence of sweetness.

Off-dry means the wine is neither dry nor sweet.

Estate-bottled. The winery either grew the grapes itself or controlled the vineyard's product. Our experts say that this overused term is mostly marketing hype.

Palate. The properties you perceive once the wine is in your mouth. The lingering of flavors on your palate after you've swallowed is the finish.

Reserve. In some countries--Italy and Spain, for instance--the wine has received extra aging at the winery. In the U.S., it may mean the same--or nothing. There's no standard.

Structure. The degree to which the wine's components--alcohol, acids, tannin, and sugars--complement one another. Good structure can help wine age well.

Stylish. Marketing gobbledygook.

Varietal. A wine named for the principal variety of grape--cabernet sauvignon, for example--used to make it.