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Understanding the language of wine
When asked about their favorite wine, many people say they like what they like and leave it at that. Succinct to be sure, but there are better ways to voice one's opinion about a delicious (or not so tasty) wine. In the interest of expanded wine consciousness for all, we are pleased to present this glossary of wine terms every oenophile should understand:
When describing wine, a number of factors have to be taken into consideration. A wine's body, tannins, color, and acidity levels are evaluated, as are things like floral notes and alcohol level. Victoria James, wine director at Piora restaurant in Manhattan, suggests experiencing these notes in more familiar ways before going to a formal wine tasting.
* Acidity: To truly understand what's meant by acidity, bite into a ripe lemon
* Tannin: Over-steep a cup of tea and take a sip to experience tannins
* Body: Taste in succession a sip of skim milk, a sip of whole milk and a sip of pure cream
* Alcohol: Savor a shot of tequila and note the way that your palate replies
Drinking wine is a bit like listening to music. Everyone has their own individual tastes, so subjective words such as 'good' and 'bad' cannot really be applied. As with music, there are a lot of things to absorb when tasting wine. There's really no wrong way to describe wine, but the ability to verbalize certain complexities with common language is a good way to find other wines that you may enjoy.