Wine Speak
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
6-Major Grape Varietals
Characteristics and Food Pairings
|
White Wines
|
|||
|
Grape Varietal |
Chardonnay |
Sauvignon Blanc |
Riesling |
| Pronunciation |
Shahr-dun-NAY |
SOH-Veen-yown BLAHNK |
REES-ling |
| Appearance | Darker, dry yellowish gold | Pale Yellow | Light gold |
| Aroma/Flavor | Well balanced, fruity melded with acidity and a dry finish. | Distinctive grape with a fruity flavor of herb and grass hints of smokiness | Sweet and light, offset by a mild acidity. |
| Body/Texture | Full-bodied | Medium-bodied | Light-bodied |
|
Food Pairings |
ChickenCrabDuckLobster
Mahi Mahi Pork Tuna Salmon |
BassCrabScallopsVeal
Pork |
CodSoleTilapiaTrout
Salads Anti-pasta |
|
Red Wines
|
|||
| Grape Varietal |
Cabernet Sauvignon |
Merlot |
Pinot Noir |
| Pronunciation
|
Ca-burr-NAY Sow-vee-NYOH |
Mehr-LOW |
PEE- noh NWAHR |
| Appearance | Deep Purple | Intense Red | Mid-red to Pale Red |
| Aroma/Flavor | Black currant with herby and mint-like aromas | Subtle and delicate slowly aged with a ripe black cherry flavor | Refreshingly, light nose. Mild cherry with a trace of peppermint |
| Body/Texture | Full-bodied | Medium body | Light-bodied |
|
Food Pairings |
Beef/Roast BeefChickenCreamy saucesLamb
Marinara |
BassGrouperScallopsShrimp
Snapper Veal |
ChickenDuckHalibutPork
Quail Swordfish Salmon Tuna |
Palate, Tongue and Taste Buds on Wine
As you can see, grape varietals feature different flavors and aromas. On the palate, wine stimulates various parts of your tongue. As far as tasting wine is concerned, the tongue is capable of sensing only four tastes:
* § Bitter
* § Sour
* § Salty
* § Sweet
The nose plays a significant role in savoring the bouquet (scent) of a wine. (So, if you have a cold, sinus infection or the flu, most likely, you will be unable to distinguish all the aromas of the vintage). These areas of your taste buds savor the various elements of wine:
BITTER
Fruit and Tannin Fruit and Tannin
SWEET
Sour Sour
The Vocabulary: Wine Jargon and the Talk
The language of wine speak is full of adjectives. Familiarize yourself with the following terms to describe to your customers.
|
Wine Description |
Definition |
Wine Grape Varietals |
|
Acidity |
A sharp, crisp flavor that contributes to the freshness of a wine | |
|
Approachable |
An easy, drinkable wine | |
|
Aromatic |
The scent of a wine: a floral scent or spiciness | |
|
Balance |
The art of producing wine blended without a single grape/component upstaging another. | |
|
Beefy |
Used to describe a solid red wine | Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
Big |
Loaded with concentrated fruits and tannins | |
|
Bouquet |
The scent or the “nose” of the wine | |
|
Buttery |
Refers to the aroma of a glass of wine | Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon |
|
Chewy |
Wine with ample tannins and fruits | |
|
Clean |
Simple and direct without any chemical fruit or bacterial or chemical fruit | |
|
Complex |
Intense with undertones of a variety of flavors | |
|
Crisp |
Generous acidity found in clean and fresh wines | Chardonnay (Many white wines tend to be crisper because they ferment in steel barrels) |
|
Deep |
Refers to full flavor wines | Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay |
|
Dry |
No traces of sweetness, or residual sugar. | |
|
Dusty |
Commonly used to refer to hot country reds | Wines from southern Rhône |
|
Earthy |
The smell of robust minerals | Zinfandel |
|
Fat |
A weight and mildly clumsy wine made from | |
|
Finish |
The taste impression that a wine leaves on the tongue. | |
|
Freshness |
A nice acidity with fruity or floral traces | |
|
Fruity |
The aroma/flavor of grapes and other fruits (black currant, apple, plum, strawberry | |
|
Fullness |
The body, weight or feel of a wine | |
|
Grapy |
A rare flavor of grape | Muscat, Beaujolais, Gewürztraminer and Riesling |
|
Green |
A light wine with an unripe, tart taste | |
|
Hard |
Reds with extra tannins (commonly found in young Reds) | Cabernet, Merlot or Pinot Noir |
|
Honeyed |
Ripe wines usually have a sweet aroma or taste of honey | Riesling and Gewürztraminer |
|
Jammy |
Cooked sweetish red wines | Pinot Noir |
|
Length |
The flavor that lingers in the mouth after swallowing | |
|
Nutty |
A delicate hazelnut, or nutmeg flavor | Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc |
|
Oaky |
Hints of mild sweet vanilla from fermentation in oak barrel | Chardonnay |
|
Oxidized |
Wine overexposed to air | |
|
Plumy |
The fruity flavor found in big reds | Ripe reds found in St. Emilion, Pomerol and Napa |
|
Prickly |
A wine with the residual effect | Common in white wines |
|
Racy |
A vivid but light with acidity | |
|
Silky |
A well-rounded, smooth tasting residue after swallowing | |
|
Smoky |
Certain wines have an undertone of smokiness (specifically when matured in moderately charred oak barrels). | Sauvignon Blanc |
|
Soft |
Mellow, well-balanced with mature tannins and low acidity | Merlot, Pinot Noir |
|
Spicy |
Hints of peppermint, cinnamon in reds and fruity with a zest in white wines | Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Gewürztraminer |
|
Steely |
A crisp, dry metallic flavor | Riesling |
|
Supple |
Matured tannins with soft textures | Syrah, Pinot Noir |
|
Sweet |
Refers to the elements of richness or ripeness in a quality wine | |
|
Tart |
An unripe, green wine | Can be delicious in white wines |
|
Toasty |
The taste and smell of oak-fermented barrel | Chardonnay, White Burgundy |
|
Tough |
Implies excessive tannins | |
|
Vanilla |
The scent of new oak. | Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc |
|
Velvety |
Smooth wine where the blend of grapes is undetectable. |
* Use the highlighted descriptions only for the novice wine buyer.
** The wines listed next to the definitions, above – are NOT representative of all grape varietals.
Speaking of Wine Varietals
The aroma and flavor of wine is very similar to an opinion. From person-to-person, each has a different opinion and impression of how a wine may taste. Therefore, generic descriptions are not always precise. A customer may order a glass of wine that you recommended and then complain that you misrepresented the description of the wine.
Remember that wine is a subjective matter. Two wine lovers could drink the same glass of wine and have completely different interpretation of the wine’s flavor. More about this in a later chapter.
