Term | Pronunciation | Definition | Context/Example |
Acidity | ah-sid-ih-tee | The natural tartness or sharpness in wine that adds freshness and balance | "The acidity in this Sauvignon Blanc cuts through the richness." |
Aeration | air-ay-shun | Exposing wine to oxygen to open up aromas and soften tannins | "This wine benefits from aeration before serving." |
Appellation | ap-eh-lay-shun | A legally defined wine-growing region that appears on the label | "This wine carries a Bordeaux appellation." |
Astringent | ah-strin-jent | A drying, mouth-puckering sensation caused by tannins | "The young Barolo is quite astringent — it needs more time." |
Blind tasting | blynd tay-sting | Evaluating a wine without knowing its identity, producer, or vintage | "Let's do a blind tasting." |
Body | bod-ee | The weight and fullness of a wine on the palate, ranging from light to full | "This wine has a full body." |
Bouquet | boo-kay | The complex range of aromas that develops in a wine through ageing | "The bouquet shows dark fruits and spice." |
Breathing | breeth-ing | Allowing an open bottle of wine to rest and open up before serving | "Let the red breathe for 20 minutes before pouring." |
By the bottle | by thuh bot-uhl | Ordering a full bottle of wine rather than individual glasses | "They'd like to order by the bottle." |
By the glass | by thuh glas | Ordering individual servings of wine poured from an open bottle | "We offer 12 wines by the glass." |
Blind tasting | blynd tay-sting | Evaluating wine without knowing the producer, region, or vintage | "Let's do a blind tasting tonight." |
Corkage | kor-kij | A fee is charged when a guest brings their own bottle to the restaurant | "Our corkage fee is $25 per bottle." |
Cork fee | kork fee | Alternative term for corkage: a charge for opening a guest's personal bottle | "Our cork fee is $25 per bottle." |
Corked | korkt | A wine fault caused by TCA contamination from a damaged cork, producing a musty smell | "This bottle is corked; please bring another." |
Decant | dee-kant | To pour wine from its bottle into a decanter to aerate or separate sediment | "Decant the Bordeaux 30 minutes before service." |
Dry | dry | A wine with little or no residual sugar, producing no perceptible sweetness | "This is a very dry Sauvignon Blanc." |
Earthy | er-thee | A flavour and aroma profile suggesting soil, mushroom, or forest floor | "This Burgundy has a beautifully earthy quality." |
Finish | fin-ish | The length and quality of flavour that lingers after swallowing | "Notice the long, smooth finish." |
Flight | flyt | A curated series of small wine pours served together for comparison | "Try our Pinot Noir flight." |
Food pairing | food pair-ing | The practice of matching specific wines to complement specific dishes | "Ask the sommelier for a food pairing recommendation." |
Full-bodied | fool bod-eed | A wine with rich, heavy weight and texture on the palate | "This Shiraz is full-bodied with dark fruit flavours." |
House wine | hows wyn | The restaurant's standard pour of wine is offered by the glass at a set price | "What's the house red tonight?" |
Late harvest | layt har-vest | Wine made from grapes picked later in the season, resulting in higher sugar levels | "The late harvest Riesling pairs beautifully with foie gras." |
Legs | legz | The streaks or trails of wine that run down the inside of a glass after swirling | "Look at the legs on this wine — good viscosity." |
Light-bodied | lyt bod-eed | A wine with a delicate, lower-weight texture on the palate | "Pinot Grigio is typically light-bodied and crisp." |
Mouthfeel | mowth-feel | The physical sensation and texture of wine in the mouth | "This wine has a velvety, smooth mouthfeel." |
Nose | nohz | The overall aroma profile of a wine as detected on first smell | "The nose is floral with citrus notes." |
Oaked | ohkt | A wine aged in oak barrels, adding vanilla, spice, and toasty flavours | "This Chardonnay is heavily oaked." |
Off-dry | awf-dry | A wine with a slight hint of residual sweetness, between dry and sweet | "This Riesling is off-dry — a touch of sweetness." |
Oxidised | ok-sih-dyzd | A wine that has been exposed to too much air, resulting in flat, stale flavours | "This wine tastes oxidised — it has turned." |
Palate | pal-it | The overall taste experience and flavour profile of a wine in the mouth | "The palate is rich with berry flavours." |
Pétillant | pay-tee-yahn | Slightly sparkling; lightly effervescent wine | "This pétillant natural wine is a great aperitif." |
Reserve | rih-zerv | A designation indicating a higher quality or longer-aged wine | "The reserve Cabernet is excellent." |
Residual sugar | rez-ih-joo-uhl shug-er | The natural grape sugar remaining in wine after fermentation | "The residual sugar gives this wine its sweetness." |
Rosé | roh-zay | A pink wine made from brief skin contact with red grapes | "We have a dry Provençal rosé by the glass." |
Sediment | sed-ih-ment | Natural deposits that settle in aged red wines over time | "Decant carefully to leave the sediment behind." |
Sommelier | suh-mel-yay | A trained wine professional responsible for wine service and recommendations | "Our sommelier will help you choose wine." |
Sparkling | spar-kling | Wine with significant carbonation, produced through secondary fermentation | "Would you like to start with a glass of sparkling?" |
Sulphites | suhl-fyts | Naturally occurring and added compounds used as preservatives in wine | "The guest has a sulphite sensitivity — recommend a low-sulphite option." |
Sweet | sweet | A wine with noticeable residual sugar produces a perceptible sweetness | "Riesling can be sweet or dry depending on the style." |
Tannins | tan-inz | Naturally occurring polyphenols from grape skins that add structure and grip | "This Cabernet has bold tannins." |
Tastevin | taht-vahn | A shallow silver cup used by sommeliers to evaluate wine colour and clarity | "The sommelier wore a tastevin around his neck." |
Terroir | ter-wahr | The combination of soil, climate, and geography that gives a wine its character | "You can taste the terroir in this Burgundy." |
Unoaked | un-ohkt | A wine fermented and aged without oak contact, preserving fresh fruit flavours | "Try our crisp, unoaked Chardonnay." |
Varietal | vah-ry-eh-tal | A wine named after and primarily made from a single grape variety | "Chardonnay is a popular varietal." |
Vintage | vin-tij | The year in which the grapes used to make a wine were harvested | "The 2018 vintage was exceptional." |
Wine pairing | wyn pair-ing | The art of matching wine to food to complement or contrast flavours | "The sommelier suggests wine pairings with each course." |