Wine Tasting Terms Part 2

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Since harvest is about to begin and many of you enjoy visiting wine country during that time, I thought we’d continue to refresh our memory for wine tasting terms and descriptions.

Every field of study seems to have its’ own vocabulary, and the wine industry is no different. When it comes to the terminology used to describe wine it is often used widely during a tasting at a winery and yet rarely defined. One such term is the word “finish”. As it implies it has much to do with the ending impression of the wine. It is describing your impression of the tastes of the wine right as and just after you swallow it. For example the wine may have lots of grapefruit characteristic and you may taste the citrus rind just at the end. Immediately following the “finish” is the “length” of the finish. Is it a long finish? Meaning, does it linger with nice flavors after you swallow it? Or do the wine and the flavor disappear as you swallow it leaving no finish at all. Finish can be positive as well as negative. A wine with a bitter or flawed flavor that lasts after you swallow it is not a positive characteristic. Another term “closed” is describing wine where there is none or very little fragrance or flavor and may be a stage the wine is going through as it is maturing, much like a teenager. Eventually as it matures it will open back up and become pleasant and more interesting.   Join me tomorrow as we look at some more wine tasting terms. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at ag info dot net and thanks for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.