09/19/07 Terms Part 2

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran. Yesterday we began a series defining wine terms and giving you correct pronunciations for wines and grapes alike. Today we continue. My goal is to help listeners learn the definitions of terms used to describe wine and to pronounce some of the more interesting and sometimes literally foreign words. Today we begin with the difference between the two terms acetic and acidity. Acetic refers to a wine fault in which the wine has a vinegar taste. Where as, the term acidity is referring to a pleasing quality, a slightly crisp radiance that contributes to the overall balance of the wine. If a wine has too little acidity and is out of balance with the fruit or sugar and other elements of the wine, it is considered flat and unexciting. Next along those same lines the term crisp is describing a clean fresh pleasantly tart characteristic. If a wine is lackluster because it is deficient in acidity, it is termed to be "flat". All of these terms describe a in some fashion how tart or what level of perceived acidity is involved in the enjoyment or lack of enjoyment in the wine. Join me tomorrow as we continue to explore the definitions of the words used to describe wine. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at Vine to Wine dot net and thank you for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.