S

Sec: Literally means “dry” and refers to a wine with a dry flavour and finish. Its use is not legally defined by category and it frequently appears on wine labels of wines that are off dry which would be better labelled as medium.

Sediment: The deposits or crust that occur naturally over time in an aged red wine. They are bitter tasting and should be removed from a wine by decanting the liquid to a separate container. Sediment is expected in great, old wines and is often a sign of a wine producer who favours quality over cosmetic appeal.

Silky: An objective tasting term for a wine that feels exceptionally smooth in your mouth. It describes the silky, velvety texture of a wine.

Smooth: A wine’s texture, flavour, body and finish can be described as smooth and should appear supple and clean on the palate with low tannins and acidity.

Soft: A well-balanced wine that is mellow, pleasant, and has low acidity and low tannin is often described as “soft” and is very similar to smooth.

Solera: This term refers to the traditional Spanish blending system used in the production of Sherry. The Solera, itself, is a series of Sherry casks containing wines of various ages, which are fractionally blended downwards by transferring part of the contents of young casks into casks of older wines. 

Sommelier: In a good restaurant this is the person who should know the most about wine, and has the task of matching the right wine with specific dishes. The sommelier is also responsible for the wine being served at the correct temperature and procedure. It is rare to find a restaurant in the UK who employs a full-time Sommelier, although there are a number of restaurants in the larger hotels and in London who employ their skills.

Sparkling: This term refers to a wine that, under pressure, has absorbed sufficient carbon dioxide to bubble, or “sparkle” when poured into a glass. It can be performed through various methods although each method has its own merits and drawbacks.

Spatlese: a German wine term enshrined in law which refers to a wine made from fully ripe grapes.

Spicy: A wine tasting term describing a flavour. It can refer to “pepper” spicy or sometimes more “exotic” spice. Some wines that are frequently called “spicy” are Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Syrah/Shiraz, and Zinfandel.

Spumante: This is an Italian term indicating that the wine is a sparkling wine.

Structure: The physical framework of a wine, encompassing the levels of tannin, acidity, and alcohol that make up a wines body.

T

Tannin: Ever experienced a harshness or cotton wool feeling in the mouth when drinking red wine? Tannins cause this.

Tannins are extracted from the grape skins during red wine Vinification and can be particularly harsh in young wines but will soften with age.

They also act as a preservative for red wines.

Terrroir: A French term that describes the unique personality of a vineyard and the relationship between the natural elements, encompassing all factors including temperature, soil, atmosphere, wind, moisture and just about everything else present where grapes are growing. Terroir is the defining component in very expensive, rare wines such as First Growth Bordeaux and Grand Cru Burgundy and is considered a vital element in wine production, particularly in France.

Texture: The overall feel of a wine in your mouth.

Toasty: A wine tasting description often used to describe both Chardonnay and Champagne. It is a flavour characteristic similar to toasted bread. In Champagne, it is mostly due to the autolysis of the second fermentation. In other wines, it is often due to characteristics gained from barrel ageing.

Tobacco: An aroma and flavour often found in complex mature Cabernet Sauvignon. It is however, more likely to remind you of a fresh, unlit cigar than a pack of twenty king-size.

Tonneau: A term used mainly in Bordeaux to describe a measure of wine, equivalent to four 225 litre barrels, or one hundred cases of wine.

Transfer process: Reefers to a shortcut method of making bottle-fermented Champagne. In this process, the wine is filtered from its container rather than being allowed to undergo the more time intensive riddling and disgorgement processes.

Trockenbeerenauslese: Also known as TBA this is he highest Pradikat or sweetness level a German wine can legally carry. It signifies that the wine is made entirely from late-picked, individually selected grape berries that have been allowed to shrivel on the vine, usually after being attacked by Botrytis Cinerea.

U

Unfiltered: Many wines produced today are filtered to ensure a clear product free of sediment. Some winemakers will choose potential quality over cosmetic appeal not to filter the wine, as they feel filtering may take away from the natural flavour of a wine; thus the wine is  labelled as “unfiltered”.

Unfined: Refers to a wine that has not been fined as part of its cellar treatment. It may also infer that the wine has not been filtered at any stage and has received a minimum of treatment to remove any sediment or lees.

V

Varietal: Any wine that is made from 100% of one grape is called a “varietal” wine. An ideal example would be Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot,  Riesling or Cabernet Sauvignon. If there’s only one grape listed on the label, it’s likely it’s a “varietal”, although each wine producing country has its own definition as to what percentage of the wine must be made from the grape variety labelled.

Varietal Character: This term refers to the usually recognizable flavour and structure of a wine made from a particular variety. For example a sauvignon Blanc is said to have a grassy, herbaceous, grapefruit and gooseberry character.

Velvety: An adjective often used in conjunction with silky to describe a wine with a very smooth texture.

Vintage: This is a term used for determining the year when the wine was produced. Some vintages are better than others because of the many varying factors affecting the quality of wine produced in a particular year, such as disease, thunderstorms, frosts, hail as well as the winemakers individual skills and objectives. Wines from the same producer from different vintages may vary massively in price particularly for the sought after wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy.

Vitis Vinifera: This is the vine variety responsible for almost all of the commercially made wine. It is estimated that over 10,000 different varieties of Vinifera exist, although only a relative minority of these are used for wine production.

There are over 1000 vine species in the world, some produce grapes and some do not.

Viticultural area: A region in which common geographical or climatic attributes contribute to the overall characteristic of a wine. Although it is called by different names in various countries, it is usually referred to as an Appellation of Origin. In the United States, such an appellation is called a viticultural area, and is defined by geography alone, as opposed to requirements regulating the varieties of grapes grown, yield, or nature of wine produced which is more common in Europe.

Volatile acid: This tasting term refers to the acidic component of a wine that can be detected in the aroma. Acidity is always present in wine usually at low levels that help add to the complexity and appeal of a wine. When excessive it has an undesirable effect.

Y

Yield: This is simply the quantity of grapes or wine produced from the vine itself. Quality wine areas such as Bordeaux and Burgundy have legislation to limit the amounts of specified grape varieties that are produced. The grower can control the vines output of grapes and foliage by pruning.  Limiting the amount of grapes on the vine concentrates the fruit sugars and increases the final quality of the wine so although a higher yield would create more wine it is likely to be diluted and weak in contrast to a wine produced from a lower yield

Z