There is a surprisingly large vocabulary that is used to describe the flavor and texture of a particular wine. This is in part due to the suprising variety of different end products that are possible, and the desire to distinguish between them. If you have ever tried the same label of wine from the same wine-maker, but from a different vintage (year) you will know what I mean. They are similair to each other, perhaps quite close, even. But they are not quite the same.
Why is it valuable to understand wine volcabulary:
1) To understand what a wine reviewer thinks about the wine, and to be able to communicate to a store clerk those qualities you find desirable.
2) To be able to enjoy pleasant conversation with friends by discussing and exploring the wine and your experience of it together.
3) The inherent pleasure of being able to identify and name the features of a wine. To me the words themselves are fascinating.
The Seven most important wine terms (in no particular order):
1) Sweet (and Dry)
The wine term with which we are most universally familiar, and yet still deserves to be re-examined. It is used to describe the amount of sugar that remains in the wine.
Winemakers who are creating a sweet wine will stop the fermentation process before it has ran it's (i.e. before the yeast are done consuming all of the alcohol), or they will blend the end product of a certain fermentation with less strongly fermented wines. A sweet wine will as a rule be of a lower alcohol content than a dry one.
There seem to be more sweet white wines than sweet red wines. A typical example of a sweet wine is a Riesling, like the ones produced by Dr. Loosen. We carry several versions of this excellent wine, including the entry level Loosen Brothers: Dr. L Riesling. Even at the modest price, the Loosen Brothers Dr.L Riesling shows the finest qualities of a sweet Riesling, being light, pleasant and fruit forward, with just a touch of spice and a pleasing soft finish.
Dry wine typically no sugar left, since it has all been consumed in the fermentation.
2) Oaky/Tannic
3) Acidic
4) Body
5) Open (and closed)
6) Fruit
7) Varietal