Dictionary

pedestrian: Plain.

peppery: Describes the taste of pepper in a wine; sharper than 'Spicy.'

perfumed: Refers to a delicate bouquet.

pinotage: A red grape developed and grown in South Africa and that adds lots of fruit flavoring.

port wine: A sweet Portuguese fortified wine from the Douro Valley in the northern provinces of Portugal. Port is often used as a dessert wine.

potent: Describes a strong, intense, powerful wine.

red grapes: Also known as black grapes, this is one of two main types of vinificaiton grape varieties.

robust: Describes a full-bodied, intense and vigorous wine; possibly inflated.

round: Describes a well-balanced wine in fruit, tannins and body.

sangiovese: A grape used in the northern Italian region of Tuscany. These grapes are somewhat spicy, have excellent acid levels and a smooth texture.

seductive: A wine that is appealing.

short: Describes a wine that does not remain on the palate after swallowing.

simple: Describes a wine with few characteristics that follow the initial impression. Not necessarily unfavorable; often describes an inexpensive, young wine.

smoky: Describes a subtle wood-smoke aroma.

sommelier: A trained and knowledgeable wine professional who commonly works in fine restaurants and who specializes in all aspects of wine service.

soft: Describes a wine with low acid/tannin, or alcohol content with little impact on the palate.

sommelier knife: A corkscrew in a folding body, similar to a pocket knife.

sparkling wine: Wine made with significant levels of carbon dioxide to make it fizzy.

spicy: Describes the presence of spice flavors such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, mint and pepper, often present in complex wines.

supple: Describes a wine with well-balanced tannins and fruit characteristics.

sweet: One of the four basic tastes. Describes the presence of residual sugar and/or glycerine.