Wine Glossary

A term used for an earthy effect in wine-tasting due to the use of lime carbonate or of unpurified filtering material. A high sulphur content may also produce this earthy sensation, as can the addition of gypsum or plaster to some wines.

Name given to the edge of the wine in the glass, where the hue lightens. Synonyms: menisco, contorno, etc.

Unharmonious aroma or taste which is low-key but sufficient to disturb the balance of a wine.

Well-balanced wine with light, subtle sensations in its bouquet and palate.

Wine that does not produce any sensations when tasted. Poor in body, aroma and flavours. The term applies to all these characteristics but also to any one of its phases individually (empty in bouquet, empty in the mouth).

A series of smells of burnt sugar, smoke, tar, iodine, rubber, etc., which may exist in a wine's aroma.

Term used in Spanish for the action of testing casks or barrels of chacolí wine and sampling new wine. Also applied to cider.

Oils found in the pips of grapes. If they are transferred into the wine, usually as a result of excessive pressing of the grapes, they tend to make it smell and taste stale or rancid.

A generic organic chemical substance formed by the combination of an organic acid and an alcohol. The majority of an aged wine's tertiary aromas are produced by esters. See Acetato de etilo.

See Alcohol.

Ester of acetic acid is a natural component of aged wines. It is responsible for the characteristic smell of wines with high levels of volatile acidity. See Éster.

Wine that has undergone positive or negative changes over time.