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Term used by professional wine tasters when referring to the bouquet or aroma of a wine. "Bouquet" is a term used to describe various fragrances evident from the processing and/or ageing of wine.

Pronounced cab-air-Nay So-veen-yawn. A grape varietal, used in the production of robust red wines and white wines with blush hues, originating in the Bordeaux region of France.

The tasting of wine with, typically, no knowledge of the identity of the wine. At times, the tasters will know the type but not the winery they originate from.

A descriptor of wine that has a sweet, distinctive vanilla aroma. This is typically a characteristic of wine that has been aged in new oak barrels.

A particulary strong, meaty, savory flavor, in aged or fermented wine. Cooking with wine increases the umami.

In reference to wine making, "skin" is the outer layer of the grape that contains the pigments, flavonoids, and tannins essential to the production of red wine.

When applied to wine, it is the practice of giving wine an opportunity to breathe by opening the bottle and pouring the contents into a glass or or a container in order to expose the wine to volumes of air.

Any of a variety of different types of wine that are used to enhance the flavor of food dishes, such as meat, poultry, seafood, stew, vegetables, and sauces, while they are being cooked.

Descriptor of wine that exhibits a mothball or rubbery aroma. Typically this aroma is the consequence of poor winemaking, the use of excessive sulfur dioxide.

Pronounced K'yahn-tee. A regional red wine produced in the appelation of Chianti in the Tuscany region of Italy.

A descriptor of wine. See “sharp” and “acidic”.

Descriptor of wine that is flavorful and full bodied, they are said to have “stuffing”.

In reference to wine making, the "seed" is the segment of a grape that contains tannins.

In reference to wine making, "pulp" refers to the flesh of the grape. The pulp contains a majority of the water, sugar, and acid that forms the grape juice extracted from the grapes.

Descriptor of wine that is nearly a synonym for “fat”, though considered a step below when describing fullness in the mouth.

An unpleasant "nose" that presents itself when a bottle of wine is initially opened. The offensive odor is an indication that the wine is unfit for consumption.

An unpleasant "nose" that presents itself when a bottle of wine is opened. The odor is caused by metal contamination during the ageing or wine making process.

The term used to describe the foam that forms after a sparkling wine or champagne has been poured out of the bottle.

In the United States, a term referring to a non-sparkling white or red wine with a minimum of 7 percent alcohol and a maximum of 14 percent alcohol.

A vague term suggesting that the flavors of fruit, the tannins, acidity, and the alcohol of a specific wine are pleasingly proportioned.