A

Acidity
The quality of wine that gives it its crispiness and vitality. A proper balance of acidity must be struck with the other elements of a wine, or else the wine may be said to be too sharp – having disproportionately high levels of acidity – or too flat – having disproportionately low levels of acidity.
Aftertaste
A tasting term for the taste left on the palate after wine has been swallowed.
Aging barrel
A barrel used to age wine or distilled spirits.
Alcohol
Generally refers to ethanol, a chemical compound found in alcoholic beverages. It is also commonly used to refer to alcoholic beverages in general.
Altar wine
The wine used by the Catholic Church in celebrations of the Eucharist.
Alternative wine closures
Various substitutes used in the wine industry for sealing wine bottles in place of traditional cork closures.
Amphora
A type of ceramic vase, used for transporting and storing wine in ancient times.
Angel’s share
The portion of a wine in an aging barrel that is lost to evaporation.
Anthocyanin
Phenolic pigments that give red wine its colour.
A.O.C.
Abbreviation for Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, literally a wine whose Appellation is of controlled origin, as specified under French law. The AOC laws specify and delimit the geography from which a particular wine (or other food product) may originate and methods by which it may be made. The regulations are administered by the Institut National des Appellations d’Origine, or INAO.
A.P. number
Abbreviation for Amtliche Pr?fnummer, the official testing number displayed on a German wine label that shows that the wine was tasted and passed government quality control standards.
Appellation
A geographical based term to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown.
Aroma
The smell of a wine. The term is generally applied to younger wines, while the term Bouquet is reserved for more aged wines.
ATF
Abbreviation for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, a United States government agency which is primarily responsible for the regulation of wines sold and produced in the United States.

B

Balance
The harmonious relationship of the components of wine – acids, fruit, tannins, alcohol, etc. – resulting in a well proportioned, or well balanced, wine.
Barrel
A hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of wood staves, used for fermenting and aging wine. Sometimes called a cask.
Barrique
The French name for a 225 litre Bordeaux style barrel.
Baumé
A measure of the sugar concentration in the juice or wine.
Beeswing
A light sediment, chiefly mucilage, found in Port.
Bentonite
A type of clay used in wine clarification.
The Berthomeau Report
Commissioned by French Ministry of Agriculture to better position the wine industry for the future.
Biodynamic wine
Wines produced by the principles of biodynamic agriculture.
Blanc de Blancs
A white wine made exclusively from Chardonnay grapes.
Blanc de Noirs
A white wine made from red grapes.
Blending
The mixing of two or more different parcels of wine together by winemakers to produce a consistent finished wine that is ready for bottling. Laws generally dictate what wines can be blended together, and what is subsequently printed on the wine label.
Blatina
a red wine grape of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Blind tasting
Tasting and evaluating wine without knowing what it is.
Bodega
A Spanish wine cellar. Also refers to a seller of alcoholic beverage.
Body
The sense of weight imparted by a wine to the mouth of a taster. A wine may be light- or full-bodied.
Botrytis cinerea
See Noble rot.
Bottle
A bottle is a small container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a “mouth.” Modern wine bottles are nearly always made of glass because it is nonporous, strong, and aesthetically pleasing.
Bottle shock
Also known as bottle-sickness, a temporary condition of wine characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are shaken in travel. After several days the condition usually disappears.
Bottle variation
The degree to which bottled wine of the same style and vintage can vary.
Bouquet
A tasting term for the complex aromas of an aged wine. The term is generally not applied to young wines.
Box wine
Wine packaged in a bag usually made of flexible plastic and protected by a box, usually made of cardboard. The bag is sealed by a simple plastic tap.
Brandy
See “Burnt wine”.
Brettanomyces
A wine spoilage yeast that produces taints in wine commonly described as barnyard or band-aids.
Bright
Describes a wine that has high clarity, very low levels of suspended solids.
Brix
A measurement of the dissolved sucrose level in a wine.
Brut
A French term for a very dry champagne or sparkling wine. Drier than extra dry.
Bung
A stopper used to seal a bottle or barrel. Commonly used term for corks.
Burnt wine
Another name for Brandy, a liquor made from distilled wine. It is often the source of additional alcohol in fortified wines.
Butt
An old English unit of wine casks, equivalent to about 477 litres (126 US gallons/105 imperial gallons).