The language of wine - Part 2

The Language of Wine - Part 2

As well as keywords, it's also helpful to familiarise yourself with some simple concepts.

Old World and New World

The term 'Old World' is used to describe countries that have been making wine for a very long time: France, Spain and Italy. 'New World' refers to everywhere else: America, Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Nowadays, these terms are only really useful to describe geography and not so much the style.

A Single Natural Ingredient

There's just one raw ingredient involved in making wine: the grape. Mostly it's made up of water, but skins, tannins, acids and sugar in the grape also contribute to the flavour. The variety in taste and style is due to where it's grown and how it's made into wine.

Oak

Using oak in the winemaking process can have a huge influence on how the wine will taste. It could be fermented or aged in oak barrels, and this will give it more flavour and increase the tannin levels too. Different types of oak can be used, and each will have its own, slightly different flavour profile.

Vintage

Essentially this just means the year the grapes in the wine were grown. As the biggest determining factor in winemaking is the climate, this term can be used to refer to the growing conditions during a particular 'vintage'. Wines can also be made up from a number of different vintages, and blending them together can help achieve a more consistent style. This is known as 'non-vintage' or NV.

Ageing

The majority of wines we buy nowadays are made for drinking much younger, but there are some wines that are made to age. This style of wine has been made specifically to continue developing and maturing the longer it's left in the bottle. Over time, the flavour profile will change to something much more complex and quite distinct.

Acidity

When a wine is described as having a 'refreshing acidity', this is referring to a sharp and citrusy quality that you feel in your mouth. Grapes naturally have acidity, and the longer they're left to ripen, the more the acids begin to drop away. The winemaker will want to pick the grape when the sugars and acids are perfectly balanced. Acidity is mostly used to describe fresh white wines, and is the opposite to a riper, rounder taste.

Corks and Screw Caps

Cork taint is when the wine is contaminated and you'll be able to tell by an unpleasant damp and musty smell. While you still might come across the odd corked wine, this doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to. Screw caps were introduced around 20 years ago to combat the issue of cork taint, and remain popular for the ease and convenience they offer.