Napa Valley Wine Tasting Tips

Tasting Terminology

Acidity — The tartness or crispness of a wine that makes your mouth salivate. Wines with no acidity as referred to as flat or flabby.

Balanced — When all components of a wine - alcohol, acidity, sugars and tannin - are working in harmony.

Body — The impression of weight on your palate - light, medium and full are common body qualifiers.

Breathe — The process of letting a wine open up via the introduction of air.

Corked — Corked wine is a term for a wine that has become contaminated with cork taint. Corked wines smell and taste of damp, soggy, wet or rotten cardboard.

Full-bodied — A wine that is high in alcohol and flavors.

Mouthfeel — How the wine feels on your palate - it can be silky, smooth, rough, chewy.

Nose — The aromas and bouquets of a wine.

Reserve — A largely American term indicating a wine of higher quality; it has no legal meaning.

Tannins — Extracted from grape seeds and skins, tannins taste astringent or chalky and add body and structure to wine.

Viticulture Terminology

Biodynamic farming — A method of organic farming emphasizes the use of manures and composts and excludes the use of artificial chemicals on soil and plants. This method includes spiritual and mystical perspectives.

Brix — The scale winemakers use to measure sugar quantity in grape berries or juice. Winemakers use Brix as one way to determine ripeness.

Estate — 100% of the wine from grapes grown on land owned or controlled by the winery, which must be located in a viticultural area. The winery must crush and ferment the grapes and bottle the wine in a continuous process on their premises.

Organic farming — Grapes grown without the aid of chemical-based fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides.

Sustainable farming — Farming based on a system that maintains its own viability by using techniques that allow for continual reuse.

Terroir — The combination of soil, climate and all other factors that influence the ultimate character of a wine.

Veraison — The color change of grapes on the vine, the softening of the berries and the sweetening of the flavors, indicating the onset of ripening.