Glossary, Directory, Vocabulary, Nomenclature, Lexicon: Tasting terms, wine terminology

Tannin
An astringent, harsh, bitter substance found in the seeds and stems of grapes, Tannin is important in the making of good red wines, aiding them in long and graceful aging. The amount of tannin can be increased by enhancing extraction. In the right proportion, they help the balance of the wine.

Tarry - tarlike
Tasting term used for an odour having the characteristics of pitch or tar. A wine with a tarlike nose is considered as a flaw.

Tart
A tasting term used for a wine with a high level in acidity.

Tartric acid

Tartric acid is the most important organic acid found in grapes. Salts of white crystalline tartaric acid one can sometimes settle to the bottom of wine bottles, are known as tartrates crystals. Other important acids include acetic, malic, lactic, citric and carbonic acid.

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Tartrate crystals (see tartaric acid)

Under cold conditions, tartrate crystals crystallise and form little potassium bitartrate crystals, which settle to the bottom of the bottle. Tartrate Crystals are also called "wine diamonds" and are totally harmless.

Taste
The sense of taste is the four objective qualities (sourness, sweetness, saltiness and bitterness) of a dissolved substance as perceived by the taste receptors (buds) of the tongue and the palate.

Tasting flight
Tasting term used by wine tasters to describe a selection of wines presented for the purpose of a comparison, usually during a blind tasting. A tasting can be h orizontal or vertical.
In a h orizontal tasting, the wines are all from the same vintage but are from different wineries. This type of tasting helps to emphasize differences in winery styles.

In a vertical tasting, different vintages of the same wine type from the same winery are tasted. This emphasizes differences between various vintages from the same winery.

TCA or Trichloroanisole
TCA is responsible for the vast majority of cases of cork taint. TCA mostly results when naturally occurring airborne fungi are presented with chlorphenol compounds, which they then convert into chloroanisole.

Tears
A tasting term synonym for "legs".

Terroir
French term for "soil", it refers to all possible external influences on the ripening grapes.

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Texture
A tasting term describing how the wine's body feels on the palate: i.e. a silky, rounded, smooth, acidic texture.

Thief
A tubular instrument for removing a wine sample from a barrel.

Thin - thin bodied
Tasting term used for light-bodied wines.

Tight
A tasting term used mainly for young wines.

Toast
Toast refers to the process of burning charcoal into the inside of wine casks.

Toasted
A tasting term referring to the smelling or tasting of roasted bread.

Tobacco
Commonly found on Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux or Napa, tobacco is a tasting term referring to cigarbox or cedarwood aromas.

More about the grape varietals and the Bordeaux wine region

Winemega's tasting notes by chateau

Tasting tips: a sommeliere writes about advanced wine topics

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