10 Things That’ll Make You Sound Smart about Wine

Wine enthusiasts who have been involved in the world of wine have the ability to speak in depth about the wine they are tasting or discussing with others. Those who are new to the world of wine, may find it intimidating at times to converse with the more educated wine drinker. The following are 10 things you need to know about wine that will make you sound intelligent when discussing wine.

1. Tannins – This word may sound like it has a complicated meaning to some, but it is a great word to use when describing a wine that is bitter. The bitterness is a result of a natural textural element from the grape skins and seeds. Tannins produce astringency and bitterness.
2. Minerality – Use this word liberally when describing the quality of the wine. You can use it when describing white or red wines. Once you mention that the wine has great minerality, you can also mention that it comes from the terroir.
3. Body – When using the word body to describe a wine it usually is a comment made after you swirl the wine in your glass and taste a few sips. You are looking for the alcohol level, density and how long it lingers in your mouth after you swallow the wine. If it last’s a while or you can sense that the alcohol level is strong you can comment that it is a full-bodied wine. If you would like to play it safe, you can just mention that the specific wine you have just tasted has a nice body.
4. Typicity – This word is used when you are basically stating that the wine has the same traits as all the others and it’s not really that impressive. If you are pressed further to explain what is so typical about it, you can reply, “don’t you sense it also?”
5. Mousse – This French term is sure to impress others around you when you use it. It should only be used when drinking Champagne or sparkling wine right after it is first poured. Mousse describes the foam that develops right after the sparkling wine has been poured. Some may even say it enhances the experience and is popular for celebrating life events such as birthdays, wedding toasts and much more.
6. Dry – Never use this term when drinking sweet wine, since the word dry actually defines that the wine is dry and void of sugar.
7. Garrigue – This is another French term that will make you sound well travelled and experienced in the wine industry. When using this word you are referring to the fragrant plants that are found in Southern France and can be detected through taste when drinking the wine. If you taste hints of thyme, juniper, lavender or rosemary in the wine you can say it has a lot of garrigue.
8. Acidity – Use this word after you taste a few sips of wine and you detect tartness and sourness on your tongue. You may even feel a little tingling on your tongue as well. You can also follow up with a comment of the level of acidity in the wine by stating that it has a low or high acidity level.
9. Elevage – This French term refers to the steps taken during the winemaking process. You don’t have to describe the steps, but just comment that the elevage of the wine shows.
10. Flavor – This word is one of the most common words used during wine tastings as it allows you to discuss the variety of flavors that you taste in each wine. Many wines will have notes of berries, red fruits, lemon, chocolate, citrus, herbs, oak and much more. When you taste any of these flavors it is your chance to make the comment regarding what specifically you are tasting.

Now that you are armored with this information about wine, you will surely sound like a seasoned professional as you attend parties, wine tastings and gatherings. You can also use these words at your own dinner party to provoke conversation among your guests. After a while you will actually be describing wine and explaining your experience to perfection.