Wine Bottle Lingo
AppellationThis will tell you where the grapes for the wine was grown.
Blend
If a winery takes two different grapes and makes one wine from them - this is a blend. At Seven Springs Winery, we have a blend called Left Side. It's a 2001 Vintage Norton blended with a 2008 fortified Norton.
Importer
This would be in reference to the person who brought the wine from another location. One thing to keep in mind is that they tend to have a specific taste, so if you like one wine from an importer, you may also like others.
Sulfites
This is a natural bi-product of wine fermentation. You will also not find more sulfites in red wine or white.
Varietal
While a variety might imply that there are several types of grapes, a varietal says that a wine is only made up of at least 75% of one grape.
Vintage
This only references the year that the grapes were grown and harvested - not necessarily the year the wine was produced and bottled.
Vintner
This is what the proprietor of a winery is called!
Wine Descriptor Lingo
Acid or AcidityAll grapes will contain some level of acid - thankfully because the acid is what preserves the wine. If a wine has a higher acidity level, it's generally a crisper wine.
Aroma
The aroma is something you will decide when you sniff the wine in your glass before taking a sip.
Balance
All of the elements that make up the flavor of the wine are combined together and called the balance. Those elements are alcohol, acidity, fruitiness, sweetness, and tannins.
Body
This doesn't actually refer to the quality of the wine, but the weight it holds in your mouth while you're drinking it.
Bouquet
A bouquet is a fragrance that is developed after the wine has been fermented and bottled. The bouquet of a wine can take years to develop.
Complex
Complexity can often be considered a good thing, and just as you love a complex story plot, there's something mysterious about a complex wine. The flavor, the tastes, and the very subtle nuances that you notice when you drink are what make a wine complex.
Finish
While this could be called the "aftertaste," phrasing it as the "finish" sounds much classier, don't you think?
Length
How long does the finish last in your mouth? This is what the length is describing, and it can be short or long, quick or lingering.
Mature
This describes a wine that is ready to drink. It has been aged appropriately and is ready to be enjoyed - now!
Texture
This is yet another word to describe the feeling you get when you let a good Missouri wine sit in your mouth. Full-bodied wines tend to have more texture, and as you try many different wines, you will find the texture you like.
Young
A young wine has generally been bottled and sold within a year. This is exactly how it's meant to be, and it's not generally as enjoyable if it's "aged."
Other Wine Lingo
Aeration or BreathingWhen you let a wine "breathe" you are merely letting it sit out for a short while before drinking it. This can be done one glass at a time, or a whole bottle a time in a decanter.
Aging
Some wine is meant to be aged, while other wines are meant to be served while they are still young. If you have any doubts, you can ask the "vintner" when you visit our Lake of the Ozarks winery!
Case
In the United States, a case of wine is generally twelve 750 ml bottles.
Corked
Uncorked is good, corked is not good. When a wine is corked, it generally means that the cork, and thusly the wine, has been tainted. This can happen sometimes be caused by bad environments like a moldy basement.
Oxidation
An oxidized wine is one that has been left out in the air for too long. It can affect the color and the taste of the wine.
Sediment
Older wines with more tannins tend to have a sediment that either settles at the bottom or side of the bottle depending on how it was stored. You will generally find this in darker red wines because they have more tannins and color pigments to settle.
Tannins
Tannins are a natural ingredient from the skin of a grape. The higher the tannins, the drier the wine tends to be.
The Best Wine at the Lake of the Ozarks
Do you feel prepared to take on a conversation with a wine connoisseur yet? No matter how many wine words you have stocked in your mental dictionary, we are certain that you can enjoy our wine with or without them. We have been located at the Lake of the Ozarks for over seven years, and we look forward to continuing to provide the best wine at the Lake of the Ozarks! Come out and sit on the patio with us, enjoy a few glasses, and make a lot of memories.
Come for the wine...Stay for the atmosphere...Remember the view!
Seven Springs is the finest Winery at the Lake of the Ozarks with a full-service facility perfect for outdoor weddings, receptions, rehearsal dinners, corporate events and parties. Call us today to make reservations for your special event!
Seven Springs Winery
573.317.0100
846 Winery Hills Estates
Linn Creek, MO 65052
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