Seven Springs Winery: Wine Terminology

Have you ever visited the best winery at the Lake of the Ozarks, and heard people uttering a slew of words that all sounded like Greek? Well, it's not Greek, just fancy terms that winos use to describe their favorite beverage. Once you know these super simple terminologies, you can join in the conversation and sound like a wine connoisseur in no time!

Wine Terminology

Acidity

This term will describe how tart a wine is (or isn't). You may also hear other similar words such as crisp and bright or flabby.

Vintage

Just because a wine is described as vintage doesn't mean that it's old. It can also mean that the wine was made from grapes that were all (or mostly) harvested in a single year. A non-vintage wine is, obviously, grapes that were harvested over two or more years.

Body

This word describes how heavy or full wine feels in your mouth. The body of a wine can be light, medium or full-bodied.

Jammy

This term is used to describe red wines with a cooked fruit flavor

Tannins

There are bitter compounds in the skin and seeds of grapes that give red wine structure. (White wines have little to no tannins as they're typically not fermented on the skins.) You will typically desire some tannins in the flavor of the wine, but generally overly tannic wines can cause a drying sensation in your mouth.

Terrior

Terrior refers to how a growing region affects the wine's flavor. It's mostly used to describe wine, but it can also apply to cheese, coffee beans and other foods.

Best Missouri Wine

Now you can discuss wine with the best of them! Hopefully these terms can also help you appreciate wine as well. The flavors and textures of wine are intriguing and distinct. If you don't have a good feel for wine flavors and types - you're in luck! We offer wonderful wine tasting at the Lake of the Ozarks! For just a few dollars you can come in and try ALL of our wines, and get a souvenir glass! If you just want to try a few wines to wet your palate you can try three free. Come out for dinner and wine tasting this weekend - and try using some of your new vocabulary words!

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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With so many different varieties of Missouri wine, it can be hard to choose one. How do you choose a bottle of wine anyway? Some have nice labels, but that's not going to guarantee you're going to like the taste of the wine inside. Many people rely on wine descriptions to get an idea of the taste. However, if your not familiar with wine terminology, you may have no idea what kind of wine you're actually getting. The wine terminology below will help you in your search for the perfect wine at the Lake of the Ozarks!

Wine Terms for Taste and Flavor

Austere - high acidity and very little fruit flavors
Backward - high in alcohol content and tannins
Balanced - wine that strikes a balance between acidity, tannic structure and fruit flavors
Big - full bodied wines that fill and coat the palate
Bright - higher in acidity that makes your mouth water
Buttery - aged in oak, rich and flat (less acidity), cream-like texture with a smooth finish
Charcoal - gritty, dry and a rustic flavor
Cigar Box - hinting toward sweetness and cedar-wood
Complex - a positive term describing wine with many different taste and aromatic qualities
Creamy - white wines fermented or aged in oak
Crisp - refreshing acidity
Dense - bold
Dry - not sweet
Earthy - flavor and aromatic characteristics reflect that of the terroir in which it was grown
Elegant - not big, not fruity, not opulent and not bold, higher acidity
Fading - a wine losing its color, body and flavor characteristics
Fat - wide, big, massive and opulent
Flabby - a negative term describing a lack of acidity
Flamboyant - abundance of fruit
Fleshy - raw steak sensation
Flinty - wine that denotes flavors aromatic characteristics of metal or steel
Fruity - aromas and flavors suggest fruit; doesn't imply sweetness
Heady - high alcohol content and an overwhelmingly alcoholic aroma
Jammy - cooked berry sweetness, syrupy
Lean - presenting little or no fruit flavors
Masculine - describing big, full-bodied wine
Oaky - oak flavors (smoky, toasty)
Opulent - rich, smooth and bold
Refined - similar to elegant, not opulent or bold
Silky - rich red wines fermented or aged in oak
Soft - smooth rather than crisp mouth feel
Steely - higher acidity
Structured - high tannin and acidity
Supple - a balance of fruit flavors and tannic structure
Tannic - firm wine leaving the mouth feeling dry
Toasty - wine that's oak-aged, with a slightly burnt caramel finish
Unctuous - oily
Unoaked - doesn't have vanilla, cream, butter or baking spices in it, more of a zesty lemon flavor, more tart
Velvety - rich in flavors and texture, lush, smooth and silky

Seven Springs Winery offers a wide variety of wine to meet your tastes. Stop by for one of our daily wine tastings to find your favorite! Our winery at the Lake of the Ozarks sits atop 160 acres of rolling Missouri foothills creating the perfect backdrop for any event or celebration. The covered porch and patio area are ideal for enjoying a glass of wine and admiring the beautiful views. Stop by and see us soon!

Sources:

http://winefolly.com/tutorial/40-wine-descriptions/

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understanding-wine-descriptors.html

http://wine.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Wine_Terminology