Wine Tasting Terminology

Intensity

Intensity refers to the amount of fruit flavour in the wine: a high-quality wine will have more phenolic (flavour compounds in the grape) characters, giving it a greater intensity.

Complexity

Complexity is a 'sliding scale', from very one-dimensional wines to those showing many aromas, flavours and tastes, which may change and develop the longer the wine is open. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the best wines are also the most complex.

Balance

Balance refers to the relationship between taste factors such as fruit concentration, acidity, sweetness, alcohol and tannin. If they're all in harmony with each other, the wine is balanced: if one obviously stands out above the rest, and detracts from your enjoyment, it's unbalanced. As a rule, the better the balance, the finer the wine.

Length

This is a measure of how long the taste lingers in your mouth after you've swallowed or expelled the wine. A long length, during which more flavours may develop, usually signifies a great wine.

Pleasure

Ultimately, the most important question you can ask of any wine is: "Am I enjoying it?" And as long as the answer is "Yes", none of the above really matters!