Glossary of Wine Terms (P - Z)

P
Petillant - a light sparkle

R
Rich - Full, opulent flavour, body and aroma
Ripe - Mature, fully ripe fruit
Robust - Full-bodied, powerful, heady
Rough - Harsh edges, biting, unpleasant
Round - Smooth and well-developed flavour, without rough edges

S
Sharp - Biting acid or tannin.
Short - Refers to finish, or aftertaste, when it ends abruptly.
Silky - Smooth, sinuous texture and finish.
Simple - Opposite of complex; straightforward.
Smoky - Aroma and flavour sometimes associated with oak ageing.
Soft - May refer to soft, gentle fruit in delicate wines, or to lack of acidity in wines without proper structure; used on a label occasionally to indicate low alcohol.
Solid - Sound, well structured, firm.
Sour - Sharply acidic or vinegary
Sparkling - Wines with bubbles created by trapped carbon dioxide gas, either natural or injected.
Spicy - Having the character or aroma of spices such as clove, mint, cinnamon, or pepper.
Steely - Firmly structured; taut balance tending toward high acidity.
Stiff - Unyielding, closed; dumb.
Strong - Robust, powerful, big.
Structure - The way a wine is built; its composition and proportions.
Stuffing - Big, flavourful, full-bodied wines are said to have "stuffing."
Sturdy - Bold, vigorous flavour; full-bodied; robust.
Supple - Yielding in flavour; a wine that is readily accessible for current drinking.
Sweet - Usually indicates the presence of residual sugar, retained when grape sugar is not completely converted to alcohol. Even dry wines, however, may have an aroma of sweetness, the combination of intense fruit or ripeness. Considered a flaw if not properly balanced with acidity.

T
Tannin - A natural component found to varying degrees in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes; most prominent in red wines, where it creates a dry, puckering sensation in young reds of concentrated extract; mellows with ageing and drops out of the wine to form sediment; a major component in the structure of red wines.
Tart - Sharp; acceptable if not too acidic.
Thick - Dense and heavy in texture.
Thin - Lacking body and flavour.
Tired - Past its peak of flavour development; old.
Tough - Astringent or hard; wiry; tannic.

V
Vanilla - A scent imparted by ageing in oak.
Velvety - Smooth and rich in texture.
Vigorous - Firm, lively fruit, strong body; assertive flavour.
Vinegary - Having the smell of vinegar; see also Acetic.

W
Watery - Thin, lacking in flavour.
Weak - Lacking grip typical for the wine; without character
Weedy - Aromas or flavours reminiscent of hay or grasses; not necessarily unpleasant unless exaggerated.
Weighty - Strong, powerful, full-bodied, forceful.
Woody - Excessive aromas of wood, common to wines aged overlong in cask or barrel.

Y
Yeasty - A bready smell, sometimes found in wines that have undergone 2ndry fermentation, such as Champagne; very appealing if not excessive.
Young - In simple wines signifies youthful freshness; in finer wines, refers to immaturity, wines as yet undeveloped.