Winemaking

WHAT ARE WINE ADJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTIONS? Letters S-T

Wine adjectives (also called wine descriptors) are specific words or phrases used to describe the aroma, flavor, texture, and overall character of a wine. They help wine professionals and enthusiasts communicate what they're experiencing when tasting a wine.

Diane Valenti

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Wine adjectives are used to:
• Identify sensory characteristics (e.g., fruity, oaky, tannic)
• Compare wines
• Describe wine quality and style
• Aid in wine selection or pairing
Some examples are:
Sharp: A wine tasting term for a wine that has a biting sensation due to excess acidity. Some sharp wines will mellow with age.
Short: In wine tasting terminology, a wine that's short has an abrupt finish, not an admirable quality.
Silky: A wine tasting term for wines that are incredibly smooth, lush, and finely textured. Its synonym is velvety.
Simple: A wine tasting term for wine that, though not complex, is forthright and quite good.
Smooth: In wine tasting, this self-explanatory term can be used to describe a variety of things including a wine's texture, finish, and the tactile impression of flavor and body.
Soft: A descriptor for a wine that's well balanced, fruity, mellow, and pleasant, which is generally the result of lower acidity and/or tannins (or the perfect fusion of the two). 
Solid: A descriptor for wine that is full-bodied and loaded with acidity, alcohol, fruit, and tannins. The term sometimes refers to youthful wines that will develop well with aging.
Sound: A term describing wine that's without faults in clarity, color, aroma, or flavor.
Steamy: Also called stalky, this wine tasting term describes wines that have an astringently harsh, "green" flavor, usually due to prolonged contact with grape stems during winemaking.
Still wine: A descriptor for wine that contains no carbon dioxide, which would make it sparkling or effervescent.
Supple: A wine tasting term for well-structured wines that are harmonious, soft, and velvety - in short, extremely pleasing.
Tart: A term used to describe wines that are high in acid, which produces a harsh, sharp impression on the palate.
Thick: A wine tasting term used for wines that are extremely rich, almost heavy, combined with a lack of acidity.
Tired: A wine tasting term for a wine that's dull, past its prime, and generally uninteresting.

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