Winemaking

WHAT ARE WINE FLAVOR DESCRIPTORS?

Wine flavor descriptors are words or phrases used to describe the flavors experienced when tasting wine. These descriptors help communicate the characteristics of a wine—what it tastes like on the palate. Wine is complex, and most wines contain hundreds of flavorful compounds. Flavor descriptors help organize and articulate the tasting experience.

Diane Valenti

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Common Categories of Wine Flavor Descriptors

1. Fruit

• Red wine: cherry, raspberry, plum, blackberry, blueberry, currant

• White wine: apple, pear, peach, apricot, pineapple, citrus (lemon, lime, grapefruit)

• Dried fruit: fig, raisin, prune, date

2. Floral

• Rose, violet, lavender, honeysuckle, orange blossom

3. Herbal/Vegetal

• Mint, eucalyptus, bell pepper, tomato leaf, grass, hay, tea leaf

4. Spice

• Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, anise, vanilla (often from oak aging)

5. Earth/Mineral

• Mushroom, forest floor, wet leaves, truffle, graphite, flint, chalk

6. Oak-Related

• Vanilla, toast, smoke, cedar, baking spice, coconut, sawdust

7. Savory/Other

• Leather, tobacco, game, bacon fat, soy sauce, olive, balsamic, barnyard

8. Sweet/Dessert

• Honey, caramel, butterscotch, molasses, chocolate, coffee

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