Red wine colors
White wine colors
Testable white grapes
Testable red grapes
White wine grid for non-fruit descriptors
Flowers
Fresh herbs, hay
Green bell pepper, grass, jalapeno, asparagus
Grape variety spice: allspice, pepper, cardamom
Noble rot/Botrytis: ginger, honey, saffron, wax
Oxidation: nuts, dried fruit
Lees: dough, baked bread, yeast, beer, cheese rind
MLF: butter, cream, yogurt
Petrol, gasoline, rubber
Earth: wet leaves, mushroom, compost
Mineral: mineral, wet rock, sulfur
New oak: vanilla, toast, smoke, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove
Red wine grid for non-fruit descriptors
Flowers
Fresh herbs, tomato leaf
Green bell pepper, grass, jalapeno, asparagus
Mint, eucalyptus
Black peppercorn
Coffee, cocoa, mocha
Meat, blood, leather
Balsamic, tar
Carbonic maceration
Earth: forest floor, wet leaves, mushroom, compost
Mineral: mineral, wet rock, sulfur
New oak: vanilla, smoke, toast, coconut, dill
Wine sweetness by varietal
Acidity by varietal
Alcohol by varietal
Body by varietal
Tannin by varietal (reds only)
Tips on sales pitch
It is important to differentiate between technical language that beverage professionals use with their peers versus language that would be appropriate for describing a wine to guests in a restaurant or customers in a retail setting.
High acidity = a more appetizing phrasing for guests might be “bright, crisp, and mouthwatering.”
High alcohol could be described as robust, muscular, and powerful.
Monoterpenes = aromatic and floral.
Wine professionals should be comfortable using technical language to assess a wine objectively while also being able to translate those terms into descriptions that will be clear and meaningful to guests and consumers.
Alcohol levels and percentages
Low to med- = <12.5%
Med = 12.5-13.9%
Med+ = 14-14.9%
High = 15%+
