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Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026Hot
Hot
“Hot” describes a wine with excessively high alcohol (above 14.5% ABV ) that produces a burning sensation in the mouth and throat. It is often due to overripe grapes from warm climate regions, which produce high sugar levels that are in turn, converted into high alcohol during fermentation. It is generally considered a flaw and the wine is often described as “flabby”, lacking acidity.
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Finish
A wine's "finish" is the lasting impression it leaves on your palate after swallowing or spitting it out. It is a key indicator of quality, often described by its length, which can be short, medium or long and its flavor profile.
Floral
The term "floral" is used to describe the delicate, perfumed and aromatic notes that smell like white and yellow flowers, arising naturally from specific grape varieties, not additives.
Structure
A wine's structure refers to its foundational components, namely the tannins, acidity, alcohol, body and sugar. It describes the balance and backbone of the wine which determines how it feels, rather than its flavor or how it tastes.
Bouquet
The term "bouquet" refers to the complex aromas and perfumes that develop in wine due to bottle maturation, fermentation and wood aging. It includes scents like vanilla, toast, earth and truffle.
Extract
The extract of a wine is everything in it apart from water, sugar, alcohol and acids. It refers to the non volatile solids such as tannins, anthocyannins and glycerol which are drawn from the grape during maceration.
QPR
QPR in wine stands for Quality to Price Ratio, a metric used to assess a bottle's quality relative to its price. The higher a wine's QPR, the more quality you get for your money.
Body
A wine's body is its weight, texture and overall mouthfeel which is determined by a combination of alcohol content, tannins, sugar and extract. A wine may be light, medium or full bodied.
Length
A wine's length describes how long a wine's flavor, aromas and tactile sensations last on your palate after spitting it out or swallowing.
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