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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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Umami
Umami, which means "savory or delicious taste" in Japanese, is the "fifth taste" that adds complexity, richness and length to a wine's finish. It develops through glutamate and amino acids from late harvest grapes or lees aging and it enhances the other flavors.
Palate
The palate refers to the overall physical sensation and taste profile of wine once it is in your mouth. It includes the texture, body, acidity, tannic structure and flavors from inital taste to the finish.
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.
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.
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.
Aroma
Aroma in wine refers to the specific, volatile odors detected by the nose, which may be fruity, floral, earthy or mineral.
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