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Last Updated: Mar 6, 2026Length
Length
Length is a tasting term that describes how long a wine’s flavor, aromas and tactile sensations last on your palate after spitting it out or swallowing. A “long” finish often lasts over 20 seconds and it is a hallmark of high quality, balanced and complex wines. The length of a finish is created by a complex interaction of tannins, acids and alcohols and it is sometimes measured in seconds, called “caudalies”, derived from the latin word for tail: cauda.
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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.
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.
Balance
Balance is the proportional relationship between acidity, alcohol, sugar, tannin and fruit concentration in a wine, where no single element dominates.
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.
Aroma
Aroma in wine refers to the specific, volatile odors detected by the nose, which may be fruity, floral, earthy or mineral.
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.
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.
Nose
The "nose" in wine refers to the aroma, scent or bouquet it gives off before tasting. It is generally categorized into primary, secondary and tertiary aromas.
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