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Last Updated: Mar 17, 2026Tartaric Acid
Tartaric Acid
Tartaric acid is the primary natural acid in grapes and wine, essential for providing a refreshing, sharp and crisp taste. Unlike other wine acids, it remains stable during fermentation, determining the wine’s pH and protecting it against bacteria. Often, tartaric acid combines with potassium to form “wine diamonds”, which contribute to long term aging. Winemakers often add it to low acid, warm climate wines to increase acidity and improve balance, color and flavor.
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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.
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.
Tannins
Tannins are naturally occurring polyphenols found in grape skins, seeds, stems and oak barrels that provide texture, structure and aging potential to wine. They are primarily present in red wines, causing a drying, mouth coating or astringent sensation on the tongue, often described as "grippy".
Herbaceous
"Herbaceous" describes the aromas and flavors of fresh green herbs, grass, or vegetables like bell pepper, mint and thyme in a wine.
Legs
Wine legs are the droplets and streaks of wine that form on the inside of a wine glass and resettle at the bottom after swirling.
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.
Flavonoids
Flavonoids are natural polyphenolic compounds gotten from grape skins, stems and seeds. They are found in high concentrations in red wine.
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