Top wine terminology to taste like a pro
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Guy Palmer-Brown
Everyone has that friend that when it comes to wine tasting thinks they know everything there is to know about wine.
Put them in their place with these descriptions.
![Women's arm holding a glass of rich red wine seen by its full-bodied appearance.](https://ucarecdn.com/9fb8fcfa-b380-481e-b52f-1a4fe8c73f17/-/format/auto/-/preview/3000x3000/-/quality/lighter/Terminology_Rich_Wine_KissofWine.jpg)
RICH
Usually used for full-bodied wines, often those that have spent significant time aging in oak barrels.
Wines that are rich are dense and opulent and mouth-coating.
![Table toasting with full glasses of mineral wine.](https://ucarecdn.com/b44ac9e9-b00c-477b-a313-8cc8a51e9f03/-/format/auto/-/preview/3000x3000/-/quality/lighter/Terminology_Mineral_Wine_KissofWine.jpg)
MINERAL
A tricky descriptor used commonly for wines grown in cool climates, a mineral wine is one that doesn’t display ripe fruit characters, but instead has a distinct tang and higher levels of acidity.
![Kiss of Wine Zesty Riesling canned wine showing the qualities of a perfect zesty wine type.](https://ucarecdn.com/1b7044d6-aa07-4e15-817c-96b9d2ca2036/-/format/auto/-/preview/3000x3000/-/quality/lighter/Terminology_Zesty_Wine_KissofWine.jpg)
ZESTY
Often used in combination or interchangeably with mineral, this is a descriptor is all about the acid levels in the wine – think dry rieslings and young semillons. These wines are electric!
![Can of Kiss of Wine Picante showing the spicy qualities of our wine.](https://ucarecdn.com/7879e67e-44a1-48da-8a8a-0a56120afee7/-/format/auto/-/preview/3000x3000/-/quality/lighter/Terminology_Picante_Wine_KissofWine.jpg)
SPICY (or PICANTE!)
Fairly straightforward this one – think flavours of ginger, white pepper, or even a bit of heat brought on by high levels of alcohol.
for white think gewurztraminer, for reds - grenache!
![Celebratory toast with champagne glasses to understand the meaning behind elegant wine.](https://ucarecdn.com/0d01c3dd-c1a8-4b93-8c32-0df6da4500f7/-/format/auto/-/preview/3000x3000/-/quality/lighter/Terminology_Elegant_Wine_KissofWine.jpg)
ELEGANT
Wines that are elegant are fine, graceful and focussed – they are built around a line of acidity and don’t have any obtrusive flavours - think brut nature or zero dosage champagne.
![Savoury type of wine portrayed by a glass being filled by carafe of southern french red.](https://ucarecdn.com/18dabf4e-ed6a-41a7-8980-8ee9d380d73a/-/format/auto/-/preview/768x768/-/quality/lighter/Terminology_Savoury_Wine_KissofWine.jpg)
SAVOURY
A wine that isn’t necessarily full of fruit, but instead has a slight rustic edge or an elevated level of acidity. Good examples include southern french reds or perhaps older, dry rieslings.
![Kiss of Wine Smooth wine used to highlight the meaning behind succulent wine](https://ucarecdn.com/006add9b-82d6-4955-a93e-16f147510839/-/format/auto/-/preview/576x576/-/quality/lighter/Terminology_Succulent_Wine_KissofWine.jpg)
SUCCULENT
This is a pretty advanced wine vocab – succulence in a wine is a combination of balance between acidity and fruit, as well as an inherent juiciness to the wine.
Whip this out in a wine tasting and you're sure to impress.
![Lady drinking a large glass of full bodied broad red wine.](https://ucarecdn.com/09e074d7-3f07-44e9-9ffa-d98e2cb85ac0/-/format/auto/-/preview/3000x3000/-/quality/lighter/Terminology_Broad_Wine_KissofWine.jpg)
BROAD
Power, power, power! A full-bodied wine that really covers all parts of your mouth when you taste it. Often high alcohol, lots of fruit, really big flavours. This is not used as a negative descriptor.