Wine Terminology

Tannins - What are they and what do they do?

Tasting term used to describe the quality and intensity of tannin in red wines...

How long does wine last after opening? - Ask Decanter

Some pointers on how long your opened bottle will last...

What does ‘frizzante’ mean? Ask Decanter

Why does my bottle say 'frizzante'...?

How is sweetness of Tokaji measured?

What does Aszú mean, and is there any aging requirements for Tokaji sweet wines?

How many calories are there in wine? Ask Decanter

With advice on how to keep count from Beverley Blanning MW...

What is grafting, and why is it important in the vineyard?

Why do most wine growers in the world need to graft their vines, and how do they do it?

Wine yeasts: How do they impact wine flavour? - Ask Decanter

Living substance responsible for the production of the enzymes that permit fermentation, the conversion of sugar into alcohol, with heat and carbon dioxide as by products.

What is phylloxera in the vineyard?

What is phylloxera?

What is residual sugar in wine? – Ask Decanter

And how does it influence the taste of wine...?

Blanc de noirs vs blanc de blancs: What's the difference?

White wine made from black grapes.

What is Kosher wine? - Ask Decanter

What does kosher mean and how is a kosher wine made?

How to spot a corked wine

Fault in wine caused by a contaminated cork.

Rotundone: the science behind 'pepper' in wine

What is volatile acidity? Ask Decanter

Why is it in your wine, and is it a bad thing?

What is carbonic maceration? Ask Decanter

What kind of flavours does it produce in a wine?

What is Icewine? Ask Decanter

And how it is made...

What are tannins? - ask Decanter

What are tasters referring to when the assess tannins? And why are they important?

Does bottling New World wines in Europe affect the wine? - Ask Decanter

New World wines bottled in Europe? Does it have an impact on the wine? Barry Dick MW tells Decanter a bit more about the process.

Determining a wine's weight - ask Decanter

A wine's 'weight' is a tricky tasting term that can be hard to define and assess. Expert wine taster, Michael Schuster, gives us an explanation...

Why is there no red Champagne? - ask Decanter

Mystery wine fault - ask Decanter

Faults in wines are not always easy to define. We asked Rob MacCulloch MW to explain us a little more about faulty wines.

Dishwasher-safe glasses - ask Decanter

It's always a bit scary to put your precious wine glasses in the dishwasher. Xavier Rousset MS gives Decanter some tips on the best ones to choose...

Where brett in wine comes from - ask Decanter

Does brettanomyces develop over time? David Bird MW gives his point of view to Decanter.

What makes a perfect wine? - ask Decanter

Does perfection exist? Steven Spurrier explains how judges score...

Choosing a wine for cooking - ask Decanter

The cardinal rule is if you wouldn’t drink it, you shouldn’t cook with it. Fiona Beckett gives her view to Decanter.

Biodynamic vs organic - ask Decanter

Biodynamic or organic wines? What's the difference and is one way better than the other?

What is wine? - Wine Folly

Go back to the basics with Wine Folly's guide to what is wine...

How to understand phenolic ripeness - ask Decanter

What exactly is phenolic? Justin Howard-Sneyd MW answers that question for Decanter.

In search of lighter reds - ask Decanter

Not a big fan of big and heavy red wines. Julia Harding MW gives Decanter some advice on lighter red wines.

Storing screwcapped bottles - ask Decanter

Is it more beneficial to store screwcapped bottles lying down or upright? Peter McCombie MW gives Decanter an answer.