Wine Words - Wine 101

I stumbled upon this article by Martha Stewart and I loved it so I had to share with all of you Wine & Food Lovers!  Cheers and Enjoy the Wine Journey!

Body – Does the wine taste heavy on your palate or light? "Body” is the word used to measure this. Most commonly, a wine is described as light-bodied, medium-bodied, or full-bodied.

Breathe – This is when you uncork a bottle and the wine meets the air. Many red wines are at their best when they’ve had time to breathe as the air opens up the flavors and aromas of the wine. To achieve plenty of breath some wines benefit from decanters or pouring through an aerator.

Cava – Spanish sparkling wine. Cava Brut is a dry sparkling wine.
Crémant – The French translation for sparkling wine.
Decant – This is the process of pouring the wine from the bottle into another, usually large, container to help the wine breath, bringing out the flavors of the wine. Many wine enthusiast own glass decanters.
Earthy – This if used to describe the flavor or aroma of a wine with certain soil-like qualities. These wines can also be called “Green”. Flavors often associated with an earthy wine might include anything from grass and mushrooms to tree bark.
Legs – After taking a sip of wine, the legs are the wine that runs down the side of the glass. Commonly more alcoholic wines with have slower legs.
Tannins – These are naturally occurring compounds in a grape’s skin, stems, and seeds released during pressing. All wines have tannins, however they are heavier with red wines. Tannins are also found in Black Tea and will cause a dry sensation in your mouth.
Terroir – A French term that means the natural environment in which a wine is produced. It is a combination of soil, climate, typography, and all other environmental factors and often refers to a very small and specific portion of a vineyard. The smallest change in minerality, wind or sun can create a different tasting grape.
Viticulture – The business of cultivating wine grapes.

Now pour yourself a glass of wine, sit back and relax. You’re becoming an expert.

Article: https://marthastewartwine.tumblr.com/post/169615930809/wine-words?uid=83e435d3-fd03-422e-b37e-a66c4af6a165