From Winston’s Wisdoms

Ever sit at a fancy dinner or cocktail party and hear people disect the wine that they’re drinking or discuss  what wine would pair perfectly with their meal?  If you’re like 99% of the people I know, you just know “good wine” and “bad wine”.  For all you newbies~ here’s a list of terminology and slang that you can use to make yourself look cultured and aware at a business meeting or hot date =)

Plonk- Bad wine

Quaff- To drink, often used as the adjective “quaffable” to describe a basic, everyday, wine.

Cat Pee- A specific aroma, often found in Sauvignon Blanc. This means exactly as it sounds, though no actual cat pee is used to make the wine

Hot- A wine with a high level of alcohol to the point of tasting out-of-balance.

Tight- An adjective used to describe a wine that needs time to open up or for the tannins to soften. Air or proper aging can help a tight wine.

ABC- Anything But Chardonnay/Anything But Cabernet, used to focus on other varietals.

Claret- an English phrase for a Bordeaux-style wine

QPR- Quality/Price ratio or a wine’s quality as compared to its price. A wine with a good QPR is a good value.

Entry-level Wine- A basic wine, often used to a describe the least expensive wine in a brand’s portfolio.

Clunker- A bad wine

Flabby- A wine that lacks a component such as acidity or tannin to bring it structure. Tastes overly soft and out-of-balance as a result.

Green- A wine that has a vegetal quality usually stemming from under-ripe grapes.

Muscular- A wine with a lot of body and typically strong tannin.

Cork dork- An extreme wine hobbyist. Usually has a high level of wine knowledge.

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