Taste Decoder

Wine words, in plain English.

Somebody said the wine is “flabby”? The label says “sur lie”? Look it up — 200+ terms decoded, no jargon in the definitions.

Faults and storage

Bottle Shock

What it means in wine

Bottle shock is an informal wine trade term rather than a precise legal or lab category. It is often used to explain why a wine seems closed after recent movement.

Why it matters

Use cautiously and avoid promising that every affected bottle will recover.

Want it explained for your bottle? Ask Scott about “Bottle Shock”.

All Bottle formats Classification terms Faults and storage Geography Label terms Sparkling wine Storage and service Styles Tasting Tasting terms Vineyard Wine basics Wine faults Wine-specific Winemaking

Bottle Shock A temporary muted or disjointed state sometimes observed after bottling or trans… Brettanomyces A yeast associated with animal, barnyard, medicinal, smoky, or leathery aromas i… Cork Taint A wine fault most commonly associated with musty, damp-cardboard aromas. Corked A common shorthand for a wine affected by cork taint. Heat Damage Damage caused by excessive heat exposure before opening. Lightstrike A wine fault caused by exposure to certain light wavelengths, especially in vuln… Maderized A term for wine that tastes oxidized or heat-aged in a way resembling Madeira-li… Mousiness A wine fault that can create unpleasant mouse-cage or cereal-like flavors, often… Oxidation Chemical change caused by exposure to oxygen. Reduction A set of aromas associated with low-oxygen conditions and sulfur compounds. Refermentation A renewed fermentation that occurs after a wine is considered finished or bottle… Sediment Solid material that settles in a bottle or glass. TCA 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, a compound commonly associated with cork taint. Tartrate Crystals Harmless crystals that can form from tartaric acid salts in wine.