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
Oxidation
What it means in wine
Some oxygen exposure is part of normal winemaking and aging, but uncontrolled oxidation can make wines taste bruised, brown, flat, nutty, or stale.
Why it matters
Oxidation can be a flaw in fresh styles and a deliberate feature in oxidative styles such as some Sherry or Madeira.
Want it explained for your bottle? Ask Scott about “Oxidation”.
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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.