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.

Styles

Tawny

What it means in wine

Tawny Port is usually lighter in color and more oxidative in character than ruby-style Port. Age indications have specific rules.

Why it matters

Use official Port sources for precise label categories.

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

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Amontillado A style of Sherry that begins under flor and then ages oxidatively. Ancestral Method A sparkling wine method in which fermentation finishes in bottle, trapping carbo… Brut Nature A very dry sparkling wine category with little or no dosage. Demi-Sec A sweetness category commonly used for sparkling wines and some still wines. Fino A pale, dry Sherry style aged biologically under flor. Flor A film-forming yeast layer that develops on some wines, especially certain Sherr… Icewine A sweet wine made from grapes frozen naturally on the vine and pressed while fro… Late Harvest Wine made from grapes picked later than normal, often with higher sugar concentr… Madeira A fortified wine from Madeira, known for styles shaped by heat and oxygen exposu… Natural Wine An informal term for wines made with minimal intervention, often emphasizing org… Noble Rot Beneficial Botrytis cinerea infection that concentrates grapes for certain sweet… Orange Wine White wine made with extended skin contact, giving deeper color and added textur… Passito An Italian term for wines made from dried or partially dried grapes. Port A fortified wine associated with Portugal’s Douro region. Pétillant-Naturel A lightly sparkling wine often associated with ancestral-method production. Rosé Pink wine usually made from red grapes with limited skin contact. Ruby Port A fruit-driven Port style usually aged to preserve youthful color and fruit. Sec A term meaning dry in French, but also a sweetness category in sparkling wine. Sparkling Wine Wine containing significant carbon dioxide bubbles. Tank Method A sparkling wine method in which secondary fermentation occurs in a sealed tank. Tawny A Port style aged to develop oxidative, nutty, caramel, and dried-fruit notes. Traditional Method A sparkling wine method in which secondary fermentation takes place in the bottl… Vin Doux Naturel A French fortified sweet wine style made by mutage, adding spirit to stop fermen…