Understanding wine descriptions can be an important part of buying wines. We often rely on wine reviews, expert or not, to determine which wines we would like. That means we are trusting the reviewer and their wine descriptions to help us avoid buying the wrong wine.
Wine descriptions can run the gamut from the use of common fruits aromas we are all familiar with to exotic and sometimes bizarre terms like "forest floor", "wet stone", and "barnyard". What do these wine descriptions mean? Some of these terms point out common wine faults, while others describe expressions on the grape varietal that are a sign of a well-made wine.
List Of Wine Descriptions Examples By Varietal
To help you get a feel for what is typical here are some common wine descriptions examples listed under specific varietals.
Viognier
Beautifully balanced with a lovely bouquet of exotic tropical fruit, delicate flavors of orange blossom, dried apricot, and honey are complemented with a bright refreshing finish.
Syrah
An excellent definition of fruit and structure, beautifully balanced with intense aromatics of chocolate, berry, tobacco, and lush lingering flavors.
Port
Classic port flair, well balanced, with concentrated ripe dark fruit character and notes of toasted hazelnuts and toffee.
Chardonnay unoaked
An excellent wine that is fruit-driven, yet crisp and clean with a granny smith apple mouth feel and steely characteristics displaying a great depth of flavor.
Sauvignon Blanc
Nice floral aromas are complemented with green melon, lemon zest, and a rich mineral component highlighted by assertive citrus flavors and great length.
Pinot Grigio
A bouquet of garden herbs, subtle rose petal, complex fruit flavors, and lovely oiliness are followed with mouth-filling complex fruit flavors.
Dry Gewürztraminer
Delicate rose petal aromas are nicely balanced with white stone fruit and honey characters displaying bright intense flavors and a lengthy finish.
Riesling
Fresh delicate aromas of apricot, jasmine, and a touch of elderberry are balanced with pineapple, honey sweetness for beautiful structure, and rich mouthfeel.
Dry Rosato
Beautiful color with a lovely aromatic nose of fresh raspberry and strawberry, a hint of spice, rich in the mouth and crisp lingering finish.
Cabernet Sauvignon
Deep ruby color, well structured with fragrant black cherry flavors, classic cabernet varietal character is framed with firm tannins.
Merlot
Intense ripe red berries with subtle oak integration, a touch of coffee beans, and fresh herbs are layered with generous flavors and a lush palate.
Pinot Noir
Full-bodied and complex with spicy cherry aromas and flavors enhanced by a savory and herbal old world style character.
Petite Sirah
A powerful wine with mountains of fruit, subtle notes of tobacco and nuts accompanied with rich dense flavors.
Bordeaux Blend
Elegant, Bordeaux-like character with ripe blackberry aromas and hints of tobacco leaf and licorice are nicely balanced with a flavorful finish.
Barbera
Deep red lavender color, spicy black currant aromas, and layered fruit flavors – a great food wine!
Mourvedre
Well balanced and nicely integrated with oak, ripe and round with a hint of white pepper in a fresh new world style.
Zinfandel
Nicely structured with sweet berry flavors, a hint of pepper, and refined tannins.
Late Harvest Moscato
Clean sweet lemon aromas braced with delicate flavors of peach and apricot are nicely balanced with acid and sweetness leaving a crisp, clean finish.
More Resources
There are endless ways that wine reviewers describe the wines they are judging, but you should see some commonalities based on varietals. Common wine descriptions will find their way into the reviews of even the most renowned reviewers. They are typically wedged between flowery language that does little to describe the wine!
Here are some detailed descriptions of the most popular varietals.
And here is a link to a list of most of the red and white varietals.
