- maceration
- The process of leaving grape skins, seeds and sometimes stems in contact with the juice during fermentation to extract colour, tannin and flavour. In orange wine, maceration can last from a few days to several months. What is orange wine, and how is it made
- puttonyos
- A traditional Hungarian measure of sweetness in Tokaji Aszú wine. Five or six puttonyos indicates a rich, dessert-weight wine; three puttonyos is lighter and less sweet. Wine with chocolate: 6 bottles that won't be overwhelmed
- qvevri
- A large clay vessel used in Georgian winemaking, traditionally buried underground. White wines fermented in qvevri with their skins on are a form of orange wine and have been made this way for thousands of years. What is orange wine, and how is it made
- retronasal smell
- The scent that travels up the back of your throat whilst wine is in your mouth, combining with taste to create flavour. It differs from what you smell directly from the glass before sipping. How to describe wine flavour without reaching for clichés
- sediment
- Fine particles of tannin and pigment that settle at the bottom of older bottles of red wine. They taste gritty if poured into the glass. How to decant wine properly: 4 steps and the bottles that need it
- Tannin
- A compound from grape skins, seeds and stems that gives red wine structure and a drying sensation on the palate. Temperature affects how prominent tannin feels—warmth softens it, cold makes it more astringent. The temperature red wine needs before it reaches the glass
- TCA
- A compound that forms in natural cork when certain moulds and chlorine meet during processing. It gives corked wine its musty, damp cardboard smell and ruins the wine's flavour even in tiny amounts. How to tell if wine has gone off: 3 faults you can spot before the first sip
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