Sommelier Glossary: Essential Terms and Definitions

The language of wine is precise in ways that matter — the difference between "tannins" and "acidity" on a service floor isn't pedantic, it's the difference between recommending the right bottle and the wrong one. This glossary collects the core vocabulary used in sommelier training, certification exams, and daily professional practice. Terms are organized by function and usage context, from sensory evaluation to cellar mechanics, so the definitions serve both exam preparation and real-world application.

Definition and scope

A sommelier glossary isn't simply a wine dictionary. It's a working vocabulary for a specific professional role — one that bridges scientific precision (wine chemistry, regional appellation rules) with hospitality fluency (guest communication, service ritual). The Sommelier Authority home resource provides broader context on how these terms fit into professional training and certification pathways.

The scope here covers four primary domains:

Sensory and tasting terminology — the language used to describe what is perceived in a glass
Production and winemaking terms — how the wine was made, which shapes what the taster encounters
Service and hospitality vocabulary — the professional mechanics of presenting and recommending wine
Regional and classification terms — the regulatory frameworks that organize wine identity globally

The Court of Master Sommeliers (Court of Master Sommeliers Americas) and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) each publish standardized terminology frameworks. Where the two organizations diverge — notably in structured tasting methodology — those differences are noted below.

How it works

Sensory and Tasting Terms

Acidity — The tartness or brightness in a wine, derived from naturally occurring acids (tartaric, malic, citric). High-acid wines feel lively; low-acid wines can seem flat or flabby. Acidity is assessed on a scale from low to high.

Tannin — Polyphenolic compounds extracted primarily from grape skins, seeds, and stems (in red wines), as well as from oak aging. Tannin produces a drying, grippy sensation on the gums and inner cheeks. Described as fine, grippy, silky, or astringent.

Body — The perceived weight or viscosity of a wine on the palate, correlating strongly with alcohol content. A wine at 14.5% ABV typically registers as full-bodied; one at 11.5% as light-bodied.

Finish — The persistence of flavor and sensation after swallowing. Measured in seconds — a "long finish" is generally considered to persist for 45 seconds or more, a benchmark used informally in blind tasting evaluations.

Retronasal aroma — Aromas perceived through the back of the mouth as vapor travels upward to the olfactory epithelium during and after swallowing. Distinct from orthonasal aroma, which is detected by sniffing directly.

Terroir — A French term without clean English translation, referring to the combination of soil, climate, topography, and human practice that gives a wine its sense of place. The concept is foundational to the French appellation system and increasingly applied in New World wine regions.

Typicity — The degree to which a wine expresses the expected characteristics of its variety, region, or vintage. Used in blind tasting as an evaluation criterion by both the Court of Master Sommeliers and WSET Diploma programs.

Production Terms

Malolactic fermentation (MLF) — A secondary bacterial conversion in which sharp malic acid transforms into softer lactic acid, reducing perceived acidity and often contributing buttery or creamy texture. Standard practice for most red wines; selective in white wines depending on style goals.

Lees aging — Extended contact between wine and the dead yeast cells (lees) remaining after fermentation. Produces textural richness and autolytic notes — bread dough, brioche, toasted nuts — common in traditional-method sparkling wines and certain white Burgundies.

Extraction — The process by which color, tannin, and flavor compounds are drawn from grape solids into the fermenting juice. Controlled by temperature, punch-downs, pump-overs, and maceration duration.

Common scenarios

Certain terms create consistent confusion in both exam contexts and professional practice. Three pairs worth examining carefully:

Aroma vs. Bouquet — Aroma refers to scents derived from the grape variety itself (primary) or fermentation (secondary). Bouquet refers specifically to tertiary scents developed through aging — oxidative or reductive development in bottle or barrel. The distinction matters most in structured WSET and CMS tasting notes.

Vintage vs. Non-vintage (NV) — A vintage wine displays a single harvest year, indicating the wine reflects that year's specific growing conditions. Non-vintage wines — most common in Champagne production — blend harvests across multiple years to maintain a consistent house style. For resources on how vintage variation affects tasting and purchasing decisions, California Wine Authority covers appellation-specific vintage profiles across California's major wine regions in depth.

Appellation vs. AVA — "Appellation" is the general term for any geographically designated wine region. In the United States, the formal regulatory structure uses American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), administered by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). There are currently 269 federally approved AVAs in the United States (TTB AVA database).

Decision boundaries

Knowing when to apply a term precisely — and when precision becomes pedantry — is part of professional fluency.

The CMS blind tasting grid uses a highly structured vocabulary; deviation from its phrasing in a service exam context can cost points even when the underlying perception is correct. WSET Diploma employs its own Systematic Approach to Tasting Wine (SAT), and the two frameworks use some identical terms with slightly different applied meanings.

Three practical boundaries:

"Complex" is earned, not defaulted — A wine is complex when it shows 3 or more distinct flavor categories simultaneously or evolves over 10+ minutes in the glass. Using "complex" loosely in a tasting note weakens the evaluation.
Structural terms are measurable; stylistic terms are interpretive — Acidity, alcohol, and tannin have measurable chemical correlates. "Elegant" or "rustic" do not. In exam settings, lead with structure; use stylistic language only in conclusion statements.
Regional vs. varietal descriptors — Describing a wine as "Burgundian in character" makes a broader claim than "showing Pinot Noir typicity." The regional descriptor implies terroir expression; the varietal descriptor focuses on grape characteristics alone.