Wine Vocabulary Quiz
12 questions on wine terms: vineyard, vintage, tannin, cellar and tasting vocabulary. B1–B2 level.
Wine Vocabulary — FAQ
A vineyard is an area of land planted with grapevines specifically for making wine. The climate, soil and slope of a vineyard all affect how the grapes grow and influence the character and quality of the finished wine.
The vintage of a wine is the year in which its grapes were harvested. Because weather varies from year to year, some vintages produce better grapes than others, which is why a wine's vintage can affect its taste and value.
Tannins are natural compounds found mainly in grape skins, seeds and stems, as well as in oak barrels. They give red wine a dry, slightly bitter or astringent feel in the mouth and help the wine age well over time.
A wine cellar is a cool, dark, often underground space used to store wine. Steady temperature and humidity protect the wine and allow certain bottles to age and develop more complex flavours.
Fermentation is the natural process in which yeast converts the sugar in grape juice into alcohol and carbon dioxide. It is the key step that turns ordinary grape juice into wine and is carefully controlled to shape the final flavour.
Decanting means slowly pouring wine from its bottle into another container, called a decanter. This separates the clear wine from any sediment at the bottom and lets the wine breathe, which can soften its flavour and release its aromas.
The bouquet is the complex range of smells a wine gives off, especially those that develop as it ages. Tasters often swirl the glass and sniff carefully to identify scents such as fruit, flowers, spice or oak.
A dry wine is one that has little or no sweetness, because most of the grape sugar has been turned into alcohol during fermentation. The opposite is a sweet wine, which keeps more of its natural sugar.
A sommelier is a trained wine expert, usually working in a restaurant, who advises guests on choosing wine and pairing it with food. They manage the wine list, recommend bottles and serve wine correctly.
Champagne is a sparkling wine made only in the Champagne region of France using a special method that creates bubbles. Sparkling wines made elsewhere by similar methods are sold under other names, such as cava or prosecco.