Wijnjargon blijft de gemoederen bezig houden. Ook buiten Europa. Daar krijgt de wijnliefhebber geregeld uitgelegd wat al die vaktermen te betekenen hebben. Of wanneer er betere ‘alternatieven’ zijn voor oubollige vaktaal. Onze wijnschrijvers leggen ook geregeld wat uit. Maar met de jargonrenovatie wil het nog steeds niet erg vlotten. Lees hier wat ze er elders van maken: een lesje wijntaal-vernieuwing in de rubriek Uncorked van de Annistion Star, een krant uit Alabama .

Delicate and fragile yet approachable and complex.” “Firm bodied with an outstanding nose.” “Persistent and youthful with great legs.”

No, this is not a description of Lindsay Lohan.

The above phrases are legitimate wine-speak, adopted by those who analyze and/or write about wine.

Wine is a living thing. Describing it in terms of anatomy and personality came about as wine grew in popularity, and more uniform terms were needed to describe it.

Now that school is once more in session, it is time to dust off the syllabus for Wine 101 and review these wine descriptive terms. We’ll start at the beginning — the approach — and end with the finish.

Approachable: An approachable wine offers an overall pleasant sensation at first sip. A synonym for approachable is accessible. Approachable’s antonyms are closed or dumb. A closed or dumb wine has little aroma or flavor to encourage the taster to explore further. A wine can be closed or dumb because the wine is over the hill or, conversely, has yet to reach maturity.

Nose: Nose means smell or aroma. If aroma is pleasant, then a wine is said to have a good nose. If not pleasant, the nose is off-putting. An off-putting nose can be a temporary condition. Skanky odors can dissipate after exposure to air, but if unpleasant aromas persist, the wine may be flawed. Some examples of unpleasant aromas are wet dog, wet newspaper and sauerkraut.

Legs: Wine is said to have legs if it clings to the side of the glass when swirled, much in the manner of liquid dishwashing detergent. A synonym for legs is tears. Wine snobs are fond of saying a wine has good legs, but legs or tears are more indicative of viscosity and not necessarily of quality.

Body: Body has to do with the overall texture and mouth feel of the wine. Synonyms for body are backbone, big and robust. All these descriptors have to do with the oompf factor of wine. A red zinfandel has more body and backbone than a delicate pinot noir. Antonyms for full-bodied are light-bodied, delicate and thin. Most white wines are simply lighter in body than bold red wines. Body has more to do with style than with flaws or attributes of wine, but a thin wine is usually bland and uninteresting.

Balance: Balance has to do with all elements of wine being in proper proportion.

Structure: Nice structure means fruit and acid are in equal proportion. When used in describing a red wine, it implies that the tannins — the astringent components from grape seeds and skins that enable a red wine to age — are present but not overpowering. The opposite of balance and structure is flabby. A flat, fat or flabby wine lacks acid in the balance and drinks like a can of soda left open in the fridge for several days.

Brooding: A wine can be brooding if it is red, heavy and intense. A synonym for brooding is complex. A lot is going on in such wines, but no particular element stands out. Antonyms for brooding are bright, brilliant and racy, usually used in describing white wines that are clean and crisp with clearly defined flavors.

Finish: Finish is the final impression a wine leaves on the palate. Attack is an antonym for finish; it is the first impression the wine makes as it passes over the tongue. After attack comes the mid-palate sensation. If good on the attack and pleasant mid-palate and good as swallowed, the wine is said to have a good finish. A good finish is also a persistent finish or long finish.

Palate fatigue: What is felt after applying the above terms to wine consumed, or when all wines seem to taste alike as the evening wears on.