Going to a wine country and only kind of know wine? Want to sound cool when you are traveling to these areas?

Not to worry, here is a crash course to wine tasting so that you can sound smart and possibly enjoy your experience more. This is only basic Wine Tasting 101, much more to add for in depth study of wine.

Wine Jargon

Varietal – the grape

Single Vineyard – the grape is coming from one vineyard

Vintage – year wine was made

Premier/Grand Crus – class for French wines

Reserve – limited quantity, “special wine”

Second label – wines that are ready to drink now instead of putting down for 15 years

Old World – wine that comes from grapes used in old vintages

New World – modern wines/blends

Red leaf – vine diseases resulting in removal

Breathe – red wines often need time to oxidize and open up for smoother flavors.

Tannins – makes wine taste dry. Wines with high tannins need time to breathe.

Fruit Forward – Fruity and jam-y flavors

Fruit bombs – full fruit flavors

“Wine” in different languages

Vin – French

Vino – Italian/Spanish

Vinho – Portuguese

Wein – German

Wyn – Afrikaans

Wines to put down for a while

Bordeaux, Brunellos, Borolo, some Cabernet Sauvignon, some Riojas, Cabernet Franc

White Wine:

Common White Wines: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Chennin Blanc, Gewürztraminer, Moscato, Riesling, bubblies

General flavors: acidic, metallic, buttery, sweet, dry

Notes: The more malolactic the wine, the butterier it will taste. Buttery wines are mostly found with New World Chardonnays. Head on over to Napa Valley to try some tasty buttery wines.

Wine Glass: White wine tends to come in more narrow glasses because they do not need to breathe.

Helpful hint for newbies: you do not need to swirl white wine before drinking it!

Red Wine:

Common Red Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Bordeaux, Chianti, Tempernillo, Rioja, Barbera, Syrah, Zinfandel, Malbec

Red varietals with high tannin (AKA, extra swirl before trying to oxidize): Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Carmenere

General flavors and smells: fruity, dirty, earthy, spicy, liquorish, jam-y, syrupy, sweet, farm house, smoky, nutty

Notes: red wines vary from heavy to light. The darker the wine, the more likely it will need time to open up and breathe before drinking, the lighter the wine, the faster you can drink it. Lighter wine naturally means that it will be slightly sweeter, while darker wines will have much more intense flavors.

Easy drinking wines: Pinot Noir, Malbec, Barbera, Tempernillo

Heavy wines: Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah

Wine Glass: Red wines tend to come in much larger wine glasses. Often you will see red wines being served in large bowl-like glasses to allow for bolder wine flavors and aromas.

Helpful hint for newbies: These wines will need some swirling before drinking. Swirl, smell, swirl, smell, take a small sip, swirl, smell, swirl, take a larger sip. Make sure to eat a little cracker or anything provided between the different wine types to clear your pallet.

Now pinkies up and cheers!