Guide to Wine Podcast: Episode 132

Back to Wine Basics:
Understanding Key Tasting Terms

Air Date: Wednesday, November 26th, 2025

Listen to the Podcast!

Do you ever feel lost when people start throwing around fancy wine terms like “tannin” or “terroir”? You’re not alone.

In this episode, we’re going back to the basics with 15 essential wine words that will instantly boost your confidence when talking about wine. You’ll learn how to describe what you’re tasting, from acidity to body, and finally understand what those mysterious words like “minerality,” “dry,” and “complex” actually mean.

This is your chance to learn how to speak like a sommelier (aka a wine expert!)

If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to describe what’s in your glass or want to understand what others mean when they talk about wine, this episode is the perfect place to start.

Thank you to the following brands for sponsoring this podcast:

• Vacu Vin: Go to us.vacuvin.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 20% off your order!
• VoChill: Go to vochill.com and use code CORKANDFIZZ for 15% off your order!
• Wine Wash Co: Go to winewashco.com and use code CORK for 20% off your order, plus free U.S. shipping on orders over $35!

Resources:

• What makes wine taste the way it does? Tannin, Acidity and Body https://www.corkandfizz.com/blog/guide-to-wine-podcast-episode-125
• The light, crisp French white wine you’re missing out on -https://www.corkandfizz.com/blog/guide-to-wine-podcast-episode-75

Episode Highlights:

• The difference between “variety” and “varietal” (and why even experts mix them up)
  
• What a “vintage” really tells you about your wine
  
• How to identify acidity, body, tannin, and finish
  
• Why “dry” doesn’t always mean what you think it does
  
• Understanding terroir and minerality
  
• How to use words like “crisp,” “complex,” and “silky” to describe wine
  
• What “Lees,” “Brett,” and “mouthfeel” actually mean
  
• The truth about when a wine is “tight” or “closed off”
  
• How to tell if your wine is ready to drink or needs time to open up

​Don't Forget to Download my Free Wine Tasting Guide!
https://www.corkandfizz.com/free-wine-tasting-guide

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Email - [email protected]