Wine & WSET Glossary
The terms WSET students look up most, in plain language, each with why it matters for the exam. Updated 2026.
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The drying, grippy feel in red wine, mainly from grape skins.
Read definition →TermAcidity
The tartness that makes your mouth water, from the grapes.
Read definition →TermBody
How heavy or full a wine feels, light to full.
Read definition →TermSweetness
How much sugar is left, from bone dry to sweet.
Read definition →TermTerroir
The natural factors of a place that shape its wine.
Read definition →TermMalolactic Fermentation
A step that softens sharp acidity and can add buttery notes.
Read definition →TermNoble Rot
A helpful mould that concentrates sugar for great sweet wines.
Read definition →TermPrimary Aromas
Smells from the grape and fermentation: fruit, flowers, herbs.
Read definition →TermSecondary Aromas
Smells created by winemaking, such as oak or malolactic.
Read definition →TermTertiary Aromas
Smells that develop with age: dried fruit, leather, mushroom.
Read definition →TermFortified Wine
Wine with grape spirit added to raise the alcohol.
Read definition →TermCarbonic Maceration
Whole-grape fermentation that gives soft, fruity red wine.
Read definition →TermOak Ageing
Maturing wine in oak barrels, adding vanilla and spice.
Read definition →TermFermentation
Yeast turning grape sugar into alcohol.
Read definition →TermVintage
The year the grapes were harvested.
Read definition →TermAppellation
A legally defined place name for a wine.
Read definition →TermLees Ageing
Resting wine on dead yeast for bready, creamy notes.
Read definition →TermCork Taint
A fault making wine smell of wet cardboard.
Read definition →TermFinish
How long the flavour lingers after you swallow.
Read definition →TermOld World vs New World
Europe’s tradition-led wines versus the riper New World style.
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