Flat
The flip side of firm, implying very low acidity. A flat wine lacks liveliness.

Fleshy
A wine tasting term denoting a wine with ample body, alcohol and extract. Fleshy usually connotes a rich, smooth wine. A high glycerin content contributes to fleshiness and if overly pronounced, the wine is said to be oily.

Flinty
Describes wines with dry, mineral characteristics, usually attributable to limestone or a limestone-marl soil in which the grapes were grown. Flintiness is a common characteristic of French Chablis and Sancerre (a Chardonnay from Burgundy and Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, respectively).

Flowery
A tasting term referring to a floral aroma that is most commonly applied to white wines.

Fortification
Adding additional spirits (especially brandy) to wine. If the alcohol is added before fermentation has reached its natural conclusion, it will kill the yeast and stop the fermentation at that point. The end product will have a higher sugar content and thus more sweetness than it would otherwise, such as with Port. If the alcohol is added after fermentation, the wine is fortified but remains dry - as with Fino Sherry.

Forward
A tasting term describing a wine that has developed ahead of its peers. It's mature and in peak condition. When tasted, the fruit is prominent. Its opposite is "closed".

Foxy
Calling a woman foxy is a compliment but calling a wine foxy is not flattering. The uncomplimentary tasting term is used to describe wines made from Vitis labrusca grapes native to America. While Concord grapes and California green table grapes make yummy juices and jellies, they're sometimes used to make foxy dry wines that are typically not in the delicious category.

Fruity
A descriptive word for a wine in which fruit flavors dominate, usually denoting light, younger wines. Fruity flavors can be predominant in both red and white wines, and include such examples as raspberry, citrus, strawberry, black currant, apple, peach, pear, and many more.

Full-bodied
Refers to how a wine feels in the mouth, e.g. mouthfeel. A full-bodied wine is weighty on the tongue - big and fat. The term is used to describe both red and white wines but red wines are more apt to be full-bodied. The other extreme is a thin-bodied wine.

Gran Reserva (Spain)
This is the highest category of wines produced in Spain. To earn this label, a wine has to age a minimum of five years. Two of those five years must be in the cask, and then the wine can spend its remaining time aging in the bottle.

Grandes Marques
In French the phrase means "great marks" or "great labels" and can be applied both to a specific Champagne house as well as a 24 member association whose members include the best of French Champagne houses.

Green
A term describing a wine that lacks in fruit flavor because it was produced from grapes that were not ripe. The result is a less than satisfying tart, acidic taste.

Green Harvest
A pruning practice in which grape growers remove clusters of unripe grapes in order to reduce each plant's yield, thereby increasing the quality of the harvest. Many fruit plants abort surplus fruit but the grape isn't one of them. If not for the practice of green harvesting, wine produced by the fruit would likely be thin and diluted.

Grenache
Grenache is a grape varietal that most likely originated in Spain from whence it spread into areas of southern France. Requiring a long ripening period, Grenache is at its best in regions that are warm and dry. The wines produced from this grape tend to have low acidity and low tannin levels, while being full of berry flavors and often spiciness, too. The ripe fruit also contains large amounts of sugar, which are sometimes responsible for a jam-like fruitiness in the wines in addition to elevated levels of alcohol. Grenache is usually blended with other varietals, as in Spain where it is known as Garnacha and commonly partnered with Tempranillo and Carignan. Grenache is the most important grape in appellations throughout France's southern Rhone region, such as the famous Chateauneuf-du-Pape where it is blended with smaller amounts of Cinsault, Mourvedre, Syrah, and other lesser known varietals.

Grip
Indicates a firm flavor, structure, and texture, and is generally used to refer to tannic red wines.

Halbtrocken (Germany)
Translates as 'half-dry" and refers to a dry wine with a touch of sweetness - a medium-dry wine.

Hard
Stiff - not a desirable characteristic. A hard wine is undeveloped, has excess tannins and is not balanced.

Harmonious
As the word implies, all aspects of the wine are in perfect balance: acid, fruit, alcohol, and tannins.

Harsh
A wine that's biting, rough, or hard in character due to excess acid or tannins. Often such wines have a high alcohol component and are very astringent. A harsh wine may become softer and more drinkable as it ages.

Heady
A term used to describe a full-bodied wine with a high level of alcohol.

Hedonistic
A term that describes a wine that is overtly satisfying and pleasurable, as opposed to a wine that is more subtle in its delights.

Herbaceous
Possessing fragrances reminiscent of the outdoors, such as fresh grass, hay, or leaves, and often characteristic of many Sauvignon Blancs. Sometimes the word is used to describe the aroma of green peppers found in some Merlots and Cabernets.

Herby
A tasting term for wines that emit the aroma of herbs; sage, eucalyptus, mint and thyme, for instance.

Hollow
An unflattering tasting term to describe a wine that's totally lacking in both flavor and texture.

Honest
A term describing a simple, straightforward wine without any noticeable flaws.

Honeyed
A wine that has a smell and taste similar to honey. It's most often characteristic of late-harvest wines made from grapes infected by "noble rot," or Botrytis cinerea.

Integrated
Part of the maturing process of wine is the integration and blending of the wine's separate components (e.g. alcohol, acidity, tannin, oak). At that point, the components are "integrated".

Intricate
Tasting description of wine in which complex flavors and aromas are subtly interwoven.