It’s Time to Retire These Wine Terms
When Wine Enthusiast Tasting Director Anna-Christina Cabrales published her takedown of the terms “masculine” and “feminine” in this year’s August/September issue, it crystallized some thoughts pinging around in my own head.
“What are we really saying when we call wines ‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’?” Cabrales opined. “Is a wine’s elegance related in any way to the gender of its producer? Do power and delicateness need to live on opposite sides of a rigid gender spectrum when wine itself is ever-evolving? No and no.”
Reading those words, I found myself vigorously nodding in agreement. Why, in the year 2025, are we still classing wines as “masculine” or “feminine”? It reminded me of other gendered terms in the drinks sphere, like “girly” for drinks that are fruity or sweet. These words are inadequate descriptors at best—this woman, for instance, likes powerful wines and savory cocktails. At worst, they’re downright offensive.
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But that’s the thing with language: it’s a living, evolving thing that changes to suit shifting whims and needs. Certainly it’s time to consider swapping in other, more current words for “masculine” and “feminine.” And surely there are other terms that similarly deserve to be retired.
So, too, thinks writer-at-Large Reggie Solomon, our reviewer for a wide range of wines including those from the Loire Valley, Beaujolais, Southern Coastal Spain, Israel, Asia, and more. I caught up with Solomon to talk through terms he considers outdated in wine writing and why.
For what it’s worth, Solomon tells us there are so many reasons a term can be considered outdated. It might be offensive, sure, but it also may not be precise enough, or not inclusive enough. Sometimes they just plain evoke weird reactions. Listen in to hear Solomon’s take on a wide range of wine terms that he thinks should go the way of the dodo.
Warning—there’s talk of cat pee ahead. (Yes, really.)
The Highlights
On the word “smooth”
Reggie Solomon: “What does ‘smooth’ actually mean? Are we talking about texture, or are we talking about, like, how it went down? We need to unpack words like ‘smooth.’ I would encourage people to describe things as velvety, or, you know, silky in texture. Smooth doesn’t tell me anything.”
On the words “jammy” or “fruity”
RS: “These words are really sort of broad categories. If you’re using the words like ‘jammy’ and ‘fruity,’ you need to go a little bit further… Are we talking about strawberry jam? Are we talking about blackberry jam?
We need to continue to do the work, because jammy doesn’t give us enough to know what the predicted experience is that the writing is supposed to capture… If you’re picturing strawberry jam and I’m picturing blackberry jam, then the person writing the article isn’t communicating clearly enough.”
On the words “barnyard” or “rustic”
RS: “These are words that were used, I would say, like, maybe 20 to 50 years ago in wine writing. I think there was a usefulness then—and I’m thinking more about wines from Europe, from Spain and France, when the weather was cooler. Some of the wines had qualities that resembled some of these descriptors. With climate change, the way things are changing… you’re not finding a lot of barnyard out there anymore, because wines are riper. They’re not highly acidic the way they used to be.
And so as the climate has changed, the way we describe things needs to evolve. So, yeah, I don’t use ‘barnyard’ because I don’t know that three people in a room would agree what barnyard smells like… I use words like ‘dried hay bale’ or ‘wet hay bale’ or ‘dew-dusted forest floor.’”
On the term “cat pee”
RS: “Cat pee is a word that has traditionally been used to describe Sauvignon Blanc and it’s traditionally been used to describe Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, because the grapes did not ripen always at certain points of history. (They dependably ripen now due to climate change.) There was this sort of quality to it that was sort of cat pee reminiscent. But you know, not many people know what cat pee tastes like, including myself.”
On the terms “Old World” and “New World”
RS: “Even the Court of Master Sommeliers decided to retire these words. [They] used to refer to sort of physical locations. So Old World were sort of basically Europe—so France, Spain, Italy, countries that are all European countries. Basically anything that wasn’t that was considered New World. So South Africa, Argentina, Australia, the U.S.
At one time in history, the Old World used to produce wines that were higher in acidity. These wines had a certain character. But climate change has really even things out. And so have improvements in winemaking. [Now it] is possible to make a light-bodied red wine in California, just as it is in the Loire Valley, and it’s possible to make a bold, muscular Bordeaux, as well as a muscular, bold Napa Valley Cab.
And so these terms ‘Old World’ and ‘New World’ used to be shortcuts to talk about wine styles, but that’s no longer the case… That’s why we retire them.”
On the term “glou glou”
RS: “It’s a French term, and it refers to wines that are sort of light and easy drinking. [But] many people don’t know what glou glou is. It’s a word that’s not inclusive. We’re already using, you know, another language. So we’re already telling people who didn’t take high school French that they’re not going to have access to this word. I just say the wines are light and easy drinking. Or, you know, this wine is perfect for a Tuesday.”
The Guest
Reggie Solomon is a Writer at Large for Wine Enthusiast. He reviews wines from the Loire Valley, Beaujolais, Southern Coastal Spain, Israel, Asia, and more.
More About the Podcast
The Wine Enthusiast podcast is your serving of drinks culture and the people who drive it. You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple, Spotify and anywhere else you listen to your favorite shows. Visit the podcast homepage for more episodes and transcripts.
More Wine Terms Coverage
- What does the term “international varieties” really mean?
- Want to know what “jammy” really means in wine?
- It’s time we stop calling wine “masculine” and “feminine.”
- Looking for a “crisp” wine? Here’s what that actually means.
- Not all “reserve” wines are created equal.
- What does “intensity” mean in wine?
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Episode Transcript
Transcripts are generated using a combination of speech recognition software and human transcribers, and may contain errors. Please check the corresponding audio before quoting.
Rachel Tepper Paley 0:07
Hi, I’m Rachel Tepper Paley, digital editorial director at Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Today we’re talking with Wine Enthusiast writer at large, Reggie Sullivan, our reviewer for wines from the Loire Valley, urgelet, southern coastal Spain, Israel, Asia and more. Reggie has obviously described more than his fair share of bottles over the course of his decade plus career in wine. That also means he’s encountered pretty much every wine descriptor and term you can think of, and probably a few more. The thing about wine terms is that, like the rest of the English language, they change over time. Some fall into favor, others out of it. We wanted to know what terms are giving Reggie the ick these days and why? Hey, Reggie, thanks so much for being here today.
Reggie Solomon 0:48
Oh, thanks, Rachel. I appreciate it. I’m looking forward to this conversation.
Rachel Tepper Paley 0:52
So before we get into it, let’s just talk first and foremost, why do people care about outdated terms? Why do terms get out of date in the first place? Is that a good thing? Is it a bad thing? What are your thoughts on that?
Reggie Solomon 1:08
You know, that’s a that’s a great question. You know, for me, language is very important, because our relationship with language changes over time. You know, when you’re when you’re small and you’re a child, you have a certain relationship with language that’s different when you’re an adult, and it’s sort of similar with wine. Wine evolves. The way we approach wine, the way we engage with wine evolves. And so I think it’s natural that our language follows the evolution that’s just a natural part of time. I think that’s totally true.
Rachel Tepper Paley 1:39
I think too. You know, as wine writers, we encounter so many descriptors, and you know, sometimes they make you feel something that’s good, and sometimes you’re like, Really, okay. A big reason why we’re even talking about this is because our tasting director Anna Christina Caballes wrote a viewpoint in a recent print issue about the terms masculine and feminine, and her position was that they are outdated terms we should not be using them anymore. Do you have thoughts about that?
Reggie Solomon 2:11
I have huge thoughts on that, and I absolutely agree there’s no need to gender Wine. Wine doesn’t have a gender. It has a taste, and oftentimes people use the words masculine and feminine as a shortcut when they should be really unpacking what they mean. Wines that are strong, you would think like masculine means strong, but that’s you can have wines that are very soft and that are very broad and brooding. These words no longer serve a purpose because they just aren’t exact enough.
Rachel Tepper Paley 2:46
I think that that’s really true. Like you can have, you know, a, you know, a quote, unquote, feminine wine that you know is like, refined and soft, but also, like has some oomph. And also just like, I think about it the way I think about like people describing drinks as girly. It’s like, must we? Must we do that? I mean, I’m a woman, and I drink plenty of whiskey, plenty masculine stuff. So it’s like, it just feels like it’s like a relic of an of another time. And it’s just it feels a little lazy to your point, and it just makes it also turns me off. Like, I think at the end of the day, like, if your goal in describing something is to, like, compel someone to drink something right away, you’ve turned me off. So it’s not, not only is it not describing things, but you’ve made me angry as well. So I just think that it’s just not it’s not useful. And I think also talking about, like lazy terms that are too broad and don’t actually help convey what something tastes like, I think that leads you down a path to a lot of other terms. I think that one term that when we were discussing, you know, talking, coming, bringing, on the podcast, you brought up the word smooth. Tell me your thoughts on that.
Reggie Solomon 4:08
Yeah, smooth is one of those words that you know, for novice wine drinkers, it’s a word that’s overused, and it’s it makes sense because people drink a wine, let’s say you’re having a red wine, and people taste it and they think, smooth. What does smooth actually mean? You know, is this I mean, is it are we talking about texture, or are we talking about, like, how it went down, like, we need to unpack words so smooth, I would encourage people to describe things as velvety, or, you know, silky in texture, smooth doesn’t tell me anything. I don’t know anything about this wine. You’ve used the word smooth because, I guess it didn’t taste like a whiskey and didn’t go down smooth. So, you know, it’s just a descriptor that actually means nothing,
Rachel Tepper Paley 4:59
right? When I think of spoof, I’m immediately, I’m like, I’m going, like, alcohol content, like, it’s not like, I’m not, it’s not like a fiery in my throat, you know? But that’s not, that’s not how that term is meant to be used. I think that’s really interesting. What are, what are some other words like that? You you would put in that category as being like so broad as to be unhelpful.
Reggie Solomon 5:22
Yeah, you know jammy and fruity. Now, these are words that conjure something in the mind, but these words are really sort of broad categories. If you’re using the words like jammy and fruity, you need to go a little bit further. I think it’s okay to say something. These are jammy flavors, but you need to go further and say of what are we talking about strawberry jam? Are we talking about blackberry jam? We need to continue to do the work, because Jammie doesn’t give us enough to know what the predicted experience is that the writing is supposed to capture. And so, you know, Jammy and fruity. I think you can say something is fruity, but then you have to go further, including which fruits. So again, like language can be lazy, and we want to do a work because we want people to be able to picture something in their mind. And if you’re picturing strawberry jam and I’m picturing blackberry jam, then the person writing the article isn’t communicating clearly enough so that what they tasted is what the reader is understanding, right?
Rachel Tepper Paley 6:28
It’s like, the thing that it makes me think of, it’s like somebody drinking something, like, I’m getting notes of grapes. It’s grape like, it’s like, that’s unhelpful, exactly. I mean, I think too it’s like wine. Writing has two purposes. The first one is the most obvious one, which is to convey to somebody who is not drinking that wine what it tastes like, but it’s also supposed to make you feel something. It’s, it’s supposed to be like poetry and art, and, you know, it’s supposed to be evocative, which, for the record, I buy into because that’s, that’s the way my brain is. I like those things, I am. I see the romance in it, but it can’t be at the expense of the first thing, like it still needs to be like, it has to function correctly, like you need to be able to convey what something tastes like to somebody who is not drinking it.
Reggie Solomon 7:20
No, exactly. You know, the one thing, and people ask me all the time is, hey, Reggie, did you like this wine? And I’m like, well, actually, that’s not my first responsibility. My first responsibility is be able to describe the wine in a way that somebody who likes it could like it. So for me, I am not. I don’t drink a lot of Cabernet, but I will tell you, whenever I am reviewing a Cabernet, I give that wine so much more space and describe it because I really want the person who loves Cabernet to be able to love it. And so, you know, I have to use words that excite the reader to want the wine that they would like that I wouldn’t necessarily like. So language is really important because it separates our personal feelings from the actual thing at hand, which is the wine.
Rachel Tepper Paley 8:13
Yeah, what are your thoughts on terms like Barnyard?
Reggie Solomon 8:18
So, so that’s a great question. So if I say the term barnyard, like, what kind of aromas are you like conjuring up anything?
Rachel Tepper Paley 8:28
I’m gonna go with Manure. Manure.
Reggie Solomon 8:32
Yeah. I mean, that’s not a very like satisfying smell or taste. You know, words like barnyard, rustic, these are words that were used, I would say, like, maybe 20 to 50 years ago in wine writing. And you know, there was some, I think there was a usefulness then. And I’m thinking more about like wines from Europe, from like Spain and France when the weather was cooler, and some of the wines had qualities that resembled some of these descriptors. You know, with climate change, the way things are changing, these descriptors you don’t you’re not finding a lot of barnyard out there anymore, because wines are riper. They’re not highly acidic the way they used to be. And so, you know, as climate has changed, the way we describe things needs to evolve. So, yeah, I don’t use barnyard because I don’t know that anybody, like three people in a room would agree, like what barnyard smells like. So the word is not precise.
Rachel Tepper Paley 9:34
What do you think in like a today’s term barnyard the flavor that as it was, as it was, you know, you know, two decades ago. What word would you use to describe that, whatever he was getting at?
Reggie Solomon 9:49
That’s a great question. And, you know, I use words like dried hay bale or wet hay bale, or dew-dusted forest floor. Explore, like, like, I would use things that create an image in people’s minds that evoke like, a reaction. And that isn’t poop,
Rachel Tepper Paley 10:12
a poop adjacent reaction. Yeah?
Reggie Solomon 10:15
Because, yeah. I mean that first thing I think of is poop. Like, you know, Barnyard? What’s in a barnyard. Well, the things that hang around the barn. So, yes, the word isn’t precise.
Rachel Tepper Paley 10:26
It’s not precise. And one also has to wonder, like, who thought that was a good idea, you know, like, although, don’t you think that there was like a moment in wine writing where, you know, it evoked a strong reaction from me. Maybe that was the point. Like it wasn’t the fact that it was a negative reaction was, like, less important. It was sort of shocking, and it got my attention. Do you Do you agree? Like, there was a little bit of that happening for a long while.
Reggie Solomon 11:00
Yeah. I mean, I agree. And maybe, you know, maybe during the years where there were more family farms, small family farms like and people went to them and actually bought their stuff from family farms, people had a relationship with this word that simply doesn’t exist now, right? So, yeah, yeah, no, I agree with you wholeheartedly.
Rachel Tepper Paley 11:21
That’s true. My Brooklyn existence, I don’t encounter very many barns, so I I’m not, I’m not familiar with the whole range of smells you could associate with a barnyard.
Reggie Solomon 11:33
Which gets to actually inclusivity. If you’re using barn, barnyard, you’re using a word that’s not inclusive. And the one thing that I think that wine writing should definitely do is try to bring as many people in as possible. And words like barnyard, you know, push people away if you don’t know what that means, it makes you feel as though this writing isn’t for you. And so I think we our writing has to be inclusive, and the words we use have to to really, sort of bring people in. And I try not to use work too many words that aren’t inclusive. You know, I want to be precise, but I also want to bring people in
Rachel Tepper Paley 12:12
totally. What other words do you have strong feelings about?
Reggie Solomon 12:16
Cat pee is one of them. So cat pee is a word that has traditionally been used to describe Sauvignon Blanc, oh my, and it’s traditionally been used to describe Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, because the grapes did not ripen always at certain points of history, they dependably ripen now due to climate change, and there was this sort of quality to it That was sort of cat pee reminiscent. But you know, not many people know what cat pee tastes like, including myself. And so,
Rachel Tepper Paley 12:49
Thank goodness for that. Thank goodness for that. Yes.
Reggie Solomon 12:53
So you know this word is one that I will never use. I do not see people using it. I do see some writers from the UK using this term, because I think that they they still use this term, just like they use the term gooseberry, which nobody knows, like here in the US, nobody knows what a gooseberry tastes like or smells like. So you know, there could be regional differences in the way that we use language. And since we’re a US based publication, you know, I use words that people here will understand. And so maybe, you know, maybe there are a lot more cats in the UK and they like, know what that means?
Rachel Tepper Paley 13:33
That’s so funny. But also, don’t you think, like, I mean, is it used in a negative context? Is it a negative thing?
Reggie Solomon 13:39
No, it is not. It’s used like, oh, you know, they’re hints of cat pee. And, you know, flowers. And I’m like, you know, thinking about anything past cat pee, the fact that it was flower covered, not
Rachel Tepper Paley 13:53
lost me at cat pee. Exactly. Oh, my God.
Reggie Solomon 13:58
So I’ve retired that. I think, you know, I don’t see that used a lot in US wine writing, but it does still exist out there, outside our
Rachel Tepper Paley 14:06
borders. Oh, wow. I feel like you must have strong opinions on other stuff. Hit me with them,
Reggie Solomon 14:14
old world versus New World. This is actually something that’s the even the court of Master Sommeliers decided to retire these words. So these words old world and new world used to refer to sort of physical locations. So old world were sort of basically Europe. So France, Spain, Italy, countries that are all European countries, and basically anything that wasn’t that was considered new world. So South Africa, Argentina, Australia, the US, and so at one time in history, the old world used to produce wines that were higher in acidity. These wines had a certain character, but climate change has really even things out. And so has in. Improvements in wine making. Just the technology of wine making, it is possible to make a light bodied red wine in California, just as it is in the Loire Valley, and it’s possible to make a bold, muscular Bordeaux, as well as a muscular, bold Napa Valley cab. And so these terms old world and new world used to be shortcuts to talk about wine styles, but that’s no longer the case. New World wines can be just as elegant and light bodied. And so there’s these terms really don’t tell us anything anymore. That’s why we retire them.
Rachel Tepper Paley 15:38
Also, new world is like it’s so big and what, like, South Africa is so far from California. Like, the idea that they could be encompassed in one term is a little crazy to me.
Reggie Solomon 15:51
Yeah, that that’s, it’s, it’s, some people will still use this word, but most really intelligent wine writing doesn’t it has some also has some colonialist, yeah, just to it that don’t bode well.
Rachel Tepper Paley 16:07
Yeah, it’s like, must we. Can we just, can we do this in 2025, now, please.
Reggie Solomon 16:15
No, exactly. Another word that comes to mind is, I don’t use it anymore, but people used to use it, I would say, like, maybe 10 years ago. It’s glue glue, which is, you know, it’s a French term, and it was, it was, it refers to wines that are sort of light and easy drinking. And so, you know, many people don’t know what glue, glue is. It’s a word that’s not inclusive. We’re already using, you know, another language. So we’re already telling people who didn’t take high school French that they’re not going to have access to this word. So I just say the wines are light and easy drinking. Or, you know, this is this wine is perfect for a Tuesday.
Rachel Tepper Paley 17:52
I don’t necessarily prescribe to this line of thought, but I want to bring it up as a devil’s argument that like a word, like glue, glue, it’s kind of like again, to it an English speaker, it kind of sounds like a silly word, and that’s, you know, you know, one could say maybe that’s enough to like, bring people in. Do you think that there’s any truth to that, or is it that, just like in a noisy wine bar, you don’t like, you’re you’re not, your mind is not in the place to like, accept, like, listen to someone explain to you the meaning of it and what it’s supposed to sound like. And it’s just like, you’re not gonna, you’re not in a place in your mind or even body to be charmed by that in that scenario is, is, do you have thoughts on that?
Reggie Solomon 18:37
I mean, I think that’s that is relevant. I mean, it is sort of fun to say the word glue, glue. But you know, just because it’s fun doesn’t mean you should do it, glue, glue. I think it’s, it feels fun to say right? There are other fun words that I don’t say a lot because they just don’t. People don’t know what they mean, and I want to, I want to bring people to wine and not make them feel like it’s not for them.
Rachel Tepper Paley 19:04
I think it gets back to the heart of this debate, which we keep we keep bringing up, which is that like wine language has two purposes. The first one is to like, tell people what something tastes like, what the experience of drinking it is like, and the second one is to, like, inspire them and make them feel something. But if that second one is at the expense of the first is it can, should you still be using it? You know, I think glue, glue like to me, like it does sound like, like, funny and, you know, poetic. But do people know what it means is it, is it helping them understand the wine better? You know, I think these are important questions to ask. Well, you
Reggie Solomon 19:46
know, I’ll give you an example. If I use the word botrytize, people might know what botrytis is. They might know, you know what the process is, but some people might not. And so I don’t use that word because it’s, it’s not a. Useful shortcut for people who don’t know what botrytis is. So I would talk about like, you know, this has like fermented grape skin aromas that are, you know, smell like raisin, raisin fruit like that is something that people might visualize. But, you know, botrytize, no,
Rachel Tepper Paley 20:24
I mean it all. I mean similarly, like noble rot, like you that’s, that’s a term that requires an explanation. And if it’s a term that requires an explanation, maybe you need to reevaluate if why you’re using it, you
Reggie Solomon 20:38
know, yeah. So what do you think about a term like meaty?
Rachel Tepper Paley 20:42
So, I mean, I think that there is an argument that it’s like too broad. It’s not descriptive enough. It maybe is not inclusive to people who don’t eat meat. That said sometimes, like a wine feels meaty, right?
Reggie Solomon 21:01
I listen, I agree. I think it’s hard to drink wines from the wrong Valley and not think like meatiness. But you know, I would go a little further when I wouldn’t always use meaty without qualification. But you know, is it? Is it meaty, like beef jerky? Is it meaty, like a fresh rib roast? You know? Is it meaty like a freshly grilled steak or medium rare steak? Like, I want to know what kind of meat it is. I’m curious. So, you know, as long as you’re not vegetarian, you could, you could use the word meaty, but I try to use it like, very sparingly.
Rachel Tepper Paley 21:40
Do you like do you prefer terms like umami or savory? Or do you not like those words? I
Reggie Solomon 21:47
like savory. I don’t use umami enough because I don’t know that people understand what it means. So I will often use dried mushroom or something that people would think, Oh, okay, that’s like, I describe the thing that a mommy is supposed to describe, rather than using the shortcuts. So, you know, I’m always trying not to use the shortcuts. I use them too. I’m not like, I am guilty of that, but I try not to make the writing mostly shortcuts. I want the writing to actually do the work.
Rachel Tepper Paley 22:22
I think that’s a really, that’s a really wonderful way to think about it. One other thing, it’s not quite it’s a little bit off topic from what we’re talking about, but I do think it’s spiritually linked. We wrote this story a few months ago. The piece was that natural wine democratized, quote, unquote, wine speak, but doesn’t make any sense. And in this article, the writer Maggie Hennessy, mentioned a wine bar that describes a wine as tasting like a quote early Karen o song. And to that, I would say, what does that mean? I don’t know what that means that it’s not helpful to me.
Reggie Solomon 23:04
Listen, I wholeheartedly agree with you. And that’s you know, like people who write and say this wine reminded me like an old college boyfriend. Well, I don’t know who your old college boyfriend is?
Rachel Tepper Paley 23:15
Is he nice. I don’t know he could have been nice. Did he wear cologne? I don’t know, right?
Reggie Solomon 23:21
Like, exactly. So, you know, I try to make things, I try to de personalize the descriptions so that I can maximize the amount of people who would have had a similar experience,
Rachel Tepper Paley 23:34
right? I mean, honestly, I do think that wine writing, at the end of the day is writing, and it suffers from the same things that all writing suffers from, which is that, like, sometimes it feels indulgent, sometimes it feels like you ask the reader, ask the question, like, who is this for? Is this for you, and you’re working some stuff out personally, or is it for a reader who you know on that you’ve never met before? Like, what? Who is this for? Like, I think that wine writing people forget that. Like, yes, it’s beautiful, yes it’s romantic. Wine is beautiful and romantic, but wine writing, at the end of the day, is service journalism like it needs to help somebody, and if it’s also beautiful, that’s great, but it needs to help somebody. And if it’s not helping, what are you doing?
Reggie Solomon 24:33
Yeah, I read a lot of wine reviews because I am always looking for language that I’m Ha that I’m not using naturally and trying to expand my vocabulary. So, you know, I depend on my colleagues, because I might use words like wet river stone, but you know, I look for other ways to say the same concept without using those same words. And so that’s one of the beauties of language. I can communicate a similar sentiment without using the same the same vocabulary, and still communicate and so and that’s the beautiful thing about line writing, is it can it can invite people in and encouraged in this day. And it could be flexible, and it can be malleable. And I think all these things are great, and at the end of the day, these words should excite people, whether it’s an article or whether it’s a wine review, I want the person to be excited about whatever we’re talking about. So that’s my goal,
Rachel Tepper Paley 25:33
and that is the power of language. You know, I’m curious, what are some terms that are maybe newer to you in your writing, that you’ve picked up from elsewhere, and you’re like, Ooh, I love that. I want to use that.
Reggie Solomon 25:49
That’s a good question. Sorry, no, no, this is good. But sometimes people have used the word pronounced, I think it’s confiture, or it’s a C, it’s a word that’s supposed to be jam, like describe jam. And when I hear the words, sometimes I say, when I read the word, I say, you know, that’s a elegant word, but then I think, you know, I had to go look that up. If I’m the wide writer, have you look it up? I don’t want to force my reader to have to go look it up. But there are words that I’m always like. I take the old issues of Wine Enthusiast, and I go through the reviews and I underline them. And so for the hour before I go in to taste, I will underline these words. And then when I go into taste, I force myself to expand my my vocabulary by at least five new words in reviews that I write that day. So, you know, there are lots of words, there’s lots of like, twist of phrases, but I learned a lot from my colleagues and my other tasters, because
Rachel Tepper Paley 27:01
everybody has a different way to describe the same thing. And I think that’s that’s where wine writing can be very beautiful, where it you know, especially if you know you’re reading a review and somebody else is describing something that is familiar to you, but describing the different way, it helps you see that flavor in a different light, in a different way. And that’s like, that’s where language is, is, is so, so amazing. And that’s why, like, you know, it’s easy to have, like, a conversation about, like, Ah, don’t use this word, because you’re an old, funny daddy, if you use this word. But it’s like, no, you you want to have this conversation, because language is living and it’s beautiful, and yes, it’s supposed to help you understand, but it’s also supposed to make you feel alive. So to get to get a little poetic about it for a second, I think that’s a really good place to wrap up. Reggie, thank you so much for being with me today.
Reggie Solomon 28:00
Thank you, Rachel, I appreciate it.
The post It’s Time to Retire These Wine Terms appeared first on Wine Enthusiast.
