Five essential wine terms and how to taste a wet rock.

Wine has a habit of making simple things sound like a university seminar. Here are the useful translations: acidity is that mouth-watering freshness; tannins are the drying, grippy feeling you get from some reds; body is how heavy or light a wine feels; dry means not noticeably sweet; and finish is the flavour that sticks around after a sip.

Minerality can mean different things but is typiucally used to describe clean, crisp, and savory sensations that lack a distinct fruit or sweet note. That said, please don’t feel obliged to detect a wet stone in your wine and remember that t

he best tasting note is the one that helps you decide whether you fancy another glass. “Juicy and brilliant with pizza” is every bit as valid as the fancy stuff.