It’s Time to Retire These Wine Terms

BY RACHEL TEPPER PALEY29 MIN READ. THE WINE ENTHUSIAST

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.

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 I caught up with Solomon to talk through terms he considers outdated in wine writing and why. 

For what it’s worth, Solomon tells us there are so many reasons a term can be considered outdated.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.