The epicurious site does have a good dictionary. You might also try the lexicon
at Robin Garr's page (wineloverspage.com), and maybe the one at Strat's Place
(don't have URL handy).

I might also suggest some targeted tasting. Is the burn you're talking about
acidity, or alcohol? It's hard to say what another is tasting. By targeted
tasting, I mean this. Find a good local merchant (first step in a wine journey,
in my opinion). OR in your case, the LCBO specialist. Tell him you'd like to do
some comparative tasting, and have him suggest some paired wines. Read your
definitions, then try your pairs (side by side if possible, good if you can get
friends to join you so you're not stuck with too many open bottles). You could
try:
full-bodied vs. lighter bodied
oaked vs. unoaked
Lush round low-acid vs. bright nervy acidity
Tannic vs. Low-tannin
etc.
I find tasting oneself tells more than an abstract descriptor. As wines have
lots of elements, it helps if someone who knows the wines can suggest two wines
that are otherwise mostly similar. While the easy example of full-bodied vs.
light body might be a big Cal Cabernet vs. a Beaujolais, there's a lot of other
differences.

BTW, as far as recognizing tannins, try oversteeping a tea bag.That'll give
you a good idea.
Dale

Dale Williams
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