I host a lot of wine tastings, to a wide array of expertise. From newbies to winemakers and anyone in between, it never ceases to amaze me the tired and overused wine terms that are regurgitated.

Boring and dated words the likes of fruity, oaky and the one I have disdain for the most: "smooth".

With so many people constantly telling me how much of a love affair they have with wine – surely you'd expect them to have a better vernacular to draw upon. 

Here are some terms I implore you to start using in your wine verbiage this year, and where and how they are applicable. 

Nervous/nervy

This one used to make me laugh –  reading tasting notes of other sommeliers, describing the "nervous acidity" of a wine – it screamed pretentious, like what does that even mean?

However, the more I began to drink wines of this style, the more it made sense. Think of a bright, vivacious wine that might have "shy" acidity, that slowly reveals itself the more the wine opens up – it really is the most perfect way to describe the evolution of acidity in a glass of wine. 

Smashable

Crushable, patio pounder, tossable – call it what you will. Smashable effortlessly describes those types of wines that seem to disappear in a matter of minutes – they're that delicious it's hard to sip slow. 

Tension

Think of a bespoke suit, or the expert craftsmanship of a handmade table.

Without a certain amount of tension in the fabric or wood, neither piece would work – there is a certain amount of give required for balance.

The same applies in wine – without tension or complexity, the wine feels somehow lifeless, flabby or just falls flat. 

Textured

Likely the most important component I teach when doing tastings – what is the wine doing on your palate? How does it feel? Prickly, juicy, fleshy, velvety, or chalky?

This is where the quality and balance of a wine will really show – wine is so much more than just noticing bright "red berry fruit flavours".

Next time you pour yourself a glass of wine, take notice to how it's behaving on your tongue. 

Salty

Recent studies have shown the presence of a chemical compound known as "succinic acid", responsible for the perception of salinity in wine.

It's most commonly found in wines that are grown in volcanic soils, but can show up from other terroirs too. Why do we use salt in cooking? Balance.

The same goes for wine – sea water, saline, salt – whatever term appeals most to you, it's there in a lot of cases, but can be pretty subtle. 

What's a descriptor you like to use that you don't hear commonly?