vinosity

English

Etymology

From vino(u)s +‎ -ity, from Latin vinositas: compare French vinosité.

Noun

vinosity (usually uncountable, plural vinosities)

1. The quality or state of being vinous, or of having some essential characteristic of wine.
   • 1875, James Lemoine Denman, The Vine and Its Fruit:

     Alcohol is the sole element of strength in wine, but it is not the cause of vinosity: this results from the union of spirit, sugar, and sundry inherent vegetive elements,―the vinous flavour and alcoholic strength in combination with its bouquet constituting the pecularity and true value of mature wine.

   • 1896, Report of the Viticultural Work, California Agricultural Experiment Station, page 82:

     They are, according to this author, heavy-bodied, with full vinosity and a slightly bitter taste.

   • 1996, Emile Peynaud, The Taste of Wine: The Art Science of Wine Appreciation, page 225:

     The vinosity of a wine is a taste property relating to the amount of alcohol it contains, to its alcoholic strength. It is fermentation which confers the vinous character. Vinosity is defined thus: the warm and agreeably caustic flavor yielded by the presence of alcohol, which adds to the actual taste of the wine and which blends in with the wine's other qualities.

Related terms

• vininess