Bitter: Describes one of the four basic tastes (along with sour, salty and sweet). Some grapes—notably Gewürztraminer and Muscat—often have a noticeable bitter edge to their flavors. Bitterness can also be imparted by the use of underripe or green stems during the fermentation and aging processes. If the bitter quality dominates the wine's flavor or aftertaste, it is considered a fault. In sweet wines a trace of bitterness may complement the flavors. In young red wines it can be a warning signal, as bitterness doesn't always dissipate with age. Normally, a fine, mature wine should not be bitter on the palate.

苦味：描述葡萄酒口感的四种基本味觉之一（此外还有酸，咸，甜）。有些葡萄，尤其是琼瑶浆和麝香葡萄，往往带有明显的苦味。在葡萄酒发酵和陈酿过程中不成熟或绿茎也会给葡萄酒带来苦味。如果苦味占主导地位或者回味中有苦味，可认为这是葡萄酒的缺点。在甜葡萄酒中，一丝苦味可补足它的风味。在年轻的红葡萄酒中，则是一个警示，因为苦味并不会随着葡萄酒陈酿消失。通常一款精致的，成熟的葡萄酒不应该有苦味。