The lingua franca of wine is no joke. Spend enough time in bars and bottle shops, and your casual conversations may include geological terminology, a soupçon of French vocabulary, and evolving colloquialisms whose usage depends on your ability to say “quaffable” with a straight face.

However, it’s also entirely possible to talk about wine in straightforward, everyday language that’s easy to follow. In other words, technical fluency isn’t a prerequisite for appreciating what’s in your glass. By focusing on concepts such as weight, budget, broad flavor categories and even vibe, everyone can find wines they’ll love.

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