Intensity and length of flavor reflect quality of the wine. Wines have a definite flavor that is strong and easily recognized, a mild flavor, or an obscure, faint flavor. Sweet wines have a taste similar to a solution of water and sugar. Degrees of sweetness range from very sweet to semi-sweet. Dry wines have an absence of sugar and range from semi-dry to very dry.
Tart wines have an agreeable degree of acidity caused by tartaric acid.
The tart taste in wine can be compared to the tart taste of orange juice. Degrees of tartness vary from very tart, tart, slightly tart to lacking tartness. Astringent wines have a bitter taste, similar to cold coffee. A highly astringent wine will cause the mouth to pucker. The astringency is produced by the tannin in grape skins, and varies from very astringent to slightly astringent to lacking astringency.