1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 next

.
Young wines can sometimes be easily detected by their fruity character, youthful color and texture.  Pinot noir can sometimes be detected by detection of red and lively fruits.  Cabernet Sauvignon can sometimes be detected by dark berries, plums and spices.  Additional notes of vanilla, toast or oak indicate barrel maturation.

You can train your palette to detect subtle "green" notes that indicate a cool season where the grapes hadn't ripened to maturity or a jam-like ripeness that might indicate a hot summer.  These sorts of indicators are what gives the ability to really nail down the region of a wine as well as the vintage, although from what I've read, most people given a blind tasting can't even tell a red from a white, so I think that in itself would be a really fun party game.  Another interesting point is that terrior is more than the descriptors involved with the earthy qualities of the wine.  It also encompasses everything that the "microclimate" does as far as sun exposure, slope, weather, all those kinds of conditions.

Balance is achieved in wine when the tannins, fruit, acid levels and sweetness are all in harmony with no one aspect standing out like a sore thumb, subject to individual taste, for instance some may prefer tartness over sweetness, etc.  I like balanced tannins myself and I'm not a big fan of big fruit or sweetness, so I actually prefer a slightly lean wine with tannins that are balanced and well supported by structure and complexity.