This word describes the wine-like flavor of some apples.
Vinous apples don't actually taste much like a glass of wine, but they do
share a quality of flavor that has wine-like depth and complexity. Think of
Homer's wine-dark sea.
At least "vinous" has a definite meaning, unlike some of the descriptive terms
still kicking around from the old days. I'd tried to write a post about the
term "aromatic flavor," which has described apples for hundreds of years, but
its practical meaning is even more elusive than that of "sub-acid," which was
also a bit of a stumper.
Vinous, on the other hand, pegs a recognizable slice of flavor shared by many members of the McIntosh family (and some other varieties). It's not a single flavor but rather a kind of clean and distictive balanced range of taste within which individual flavors play in interesting and pleasing ways.
This vinous quality is lighter and more delicate than the hearty richness of Ribston Pippin or Cox's, for all the nuanced flavors that those varieties present. It's not especially grapey, vines notwithstanding. Berry notes are often present.