| Barrel
Aged |
Refers to wines that are
fermented in containers such as stainless steel, then placed in oak barrels
to mature. Also refers to wines that are fermented in the barrel. Barrel-fermented:
Some white wines, notably Chardonnay, may be fermented in barrels rather
than in stainless steel to impart a subtle oak character. Barrique: Small
French oak barrel. |
| Big |
Used to describe wines that
are very full and intense; considered the opposite of elegant. |
| Black Fruits |
Aromas and flavors found
typically in red wines including those of blackberries, black currants,
blueberries and black cherries. : |
| Black Grapes |
Grapes with reddish or blue
pigment in their skins used to make red wine. |
| Blend |
To assemble individual lots
of wine together to make one wine. Can apply to different grape varieties,
or grapes of the same type from different vineyards, regions and vintages. |
| Body |
The tactile impression of
wine in your mouth. Think in terms of light, medium and full-- or skim
milk, whole milk and cream! Bordeaux blend: A style of wine assembled from
the classic red grapes of Bordeaux including Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot,
Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot . |
| Bottle Aging |
he winemaker decides how
long a wine will age in the bottle before it is released for sale. Many
wines are made to be consumed upon release; finer wines, particularly reds,
may require additional bottle aging by the consumer. In the case of Champagne
and sparkling wine, bottle aging allows the wine to acquire, complexity,
depth and fine texture; it is also known as aging "on the yeast" or "en
tirage". |
| Bouquet |
The more developed and complex
aromas said to be evident in older and mature wines. |
| Bright |
A wine descriptor referring
the character of the wine, including its appearance in the glass, to be
fresh and exciting, and refracting light. |
| Brix |
Scale of measurement of
total dissolved compounds in grape juice and approximate
concentration of sugars
used in the United States as one gauge of ripeness at harvest. One degree
Brix is approximately 12-g/1 sugar. |
| Brut |
Champagne style that is
very dry, meaning little or no residual sugar. |
| Bung |
Barrel stopper made of glass,
plastic, rubber, silicone or other material which seals the bung-hole in
the barrel like a cork. Can be removed to permit topping up or racking.
The position of the bunghole can be changed to maximize or reduce aeration. |
| Buttery |
Descriptor often applicable
to Chardonnay that has undergone malolactic fermentation; describes both
texture and flavor attributes. |
| Castello |
The Italian word for castle;
refers to a wine estate, such as Castello d'Albola. Cedary: A woody aroma
that characterizes certain red varietals. |
| Champagne |
Refers to sparkling wines
made from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France and vinified using
the Methode Champenoise winemaking process. Term is sometimes used to refer
to sparkling wines from different regions, but correctly, only sparkling
wine from Champagne may be called Champagne. |
| Charry |
Aromas and flavors of a
toasty nature created by the application of oak barrel aging to the wine. |
| Chateau |
A French winery estate,
typically found in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, the architecture of chateaux
can range from grand to mundane. |
| Classico |
Italian term indicating
that wine comes from the heart of a specific region. While Chianti Classico
is a demarcated DOCG district, the Classico for Verdicchio, for example,
refers to the central part of the appellation. |
| Clone |
A selection within a grape
variety, which exhibits certain characteristics distinct from others in
the group. Viticulturists and winemakers experiment with different clones
of the same variety to optimize their plantings and provide specific flavor
and tactile characteristics. |
| Colheita |
Term used in Port winemaking
referring to vintage. |
| Commune |
Typically refers to a wine-growing
village in the Burgundy region of France. Compact: Wine described as intense
but not full. |
| Complex |
Opposite of simple. A wine
that has a lot going on. Concentrated: Dense aromas and flavors. |
| Concentration |
What wines with dense aromas
and flavors evidence (as opposed to weak and watery). |
| Cooperage |
Collective term for wooden
containers; also used to refer to the activities and workplace of coopers,
who make and repair small barrels and large wooden vats. |
| Creamy |
Wines, particularly barrel-fermented
Chardonnay that has undergone a secondary, malolactic fermentation, that
have a rich, smooth mouth feel and are fuller in body are often characterized
as creamy. |
| Crisp |
Describes wines that are
clean, and possibly a bit on the tart side. Opposite of soft. Wines that
are crisp are typically higher in acid, and go well with food. |
| Cuvee |
A blend of many lots of
still wines, particularly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, designed
to become a well-balanced Champagne or sparkling wine. |
| Decant |
To transfer wine from the
bottle into another container, to aerate or to separate a red wine from
its sediment Demi-sec: A Champagne style that is semi-dry, but sweeter
than sec. Depth: The impression of many layers of complexity in a fine
wine. |
| Disgorging |
The process by which the
sediment collected in the neck of the Champagne bottle during the riddling
process is frozen and expelled prior to the final corking. |
| District |
Refers to a geographic area
more specific than region, but less specific than commune. |
| DO |
Abbreviation for Denominacion
de Origen, which means place name and refers to Spain's official category
for wines whose name, region of origin, variety and other defining factors
are regulated by law. |
| DOC |
Abbreviation for Denominazione
di Origine Controllata, which means controlled place name. Italy's official
category for wines whose name, region of origin, variety and other defining
factors are regulated by law. In Portugal, DOC is also an abbreviation
for the highest official wine category, Denominacao de Origem Controlada. |
| DOCG |
Abbreviation for Denominazione
di Origine Controllata e Garantita , meaning controlled and guaranteed
place. Italy's official category for its highest ranking wines. |
| Dosage |
The liqueur, or sugar dissolved
in reserve wine, added to the Champagne just before final corking. The
dosage finishes the Champagnes and determines its level of sweetness. |
| Doux |
A Champagne style that is
sweet. |
| Domaine |
French term for wine estate,
commonly used in Burgundy. |
| Dry |
Refers to a wine that is
not sweet. Can also mean a wine that feels rough or dry in the mouth. |
| Dull |
Opposite of bright and clean;
can refer to a wine's appearance, aromas and flavors or overall style. |
| Earthy |
Refers to aromas and flavors
that suggest wet or dry earth or minerals. |
| Elegance |
Suggests a wine of a certain
delicacy and grace as opposed to power and intensity. Estate: A property
that grows grapes and makes wine from its own vineyards. Extra-sec: A Champagne
style that is extra dry I but sweeter than Brut . |
| Fermentation |
A naturally occurring process
by which the action of yeast converts sugar in grape juice into alcohol,
and the juice becomes wine. |
| Finish |
The final impression of
the wine in the mouth after swallowing, particularly in terms of length
and persistence of flavor. |
| Firm |
Describes a wine neither
soft nor harsh in reference to tannins in a red wine and acidity in a white. |
| Flabby |
Describes wines that are
too soft. |
Flavor
Compounds |
Organic compounds in grapes
responsible for many of the aromas and flavors in wine. |
| Flavor Intensity |
How strongly wine flavors
are perceived. |
| Flavors |
The aromatic components
of wine that define its varietals characteristics as noted in the mouth. |
| Fleshy |
Wines described as fleshy
have a rich texture and mouth feel. |
| Fortified Wine |
Wines such as Port to which
alcohol has been added. |
| French
Oak |
Considered by many to be
the finest oak for the aging of white wines; also used for reds. |
| Fruit Character |
The characteristics of the
wine has derived from the fruit, including aromas, flavors, tannins, acidity
and extract. |
| Fruity |
The fruit aromas and flavors
evident in wine. Can be fresh, dried, cooked; examples include fresh apples,
dried figs, and strawberry jam. |
| Grape
Tannin |
Tannins in a red wine attributed
to the grapes as opposed to winemaking methods. |
| Grape
Variety |
Type of grape, such as Chardonnay
or Merlot. |
| Harmonious |
Referring to a pleasant
and graceful balance of components in a wine. Herbal: Aromas and flavors
in wine that suggest those of herbs. |
| IGT |
Indicazione Geografica Tipica.
A category of wines created in Italy by Wine law 164 in 1992 to approximate
the French Vin de Pays and German landwein. |
| Intense |
Used to describe wines that
express their character powerfully. |
| Lees |
The grape solids and spent
yeast cells that fall to the bottom of a white wine after fermentation. |
| Length |
The sustained impression
of a wine across the tongue. |
| Maceration |
The process of soaking the
skins of red grapes in their juice to extract color , tannins and other
substances into the wine; can occur pre or post fermentation. |
Malolactic
Fermentation |
A natural, secondary fermentation,
optional in the winemaking process, which softens the total acidity of
the wine through the conversion of malic into lactic acid. |
| Maturation |
The process by which a wine
reaches a point of readiness for bottling; can continue in the bottle. |
Methode
Champenoise |
The traditional French Champagne
winemaking method used for producing sparkling wine. |
Methode
Traditionelle |
The equivalent of the traditional
French Champagne process know as Methode Champenoise, but applied to the
making of sparkling wines outside the Champagne region. |
| Minerally |
Used to describe flavors
and aromas that suggest minerals, such as flint, steel, chalk etc. |
| Mousse |
The ring of light foam at
the top of a glass of sparkling wine. |
| New World |
Winemaking countries such
as Australia, New Zealand, USA, South Africa, Chile, Argentina, Canada
etc. outside of Western Europe. |
| New Oak |
Can refer to brand new
barrels, or barrels that have been used from one to four years previously. |
| Non-vintage |
Refers to those Champagnes
whose Cuvee contains wine from a previous vintage. |
| Nutty |
Broad descriptor to describe
aromas and flavors of nuts in a wine; more specifically hazelnut, almonds,
roasted nuts etc. |
| Oaky |
The aroma and flavor characteristics
imparted to a wine through the use of oak barrel
fermentation and/or aging. These may be characterized as vanilla, caramel,
butterscotch, toast, smoke or char. Sometimes associated with imparting
a higher tanning level than the wine might ordinarily have. |
| Off-dry |
Term for wines that are
neither fully sweet not dry. |
| Old World |
Refers to the winemaking
countries of Western Europe including France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and
Germany. |
| Old Oak |
Barrels old enough to have
lost much of its woody character. Generally five year or older. |
| Old Vines |
Term referring to vines
that are generally 40 years or older. Presumed to deliver small yields,
but good quality. |
| Palate |
Referring to the mouth,
or how a wine I s characteristics manifest themselves in the mouth. |
| Petrol |
Aromas or flavors reminiscent
of gasoline, classic in European versions of Gewi.irztraminer and Riesling. |
| Phylloxera |
A parasite that feeds on
the roots of vi tis vinifera grapes, resulting in decline and premature
death. |
| Plummy |
Aromas and flavors that
suggest ripe plums. |
| Plush |
Describes a wine that feels
luxurious in the mouth. Powerful: Describes a wine of intensity and strength.
Pretty: Describes a wine of delicacy and finesse. |
| Primary Aromas |
Fresh fruit aromas suggestive
of the wine varietals. Punt: The dome-shaped indentation in the bottom
of a wine bottle. |
| Racking |
The process by which clear
wine is removed by siphon from the settled sediment or lees in the bottom
of a container. |
| Red
Grapes |
Also called black grapes,
with skins that have reddish or blue pigment in their skins. |
| Region |
Geographical area for wine
growing less specific than a district; more specific than a state or country. |
| Reserve |
Loose designation for presumably
higher quality than "standard" version of the wine. In the case of Champagne,
reserve wine refers to wine from previous vintages added to the cuvee for
consistent quality and style. |
| Residual Sugar |
Remaining sugar in wine
after fermentation. |
| Riddling |
The art of turning and tilting
bottles of sparkling wine in order to ease the sediment into the neck of
the bottle. Often performed mechanically in modern facilities. Riserva/Reserva:
Italian/Spanish term for "reserve" indicating longer aging before release
and suggesting higher quality. Regulations determine how long this is for
individual wines. |
| Rose |
In still wine or Champagne,
a slightly pink tint comes from contact with the grape skins or the addition
of a small portion of red wine to the cuvee. |
| Round |
As opposed to flat or angular,
refers to a wine's structure, particularly acid, tannin, sweetness and
alcohol. |
| Sec |
A Champagne style that is
dry, but sweeter than extra-sec. |
| Second-label |
A less expensive or second
brand made from grapes or wine a level down from primary label. |
| Sediment |
Residue in the bottom of
a bottle of red wine that forms as the wine ages. Serious: Describes a
high-quality wine. |
| Silky |
Refers to a smooth, supple
texture. |
Single-vineyard
Wine |
Wine made from the (presumably)
good grapes of a single plot of land and not blended with any other grapes. |
| Skin Contact |
The pre-fermentation period
in which the grape juice rests in contact with the skins of the grapes.
Used in red winemaking to enhance colors and texture; may be used briefly
in white winemaking to enhance aromas. |
| Smoky |
Aromas and flavors suggesting
smoke or smoked wood imparted by oak barrel fermentation or aging. |
| Smooth |
Describes a wine that is
not rough or harsh. |
| Soft |
Wine lacking in hardness
or roughness, and present when alcohol and sugar dominate acidity and tannin. |
| Sparkling |
Refers to all effervescent
wines outside those from the Champagne region of France, vinified the Methode
Champenoise, correctly known elsewhere are Methode Traditionelle. |
| Stemmy |
Red wines with green or
stalky tannins. |
| Stems |
Woody part of the grape
bunch which are high in tannin. Usually removed and discarded before fermentation. |
| Stony |
Aromas or flavors that suggest
the mineral quality of stones. |
Structural
Components |
A wine's alcohol, tannin,
acid and sugar if any. |
| Structure |
How a wine's structural
components are perceived. Ideally structure should be well-balanced, without
anyone component dominant. |
| Style |
Characteristics that form
the personality of the wine. |
| Supple |
Describes a wine that is
fluid in texture in the mouth, without roughness or harshness. |
| Sweetness |
The impression of a sugary
taste in a wine. Can be due to the presence of
residual sugar or other
sweet-tasting substances such as alcohol. |
| Tannic |
Describes wines too high
in tannin. |
| Tannin |
A substance found in the
skins, stems and seeds of grapes (grape tannins) and
imparted by oak barrels
(wood tannins), that, in balance, can lend structure, texture and ageability
to red wines. |
| Tarry |
Aromas and flavors that
suggest fresh tar. |
| Tart |
A term that can be applied
to wines that are too high in acid, or made from under ripe grapes. |
| Taste |
The impressions formed by
wine in the mouth, perceived as bitter, sweet and sour. |
| Terroir |
French term referring to
the growing conditions in the vineyard, including climate, soil, elevation,
slope, drainage, topography etc. |
| Texture |
How a wine feels in the
mouth. |
| Tight |
Can refer to a certain lean
or underdeveloped quality of the wine in its aromas, flavor or structure. |
| Tirage |
The process of bottling
a cuvee with the addition of active yeast and sugar in order to induce
a second fermentation. The carbonation produced by this second fermentation
is trapped in the bottle, producing the effervescence of Champagnes and
sparkling wines. |
| Topping Up |
The process by which evaporated
wine is replaced in the barrel or carboy. |
| Varietals |
Term for grape variety. |
Varietals
Character |
The unmistakable set of
sensory characteristics attributable to a grape variety. |
| Vegetal |
Aromas or flavors that suggest
vegetables. |
| Vin de Pays |
French phrase for country
wine. Lower status than AOC. |
| Vinification |
The activity of making grape
juice into wine. |
| Vintage |
The year in which a wine
I s grapes were harvested; sometimes referring to the grape harvest itself.
Vintage designations are only given to Champagnes whose cuvees contain
wines made from a single year's harvest. As with Port, a Champagne vintage
is only declared in a year of exceptional quality. |
| Viticulture |
The activity of growing
grapes. |
| Vitis Vinifera |
Species to which most of
the worlds wine grapes belong. |
| Weight |
Impression of heft and volume
of the wine in the mouth. |
| Well-balanced |
Used to describe wines in
which all component--alcohol, acid, tannin (if any) and sugar (if any)--relate
to each other in such a way that none seems dominant. |
| Wood Tannin |
Describes tannins attributable
to barrel aging, rather than the grapes. |
| Yeast |
One-celled organisms responsible
for turning grape juice into wine. |
