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A / B / C / D / E / F / G / H / I / J / K / L / M / N / O / P / Q/ R / S / T / U / V / W / X / Y / Z ABBOCCATO: Italian for Medium-Sweet ABSTÈME: A person who does not drink wine ABV: Abbreviation of "alcohol by volume." the measure of alcohol content shown on wine labels. AC: 1. Abbreviation of Appellation Controlee - France 2. Abbreviation for Adega Cooperative - Portugal Also see AOC ACESCENCE: Illness caused by acetic bacteria which have a tendency of making wine acidic. ACETALDEHYDE: A chemical compound produced by the oxidation of alcohol. Its presence in some wines may ad complex charactaristics that heighten its bouquet, however high concentrations may indicate spoilage. ACETIC ACID: All wines contain acetic acid, or vinegar, but usually the amount is quite small--from 0.03 percent to 0.06 percent--and not perceptible to smell or taste. Once table wines reach 0.07 percent or above, a sweet-sour vinegary smell and taste becomes evident. At low levels, acetic acid can enhance the character of a wine, but at higher levels (over 0.1 percent), it can become the dominant flavor and is considered a major flaw. A related substance, ethyl acetate, contributes a nail polish-like smell. ACETIFICATION: The fomration of vinegar, usually caused by the contamination of the must, liquor or finished product with vinegar producing bacteria and air. ACID: A compound present in all grapes and an essential component of wine that preserves it, enlivens and shapes its flavors and helps prolong its aftertaste. There are four major kinds of acids--tartaric, malic, lactic and citric--found in wine. Acid is identifiable by the crisp, sharp character it imparts to a wine. ACID BLEND : A blend of acids important to wines usually citric, malic, and tartaric acids. ACIDIC: Used to describe wines whose total acid is so high that they taste tart or sour and have a sharp edge on the palate. ACIDIFICATION: The process of adding natural fruit acids to wine to increase its overall acidity. (This practice is prohibited in some regions but permited in others.) ACIDITY: The acidity of a balanced dry table wine is in the range of 0.6 percent to 0.75 percent of the wine's volume. It is legal in some areas--such as Bordeaux and Burgundy, Australia, California--to correct deficient acidity by adding acid. When overdone, it leads to unusually sharp, acidic wines. However, it is illegal in Bordeaux and Burgundy to both chaptalize and acidify a wine. See also chaptalization. ACIDULOUS: A very young highly acidic wine. ACRID: Describes a harsh or bitter taste or pungent smell that is due to excess sulfur. ADAMADO: Portugese description for "Sweet" ADEGA: Portugese for a wine estate or wine cellar AERATION: The process of letting a wine "breathe" in the open air, or swirling wine in a glass. It's debatable whether aerating bottled wines (mostly reds) improves their quality. Aeration can soften young, tannic wines; it can also fatigue older ones. AEROBIC FERMENTATION: Fermentation conducted in the presense of fresh air as in a crock or a vat. AFTERTASTE: The taste or flavors that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted, spit or swallowed. The aftertaste or "finish" is the most important factor in judging a wine's character and quality. Great wines have rich, long, complex aftertastes. AGE/AGED/AGING: Term describing the storing of wine under certain specific conditions for the purpose of improving it. The life differs greatly in different wines. Not all wines will improve with age. Generally only the finer ones will and even those only when properly stored. AGGRESSIVE: Unpleasantly harsh in taste or texture, usually due to a high level of tannin or acid. AGING ON THE LEES : Storing wine prior to bottling contact with the lees from the fermentation. AIRÉN: Spain's most planted grape variety. ALBARIÑO: White wine grape growne in the Galicia region of Spain. The wines are refreshing, crisp and light-bodied with a peachy aroma. ALCOHOL: Ethyl alcohol, a chemical compound formed by the action of natural or added yeast on the sugar content of grapes during fermentation. ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: As required by law, wineries must state the alcohol level of a wine on its label. This is usually expressed as a numerical percentage of the volume. For table wines the law allows a 1.5 percent variation above or below the stated percentage as long as the alcohol does not exceed 14 percent. Thus, wineries may legally avoid revealing the actual alcohol content of their wines by labeling them as "table wine." ALCOHOLIC: Used to describe a wine that has too much alcohol for its body and weight, making it unbalanced. A wine with too much alcohol will taste uncharacteristically heavy or hot as a result. This quality is noticeable in aroma and aftertaste. ALCOHOLIC FERMENTATION: Chemical reaction which allows us to obtain from the sugar of the grape, alcohol and glycerol. ALEATICO: Red wine grape that is a member of the Muscat family used for dessert wines. The Italian Vino Santos are made from this variety. ALENTEJO: Portuguese vineyard located south-east of Lisbon. ALICANTE BOUCHET: A red grape variety originally from Spain, used in France's Burgundy region to add color to Burgundy Blends. Also found in California's Central Valley. It is unique in that it is the only red grape variety that possesses red flesh. ALIGOTÉ: White grape variety used in various blends in many countries but best known for its fruity, light wines from Burgundy in France. ALLIERS: Forested region in central France - Origin of Oak Barrels bearing the same name. ALOXE-CORTON: Bourgogne municipality belong to the Côte de Beaune. ALSACE: A growing region in Northeastern France, known mostly for dry and sweet full-bodied white wines made from Riesling and Gewurztraminer. AMABILE: An Italian term for a wine that is sweeter than abboccato. AMADOR: viticultural county in California's Sierra Foothills. AMARONE: Italian for Bitter. A powerful, hearty dry red wine from Italy's Veneto region made from a blend of partially dried red grapes. AMBER-YELLOW: Golden color of certain old white wines due to oxidation of the wine. AMERICAN HYBRIDS: Grape varieties which do not occur in nature but are produced in America by crossbreeding. AMERICAN OAK: Increasingly popular as an alternative to French oak for making barrels in which to age wine as quality improves and vintners learn how to treat the wood to meet their needs. Marked by strong vanilla, dill and cedar notes, it is used primarily for aging Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel, for which it is the preferred oak. It's less desirable, although used occasionally, for Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Many California and Australia wineries use American oak, yet claim to use French oak because of its more prestigious image. American oak barrels sell in the $250 range, compared to more than $500 for the French ones. See also French oak. AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREA (AVA): A delimited, geographical grape-growing area that has officially been given appellation status by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Two examples are Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. See also viticultural area. AMONTILLADO: A dry barrel aged Spanish Sherry with a very high 16% alcohol level because it is blended with brandy. AMPELOGRAPHY: The branch of botany concerned with the study and identification of grape varieties. AMPHORA: An ancient vessel used to store and transport wine. AMPLE: Tasting term to describe a rich and ample flavor which assures good harmony. AMTLICHE PRUFUNGSNUMMER: Every German quality wine has an AP number denoting where and when it passed the statutory tasting test. ANAEROBIC FERMENTATION: Fermentation conducted in the absense of fresh air, as in a fermentation bottle or jug. ANBAUGEBIET: Any of the thirteen specific wine producing regions recognized under German wine law. ANEJADO POR: Spanish term for Aged by. ANGELICA: A sweet dessert wine usually amber in color produced in California. Historically sold as Sacramental wine for Christian communion. ANGULAR: Tasting term describing the total effect of dominant, tart-edged flavors and impressions in many young dry wines. Green. ANJOU: Wine growing region of Tourraine in the Loire Valley of France that produces red, white and rose wines. ANNATO: Italian for Year AÑO: Spanish for Year ANTHOCYANIN / ANTHOCYANES: Red pigments from the grapes found in the skin which gives color to rose and red wines. ANTIOXIDANT: Any chemical that impedes oxidation. APÉRTIF: Any wine served before a meal theoretically to stimulate your appetite. APPEARANCE: Refers to a wine's clarity, not color. APPELLATION: Defines the area where a wine's grapes were grown, such as Bordeaux, Gevrey-Chambertin, Alexander Valley or Russian River Valley. Regulations vary widely from country to country. In order to use an appellation on a California wine label, for example, 85 percent of the grapes used to make the wine must be grown in the specified district. See also appellation d'origine contrôlée. APPELLATION D'ORIGINE CONTROLEE (AOC): The French system of appellations, begun in the 1930s and considered the wine world's prototype. To carry an appellation in this system, a wine must follow rules describing the area the grapes are grown in, the varieties used, the ripeness, the alcoholic strength, the vineyard yields and the methods used in growing the grapes and making the wine. APPLEY: Refers to smell or aroma of a wine, usually carrying additional modifires. AQUITAINE: Located 350 miles from Paris, this region in France is well known for its wine because of its capital Bordeaux. ARAMON: Best known for its original use as a parent in producing the hybrid rootstock AXR-1, this European wine grape was the predominately used rootstock in California;s coastal counties during the mid to late 1900's until defeated by a new biotype of the Phylloxera root aphid. ARCHES: Also known as "legs" ARCURE: Encourage fruit growth by causing a climbing stem to curve through cutting and folding. ARGOLS: Raw cream of tartar crystals found in chunks, adhering to the sides and bottoms of wine tanks. ARNEIS: A white wine grape grown in the Piedmont region of Italy. Produces a wine that is light-bodied and dry. In Italian it means "little difficult wine". AROMA: Traditionally defined as the smell that wine acquires from the grapes and from fermentation. Now it more commonly means the wine's total smell, including changes that resulted from oak aging or that occurred in the bottle--good or bad. "Bouquet" has a similar meaning. AROMATIC: Wines with a distinctive aroma, particularly those redolent of herbs or spices. AROMATIZED WINE: Flavored Wine. ASCESCENCE: Marks the presence of acetic acid and ethylacetate. Dectected by sweet and sour, sometimes vinegary smell and taste together with a sharp feel in the mouth. ASCIUTTO: Italian for Bone Dry. ASCORBIC ACID: Found in greater concentration in unripe grapes than in ripe ones, it is often added to wine as an antioxidant. Also known as vitamin C. ASSEMBLAGE: French for Assembly. The blending together of several finer wines from different grape varieties to form a final composite intended for bottleing, aging or sparkling wine production. ASTI SPUMANTE: South of Turin in Italy's Piedmont region is the village of Asti, origin of a sweet white sparkling wine made from Moscato di Canelli grape. ASTRINGENT: Describes a rough, harsh, puckery feel in the mouth, usually from tannin or high acidity, that red wines (and a few whites) have. When the harshness stands out, the wine is astringent. ASZTALI BOR: Hungarian for Table wine. ASZÚ: Hungarian for botrytis affected grapes. ATMOSPHERE: Unit of measure for pressure inside a bottle of sparkling wine or Champagne. 1 atmosphere equals 14.7 pounds per square inch, the world's standard atmospheric pressure at sea level. Commercial sparkling wine commonly contain 4 to 6 atmospheres of Carbon Dioxide pressure at room temperature. ATTACK: The initial impact of a wine. If not strong or flavorful the wine is considered feeble. ATTRACTIVE: A lighter style fresh easy to drink wine. AUBANCE: Vineyard in Anjou which stretches from Loire to Layon. AURORE: Produced in the 19th century by Albert Seibel this hybrid grape is still used for sparkling wine production, especially in the Eastern United States, Sometimes spelled "Aurora". AUSBRUCH: Sweet Austrian wine made from botrytized grapes. AUSLESE: German for Selection. German wine law describes this as the third highest category of the Qualitätswein mit Prädikat white wines. Grapes are harevested at a later stage of ripeness than those for the less ripe Spätlese wines. AUSTERE: Used to describe relatively hard, high-acid wines that lack depth and roundness. Usually said of young wines that need time to soften, or wines that lack richness and body. AUSTRALASIA: Australia and New Zealand combined. AUSTRALIA: The eleventh largest wine producer in the world. Principal growing regions are New South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria. Major grape varieties include Shiraz (same as Syrah), Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Semillon. AUSTRIA: Most Austrian wines are white and dry. Wine styles and labeling are shared with Germany but its close proximity to Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Slovenia has led to wines that are more varied and fuller-bodied. AUTOLYSIS: The decomposition of dead yeast cells after fermentation. Through lees contact, thsi process can impart complex flavors to wine. There is some debate as to the optimal amount of time before autolysis produces the most profound effects; therefore the duration of lees contact ranges from some months to several years. AUXERROIS: Also known as Cot, this neutral wine, fruity and soft is grown mainly in Luxembourg and Canada. Often blended with the Pinot Blanc grape in Alsace. AWKWARD: Describes a wine that has poor structure, is clumsy or is out of balance. AZIENDA: Italian for Cellar or winery. B-BRITE: A powerful sterilizing compound excellent for equipment. One tablespoon to 1 gallon of water provides sufficient potency. BACCHUS: The Roman god of wine often confused with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine before the age of Rome. 2. A German white wine grape. BACILLUS: Any of various rod-shaped, spore-forming, aerobic bacteria which attack the parasite fungi on the vine. BACK-BLENDING: Originating in New Zealand, this therm refers to the addition of Sweet Reserve in order to sweeten wine and soften high acidity. Over the years, this definition has expanded and now includes the adding of older wines to add complexity, or younger wines in order to increase a wine's freshness. BACKBONE: Often used to describe wines with good acidity and structure. BACKWARD: Describes a less developed wine that retains youthful charactaristics when compared to others in its type and class from the same vintage. This wine will take longer to reach maturity and requires even more aging in the bottle or barrel. BACO NOIR: A french hybrid wine variety used primarily in the eastern United States for dry, red table wines. BACTERIAL: Wine judges often use this tasting term to describe wines with umpleasant, but ill-defined off-odors or flavors. BADACSONY: A Hungarian vineyard located near Balaton Lake. BADEN: Wine region in south-west Germany. BAILING: Also known as Brix Scale BAKED: A characteristic-usually not complementary-of wines produced from very ripe and over-ripe grapes. BALANCE: Describes a wine with harmonious elements, in reference to the balance of acids, tannins and fruit. BALLING SCALE: Also Known as Brix Scale BALTHAZAR: A huge bottle that holds 16 standard bottles. BAN DE VENDANGE: Official start of the harvest in France. Each region has its own ban de vendange. BANDOL: An OAC in Provence, France. Although white wines made from Clairette, Ugni Blanc and Sauvignon are produced, it is the deeply flavored red wine made from a blend dominated by it's native Mourvèdre grape that has madethis region famous. BANYULS: Similar to light tawny Port this dry, red French dessert wine is made from late-harvest Grenache grapes. This unusual French wine is usually served with chocolate. BARBARESCO: Lighter in style than Barolo and made from Nebbiolo grapes, this excellent and respected red table wine is produced in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy. BARBERA: This noble red grape is used to make a wine of the same name that is a hearty, dark red, astringent but full-bodied, fruity wine high in tannin. Produced in the Piedmont region in northwestern Italy and in California, this wine ages well and is sometimes called "the people's wine" for its versatility and high production. BARDOLINO: This young, fresh and inviting wine from the Veneto region of Northeast Italy is ruby red or claret in color. Made from a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara and other varieties, it is crisp with a fruity bouquet and makes an excellent table wine. BARNYARD: Although seemingly negative, this positive term refers to the rotting straw and sweaty horse smell of a fine red or white Burgundy. BAROLO: Considered one of the mostly highly regarded Italian red wines, know for its rich bouquet and outstanding full body. Produced in Piedmont, this Nebbiolo based wine is dark, high in tannin and alcohol and can improve with aging. BARREL:Used for aging wines, thses round containers come in various sizes and are made of wood (typiically oak) or metal. New wooden barrels add more flavor to a wine, however other factors such as the origin of the oak, the barrels manufacturer and the length of time the barrel was toasted all affect the final product. BARREL AGING: The technique of storing wine in wooden barrels for a period between bottling and fermentation. This process imparts some of the character of the wood into the wine, adding flavor, tannin and deepening the color. Alternatives include stainless steel containers and bottle-aging. BARREL FERMENTATION: Wine (usually whites) fermented in, typically, 55-gallon oak barrels rather than neutral containers such as stainless steel. Barrel fermentation requires careful cellar attention, but can contribute to increasing the complexity and flavor of a wine by adding suggestions of spice and vanilla from the interaction of the wine and the wood. Most often used in the fermentation of Chardonnay. BIN NUMBER: The Australian equivalent of Cask Number, an unregulated phrase that can be applied to any wine (in any price range). Some wineries use a bin number to indicate their reserve, or more expensive bottlings. Other wineries use it to indicate a house style of wine, fairly consistent from year to year. BITTER: Often caused by too much tannin, this is most often not a desirable trait in wine. However, many Italian red wines feature an appealing amount of bitterness that balances wonderfully with pasta and tomato sauces. BLANC DE BLANCS: Wine made of white grapes, such as sparkling wines made from Chardonnay. BLANC DE NOIRS: White wine made from red grapes, such as sparkling wines made from Pinot Noir. Blanc de Noirs often have a pale pink color. BODY: The feeling of a wine's weight in the mouth, such as full-bodied, medium-bodied or light-bodied. BOTRYTIS CINEREA: A fungus or mold that causes grapes to shrivel and become very concentrated. Also called the "Noble Rot," it is a desirable condition and causes ripe grapes to shrivel, resulting in the remaining juice becoming very concentrated. Such nobly rotted grapes yield the honeyed richness of many classic dessert wines like French Sauternes, German Trockenbeerenauslese, and Hungarian Tokaji. Conditions are right for the formation of Botrytis only in certain vintages and the wines cannot be produced in every year. BOTTLE SICKNESS: A temporary condition (often caused by shaking a bottle) that interferes with a wine's fruit flavors. It can be alleviated with a few days' rest. BOTTLED BY: Indicates the winery bottled the wine but did not necessarily grow, pick or ferment the grapes. BOUQUET: Often used interchangeably with the word aroma. Some tasters use the term to specifically refer to the scents of a bottle-aged wine, which includes the complexities beyond the fruit aromas of a young wine. BRILLIANT: A wine of absolute clarity. This is not important to most experienced tasters, since highly filtered wines will always be brilliant-yet the process of filtration can strip much of the flavor and character from a fine wine. Most of the finest wines available deposit sediment with aging. BRIX: A system used to measure the sugar content of grapes and wine. On labels, wineries sometimes list the Brix at the time of harvest to express the degree of ripeness of the grapes (normally in the range of 20° to 25°). After fermentation, Brix can indicate how sweet a wine is as a measurement of residual sugar (2 degrees Brix would be slightly sweet; 10 degrees Brix residual sugar would be very sweet). BRUT: BUD BREAK: BUTTERY: Describes a rich wine with a texture like that of melted butter, often referring to Chardonnay. CAPSULE: The metal or plastic material that covers the cork and top of a wine bottle. Now used for decorative purposes more than anything, capsules originally functioned as a means of protecting corks in old cellars from being attacked by insects, etc. CASK NUMBER: An unregulated term that suggests a wine is special. Some wineries use a cask number to indicate their finest-or reserve-bottlings, such as Stag's Leap Wine Cellars and the classic Inglenook Napa wines. But cask numbers can be applied to any wine-as can the word reserve. CAVA: Spanish word for sparkling wine CHAPTALIZATION: To add sugar during the fermentation process when the grapes have not ripened adequately, for the purpose of raising the alcohol level of the wine. It is not done to make the wine sweet, as the sugar is fermented into alcohol. Chaptalization is common in northern Europe, where grapes have to struggle to fully ripen. It is legal in some regions (Burgundy) and not allowed in others (California). CHARMAT: Also known as bulk process, this is an inexpensive way to create bubbles in sparkling wine. The wine undergoes fermentation in stainless steel tanks rather than individual bottles, and is bottled under pressure rather like pop. The result is coarser, larger bubbles and simpler flavors-but bulk process sparkling wines can be sold much more cheaply than methode champanoise wines. Popular American examples include brands such as Cooks and Andre. CHEWY: Describes full-bodied, sometimes tannic wines-rich enough to chew on. CLEAN: A well-made wine with no off smells or flavors. CLONE: The offspring of grape vines that contains the genetic material of the parent. There are very many clones of grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir-some may ripen earlier than others, produce a larger yield, or have different charactistics the grower considers important. Research is continuing in this field and clonal selections are being studied in vineyards all over the world. COMPLEXITY: When a wine is at once rich and deep, yet balanced and showing finesse. No greater compliment can be paid a wine. A mature Chateau Latour, d'Yquem or La Tache Burgundy are prime examples of complex wines. CORKED: Describes a wine that smells and tastes musty or moldy; a problem caused by a defective cork. CRUSH: The season, usually September or October in the Northern Hemisphere, when grapes are harvested and crushed. CRUST: The name applied to sediment that forms in the bottom and sides of a wine bottle, commonly found in Vintage Ports. CUVEE: Like the words cask and reserve, cuvee is an unregulated term that some wineries use to indicate a special (or reserve) batch of wine. DECANTING: To slowly pour wine from the bottle into another container, thereby ridding the wine of its sediment. DEMI-SEC: Literally "partly dry" though when referring to sparkling wines it indicates slight to medium sweetness. In sparkling wines, Demi-Sec is always sweeter than Extra Dry and Brut. DEPTH: Describes a wine of complexity and intense flavors; a wine that makes more than a first impression and is worth paying attention to. DRY: No discernible sugar taste. DRYING OUT: When a wine's fruit flavor has been diminished due to age; a wine becomes less attractive and past its prime when the flavors are overtaken by the taste of tannin, acid or alcohol. EARTHY: Can either describe a clean, complex taste and aroma that reminds one of fresh garden soil; or a funky, livestock and farm-like connotation that is not a compliment. As a positive example, earthy is often used to describe the wonderful flavor of red Graves wines such as Chateau Haut Brion. ELEGANT: Describes beautiful, well-balanced wines-graceful, not necessarily full-bodied. ENOLOGY: The science of winemaking; also spelled oenology. ENOPHILE: Someone who enjoys and appreciates fine wine; also spelled oenophile. ESTATE-BOTTLED: Indicates a winery owns the vineyard from whence the grapes come or has a long-term lease arrangement for the grapes. EXTRA-DRY: The equivalent of semi-dry, Extra Dry is a term used to describe sparkling wines that are not as dry as Brut. EXTRACT: Pronounced concentration of fruit in a wine. A good sign unless it is manifested in too-high levels of tannin.The components and concentration of a wine that contribute to its flavor. Over-extracted wines, however, are often harsh due to fermenting too long on the grape skins. FAT: Describes the feel of wines that are full-bodied and mouth filling. Most late-harvest dessert wines, for example, are luscious and fat. FERMENTATION: When sugar is turned to alcohol by yeast, causing grape juice to become wine. FIELD BLEND: It used to be a common practice to intersperse complementary grapevines in a vineyard; when all the grapes are harvested together, the resulting wine is often referred to as a field blend. Examples include many of the old Sonoma Zinfandel vineyards (such as Ridge Lytton Springs) where Petite Sirah was commonly planted with Zinfandel. FILTERING: A process of "cleaning up" a wine used after fermentation (and before bottling); similar to running coffee through a filter, but arguably not always necessary to produce fine wine. The purpose of filtering is to remove sediment, grape skins, dead yeast, etc., from the wine. Filtering can range from very fine to coarse; however, it is increasingly being minimized (or avoided whenever possible) because the finer the filtering, the more flavors and character are stripped from the wine. Many wineries are using the more labor-intensive, old-fashioned practices of fining or racking to clarify wines these days. Historically, many filters before the 1980's were made from asbestos. FINING: A traditional winemaker technique for clarifying wines by adding egg whites or bentonite (clay) to casks of wine; the eggs collect particles and sediment and slowly sink to the bottom of the cask (where the material is then removed). Considered a less intrusive process for clarifying wines than filtering. FINISH: The lasting impression, or aftertaste, of a wine on the palate. A long, complex finish is desirable. FLABBY: Soft feel and lack of acidity on the palate; the opposite of firmly structured wines. FLAT: Often used to describe wines that are low in acidity and lack zip. FLESHY: Soft, smooth texture with low tannins. FLINTY: A stone or mineral-like character often used to describe Sauvignon Blanc and French Chablis. FLORAL: Tasting and/or smelling of flowers FORTIFIED: Wines with a higher than normal alcohol content due to the addition of brandy or spirits. Examples include Port, Sherry and Madeira. FRENCH OAK: The classic wood for wine barrels, it imparts flavors of vanilla, cedar and/or other spices. The oak from different French forests lends slightly different characteristics to the wine, and is therefore named for the forest region from which it was harvested. Famous French names include Limousin, Nevers, Allier and Troncais. French oak is vital not only in the production of great French wines, but is also used around the world to age everything from California Chardonnay to Oregon Pinot Noir to Australian Cabernets. FRUIT BOMB: An informal wine term often applied to New World (especially California) wines produced from very ripe grapes that emphasize lush fruit flavors combined with soft, low acid structures. GRAFTING: HARD: High in acidity or tannins; a less complementary way of describing a firmly structured wine. HEADY: High in alcohol. HERBACEOUS: Tasting or smelling of herbs; frequently a component of Cabernets and Sauvignon Blancs. HOLLOW: Lacking in middle flavors and structure; the sense that something is missing between the first taste and the finish. Hollow wines are often the result of yields that are too large, diluting the quality of the grapes. HOT: Describes unbalanced, high alcohol wines that have a burning flavor sensation. HOUSE STYLE: Nonvintage wines (which are blends of multiple vintages) allow vintners to create a "house style" by blending for consistency and distinctive, recognizable aromas and flavors year after year. For example, Champagne producers create a house style with their nonvintage Brut bottlings; Port producers create a house style with their nonvintage ruby and aged tawny ports. IMPERIAL: A large bottle that holds the equivalent of eight regular bottles. JEROBOAM: A large bottle that holds the equivalent of six regular bottles; however, in Champagne a Jeroboam holds four bottles of wine. LATE HARVEST: Wines made from grapes picked later than normal (and therefore with higher sugar content), usually dessert wines. Most late harvest wines contain some residual sugar. LATE-BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT: LBV's are an increasingly popular category of Port. Similar to--but less-expensive than--Vintage Ports (which must by law be bottled within 2 ½ years of the vintage), LBV's spend an extra 3 or 4 years mellowing in barrel before bottling. Therefore, they are more mature and easy-to-drink than Vintage Ports from the same year. Some LBV's are filtered before bottling; those labeled "Tradition" are unfiltered and will deposit sediment with further aging. LEAN: Indicates a wine is lacking in mouth-filling flavors. LEES: Sediment and yeast found in a barrel or tank during and after fermentation. Increasingly, New World winemakers are using the old technique of aging the wine on the lees to increase complexities in the aromas and flavors. "Sur Lie" is the French term for a wine left on the lees. LEGS: The drops of wine that slide down the sides of the glass when it is swirled. LENGTH: The amount of time a wine's taste and aroma are evident after it has been swallowed. LIMOUSIN: A type of French oak cask, from the forests of Limoges, France. See French oak. MACERATION: Stirring the grape skins (and sometimes stems) with the wine during the fermentation process in order to extract color, tannin and aroma. MADE AND BOTTLED BY: A near meaningless term with few legal requirements; in California, for example, a winery can use this phrase even though the winery crushed, fermented and bottled only ten percent of the wine in the bottle. MADERIZED: A wine showing evidence of oxidation, including a brownish color and bad Madeira-like flavor. MADURO: Portuguese term for aged wine MAGNUM: A bottle that holds 1.5 liters, the equivalent of two standard size wine bottles. MALBEC: A red grape variety that is used typically in blending in red Bordeaux Blends, California cabernets. In Argentina it is produced on its own. It has dark, ripe berry flavors and contains a bit of tannin. MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION: This refers to a secondary fermentation which converts the malic acid in a wine to softer lactic acid, and thereby reduces the total acidity of the wine. This softens and adds complexity to most red wines, and contributes to the buttery richness of white wines such as Chardonnay. Not all wines go through malolactic fermentation. MATURE: Ready to drink. MERCAPTANS: An unpleasantly rotten, sulfur smell found in some defective wines. MERITAGE: A term coined by California wineries, for Bordeaux-style red and white blended wines that often don't meet minimal labeling requirements for varietals. If a winery produces a Meritage wine, it is frequently their most expensive blended dry wine. Examples of wines that fall into this category include Opus One, Phelp's Insignia and Dominus. METHODE CHAMPENOISE: The secondary, inside-the-bottle fermentation that is used to create authentic Champagne and other high quality sparkling wines. It's what creates the bubbles in the finest sparkling wines, but it is an expensive, labor-intensive process. Cheaper bubblies are made by the Charmat process. See Charmat. METHUSELAH: An extra-large bottle holding 6 liters; the equivalent of eight standard bottles. MICROCLIMATE: A small area with climatic conditions significantly different than the region at large. NEBUCHADNEZZAR: A giant wine bottle holding the equivalent of 20 standard bottles. NEGOCIANT (NEGOCIANT-ELEVEUR): A wine merchant who buys grapes or already fermented wines, then ages, blends, bottles and ships them under his own label. Many famous French wine companies (particularly in Burgundy and the Rhone) make wines from vineyards they don't own and thus are negotiants. Examples include Guigal, Jaboulet, Jadot, Duboeuf, Drouhin and Laboure-Roi. Many American companies are technically negociants as well, making wines from grapes purchased from vineyards they don't own. Negociant wines can be as good or better than estate bottled wines (and vice versa). NOBLE ROT: See Botrytis cinerea. NONVINTAGE: Wine blended from multiple harvests; nonvintage wines are particularly common in Champagne and sparkling wines, Sherries and Ports. Blending allows the winemaker to create an individual "house" style that can be fairly consistent from bottle to bottle, year after year. Examples include Krug Champagne and Grahams 20-year-old Tawny Port. NOUVEAU: A tradition started in Beaujolais, these are usually quickly fermented fruity red wines that are the first release of the new harvest. The best from France, Italy and California are fresh, fruity and dry-a celebration of the harvest, they are greatly enjoyable during the fall and winter holidays. Bottled rapidly after fermentation is completed and rushed to the market, Nouveau wines display all their charms from the get-go and should be consumed within months of release. OAKY: Describes the aroma or taste character of a wine that has interacted with the oak of a wood barrel. Most of the world's greatest red wines (and many of the world's greatest whites) are aged in wood before bottling and show some vanilla-spice-toast character contributed by oak. OFF-DRY: A slightly sweet wine. OXIDIZED: A wine that has lost its freshness from exposure to the air, similar to an apple turning brown and losing its flavor once the skin is peeled away. Oxidation is what ruins the flavors of leftover wines. Using products such as Private Preserve Wine Preserver (which blankets the wine with inert gas and prevents contact with oxygen) can prevent oxidation. PEAK: The time when a wine displays its smoothest, fullest flavors; this can vary from a few months for Nouveau or fragile white wines, to spans of decades for long-lived Ports, Bordeaux and dessert wines. PH: A chemical measurement of the intensity of the acidity in a wine; the lower the pH, the more intense the acid. Low pH wines are better candidates for aging as they are less sensitive to oxidation and have greater resistance to bacteria. But pH is really a much more important factor to winemakers than to most consumers. PHYLLOXERA: The name of a root louse which attacks and devastates grapevines. It spread from America to Europe in the 1860's and destroyed the vineyards of France, then spread elsewhere. Most of the world's vineyards are now planted on American rootstock (which is more resistant to Phylloxera). However, in the last 20 years it has become rampant in the Napa Valley and caused major replanting. PIERCE'S DISEASE: A fatal disease caused by a bacteria borne by the blue-green sharpshooter or glassy-winged sharpshooter, a leafhopper insect. The bacteria transmitted by the sharpshooter multiply and eventually block the vine's water-conducting systems. PUNT: The name of the indentation found in the bottom of most wine bottles. RACKING: A term for the traditional winemaker practice of moving wine from one container to another; it's essentially decanting on a grand scale by moving a wine from barrel to barrel. The purpose of racking is to rid the wine of sediment by leaving it behind in the first barrel. It requires more labor, but racking is less disturbing to the wine than filtration. REHOBOAM: A large bottle equivalent to six regular bottles. RESERVE PORT: See Vintage Character Port. RESIDUAL SUGAR: A measurement, usually expressed in degrees of Brix, of the amount of grape sugar remaining in a wine after fermentation is completed. Dry wines have little or no residual sugar; dessert wines have much residual sugar. ROBUST: Full-bodied, intense. ROOT STOCK: The root system to which a vine variety is grafted. ROUND: Describes a smooth wine. SALMANAZAR: A large bottle which holds the equivalent of 12 regular bottles. SOFT: Wines which are low in acid have a soft texture in the mouth. SPICY: A complementary description applicable to many fine wines: Syrah usually displays a pepper spice character; Pinot Noir frequently has suggestions of cinnamon; and oak barrels contribute a vanilla-spice element. SPRITZY: A pleasant, light sparkling sensation (sometimes found in young wines) caused by a slight secondary fermentation, or the addition of carbon dioxide. STEMMY: Green, astringent character of wines fermented too long with the grape stems.A green, sometimes astringent character. STILL WINE: STRUCTURE: A wine's texture, mouthfeel and balance. SULFITES: Sulfites are a derivative of sulfur and a natural by-product of fermentation. Most wines contain very low levels of sulfites, which have been used for hundreds of years by winemakers to clean and sterilize equipment and barrels; to kill off bacteria; and to prevent browning and possible spoilage. Sulfur is also sometimes sprayed in a vineyard to prevent disease and pests. Most wines contain very low levels of sulfites even when the winemaker doesn't utilize sulfur anywhere! Under U.S. law, any wine with sulfites higher than 10 ppm must state "contains sulfites" on the label. SUPPLE: Describes wines of a harmonious, velvety texture-often applicable, for example, to the Merlot wines of Pomerol and St. Emilion. SUR LIE: Indicates a wine was aged "on the lees" (sediment consisting mainly of dead yeast cells and small grape particles). This process is a normal procedure for fermenting red wines; Burgundian winemakers discovered that it often added complexity to their Chardonnays, and now this process enriches many white wines from around the world. TABLE WINE: In the United States, any wine that is under 14% alcohol can be labeled simply as "table wine" and does not have to state the actual alcohol content. TANNIN: Tannins are a natural substance found in many plants (including grapes and tea leaves) that produce an astringent, mouth puckering sensation. Tannins are common in most fine young red wines and help form natural preservatives that allow wines to develop and age; with time, they smooth out and disappear. Brew yourself a strong cup of black tea to experience and immediately identify tannins. TARTRATES: Beautiful, natural and totally harmless crystals that often form in the cask, in the sediment and on the corks of naturally made wines. These deposits come from the tartaric acids present in wines; though they look like cut glass, they are totally safe. In fact, they are a positive indication to experienced tasters that a wine has not been overly processed. THIN: Lacking body; often used to describe a diluted tasting wine with little potential for improvement. TINNY: Tasting of metal. TOASTY: A flavor imparted by oak barrels and sometimes descriptive of sparkling wines as well. TRELLIS SYSTEMS: The supporting framework on which a vine is trained to grow. VARIETAL CHARACTER: The aromas and taste sensations typical of a particular grape variety. VEGETAL: A word applied to wines that smell or taste like plants or green vegetables; too much vegetal character can detract from the enjoyment of a wine. VELVETY: A soft, silky, lush tactile impression found in the best Burgundies and Pinot Noirs. VERAISON:The stage of the growing season when young green grapes soften and either turn yellow or red in color depending on the variety. In North America, Veraison can occur from late June through mid-August, depending on the year. VINTAGE CHARACTER PORT: Sometimes labeled Reserve Port, these wines are richer bottlings than standard Ruby Ports due to the addition of vintage-quality wines. The flavors are meant to suggest the attributes of Vintage Port for a fraction of the price. VINTAGE DATE: Refers to the year the grapes were harvested and to the wine made from those grapes. To place a vintage on the label, most wine producing regions now require that at least 95% of the wine contain grapes harvested from only that year. Historically, some wine regions were lax in requiring that vintage dates be accurate. Wines that are blended from more than one harvest are called nonvintage wines. VINTNER: Wine producer or winery proprietor. VITICULTURAL AREA: A grape-growing area in the United States, as defined by law. Loosely based on the French concept of Appellation Controlee, the U.S. has set borders on certain regions that have identifiable geographical features, climate and history. Unlike the French system, the U.S. does not limit yields, grape types or winemaking methods within these regions. It simply regulates that the wines must be 85% from a viticultural area to carry its name. Napa Valley is an example of a viticultural area. VITICULTURE: The science of grape growing; when including the production of wine, the proper term is viniculture. VITIS VINIFERA: The species of grapevines most responsible for producing the world's best wines, including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernets, etc. YEAST: Important microorganisms that cause fermentation by converting sugar to alcohol. Without yeast, the world would lack wine, beer and most bread. Z |
