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A
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ACIDITY:
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A critical element of wine, it is essential for freshness, flavor and aging. The term generally applies to the citric, malic, tartaric and lactic acids in wine and is essential to balance contrasting elements.
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AFTERTASTE:
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Some make a distinction between a wine’s “finish” and its aftertaste. The aftertaste is simply the taste sensation that remains after swallowing.
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AGGRESSIVE:
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More than lively in taste, characterized by high acid and/or tannin content.
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ALCOHOL BY VOLUME:
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Producers are required by law to list the alcohol level of a wine on the label. This is usually expressed as a percentage of alcohol volume per volume of liquid (% vol/vol). A variation as much as 1.5% is allowed in wines less than 14% alcohol. By definition, fortified wines begin at 16% alcohol. In the USA the term “table wine ” or “light wine ” can be used in lieu of listing the volume of alcohol if it is less than 14%, although this is rarely done.
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ANGULAR:
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The combination of hard, often tart-edged flavors and tactile impressions given by many young dry wines. Opposite of round, soft, or supple wines.
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APERITIF:
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A legal classification of wines having not less than 15% alcohol; vermouth is the best example. However, current practice is to use the term to describe any wine that is drunk before a meal, regardless of its alcohol level.
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AROMA:
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The term used to describe the flavors in the wine that come from the grapes. It can be distinctly varietal (that is, smells that describe a particular grape), vinous (that is, generic grape smells) or used to describe the terroir. Aroma is usually predominant in young wines.
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AROMATIC:
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(A) One of the four classifications of wines (see still/table, effervescent, fortified) in which a flavoring has been added to the wine after it is made; vermouth and wine coolers fall into this category. (B) The term used to describe a group of four grapes (Gewurztraminer, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillion) that have a very distinct aroma.
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ASTRINGENT:
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A dry, mouth-puckering effect usually caused by a high content of grape tannin in the wine. In an excellent or great wine it will attenuate as the wine matures, although sometimes the wine will fail to outlive the tannins.
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ATTENUATED:
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Used to describe older wines that are fading and become thin in the mouth losing their fruit flavors (aroma) and freshness.
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AUSTERE:
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Wines that are low in aroma and are firm, sometimes hard, in texture. Some wines are purposely made in an austere manner, that is, keeping the fruit flavors in the background. These wines, such as a great Cabernet Sauvignon or Bordeaux, often show great complexity and richness of bouquet as they age. Sparkling wines are also often made in an austere manner.
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B
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BACK BLENDING:
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(a) To add fresh, unfermented grape juice to fermented wine; (b) to add unoaked wine to barrel-fermented wine; (c) to blend previous vintages of wine to the current vintage (limits on the quantity of this type of back blending).
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BAKED:
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A ‘hot ’, earthy aroma produced by burnt and shriveled grapes due to excessive sunshine and lack of rainfall. A characteristic of red wines produced in hot vintage years in the Rhône valley of France, southern California, parts of Australia, parts of South Africa, southern and central Italy, and much of Spain. Can leave jammy fruit, raisin, and fig flavors in the wine.
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BALANCE:
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A wine whose elements are in harmony, particularly the in-mouth experience of acid, tannin, sugar, alcohol, and extracts.
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BARREL FERMENTATION:
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The fermentation process carried out in oak barrels which produces distinctive bouquet flavors and is different from wine only matured (Fr: elevagé) in barrels or wine that is fermented or stored in steel vats.
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BITTER:
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One of the four basic tastes (bitter, sour, salty, sweet). Grapes such as Gewurztraminer and Muscat often have a noticeable bitterness in flavor. Another source of bitterness is excessive grape and oak tannins. Bitterness in most wines is a fault. However, a hint of bitterness in some dessert wines complements the sweetness of the wine.
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BLENDING:
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The process of combining two or more finished wines prior to being bottled. A key step for many wines.
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BODY:
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The feel of the wine (weight) in the mouth, along with the tactile sensation of the alcohol and the taste (astringent to bitter) of the tannins. These factors are a key to understanding vintage and the geographic origins of the wine. Wines from hotter climates tend to have more body than those from cool climates.
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BOTRYTIS CINEREA:
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Know as noble rot, pourriture noble (in French), and edelfäule (in German). The form of rot which is encouraged to develop on the skins of grapes when a high-sugar wine, such as a dessert wine, is desired. In reduces the water content, increases the sugar content and leaves a honey-like extract which can be detected in the smell and taste of the wine. If unwanted in the wine it is called Gray Rot.
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BOTTLE FERMENTED:
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Used to describe all sparkling wines that are not produced using a bulk method. Typically used to describe the méthode champenoise or the transfer process for making a sparkling wine. If the term is used on a Champagne bottle then it means the transfer process was used.
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BOTTLE SICK:
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The temporary oxidation that occurs in any wine shortly after it has been bottled. It wears of with bottle age but commonly occurs during the first 6 months of bottle life. In Pinot Noir (red Burgundy) the bottle-sickness can occur as late as 18 months after bottling.
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BOUQUET:
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As opposed to aroma (the scent of the
grape), bouquet refers to the scent a wine acquires with aging in oak and in the
bottle.
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BOUQUET :
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The color and flavors in a wine that are associated with the wine making, aging, and storage processes. Aroma may predominate when a wine is young but bouquet will usually dominate as the wine ages and matures. Some definitions of bouquet include only those flavors associated with bottle aging; everything else is aroma.
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BRAWNY:
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Term often used to describe wines that are muscular and low on elegance. Usually a young red high in tannin and alcohol. Petite Sirahs, Zinfandel and most wines from Amador County are brawny even as they age.
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BREED, BREEDING:
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A term reserved for the best, most harmonious, and refined wines. Also used to describe a wine from a very superior geographic location (terroir). A wine of “good breeding. ” Usually applied to medium- and full-bodied wines.
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BRIGHT:
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Fresh, zestful, fruity young wines. Often applied to young whites and rosés, and is a complement applied to an older bottle of mature wine. It is a combination of acid, body, oakiness, alcohol, and sweetness.
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BRILLIANT:
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Term used to describe the appearance of very clear wines; absolutely no visible suspended or particulate matter in evidence. Sometimes wines that have a brilliant aspect are “polished ” and have lost some of their flavor, therefore it can be a positive statement or a statement of fault. Wines that are not brilliant may be unfiltered, hazy or cloudy. Only hazy or cloudy are faults.
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BRIX (B º):
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One of four scales used for measuring soluble solids, mostly sugar, of grape juice. Used in the United States to measure sugar concentration in grape juice. The French use a Baumé scale (Ba º), the German ’s an Oeschsle scale (O º), a Balling scale (also B º) is also used in some countries and is identical to Brix.
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C
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CARBON DIOXIDE (C02):
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Causes the bubbles in sparkling wine and the spritzig (German term) in still wines. All wine has some carbon dioxide, it just may not be in sufficient quantity to be noticed. Wines without carbon dioxide will taste flat or flabby.
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CARBONIC MACERATION:
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A red wine fermentation technique whereby wine is produced naturally in any container where the grape skins are broken and without the intervention of a yeast. The fermentation process occurs as the juice comes in contact with the skins of the grapes in an anaerobic (lacking in oxygen) atmosphere. This simple, and quick, fermentation process produces light fruity wines with little aging capability. Oxygen must be excluded, or at least the container must be covered to limit oxygen intervention. The most famous wines produced by carbonic maceration are from the Beaujolais area of France. The entire process can take from one to three weeks. This method does not work with white wine because unattractive flavors and odors are created in white wine that has undergone carbonic maceration. It is possible to blend wine that has been through a carbonic maceration process with wine that has gone through the regular fermentation process.
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CENTER-EDGE EVALUATION:
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If a wine glass it tipped so that the wine extends from the bowl all the way to the edge of the glass it is possible to do a center-to-edge evaluation. The purpose of this evaluation is to (a) better observe the color of the wine in the center (heart) of the glass, (b) observe any indications of age (orange edge- red wines, deepening yellow - white wines), and (c) to observe if there is a watery-edge, an indication of older vines.
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CHAPTALISATION:
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The addition of sugar to the must to increase it ’s alcoholic content before or during fermentation. It is an illegal process in some areas, such as California or Italy but legal in Washington state; it is commonly done in most parts of France.
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CHEWY:
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Lots and lots of tannin in a wine,
but also enough flavor to sustain it.
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CLEAN:
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A positive trait indicating a simple, direct flavor without serious flaws.
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CLEAR, SURFACE CLARITY:
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The ability of the surface of a wine to reflect light. It is a fault if the wine is dull, cloudy or oily.
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CLOUDY:
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An obvious lack of clarity in a wine. It can be caused in an older wine by not being properly decanted, while in young wines (and old wines) it can be caused by faults such as protein instability, yeast spoilage, and unwanted refermentation in the bottle. Usually leaves an unpleasant taste in the wine. See haze.
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CLOYING:
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A sweet and heavy wine that lacks the acidity, alcohol, bitterness, or intense flavor to make it balanced.
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COLD FERMENTATION:
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Fermentation of white must at controlled low temperatures resulting in fresher, lighter wines.
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COLD SOAK :
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see PREFERMENTATION MACERATION
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COLD STABILIZATION :
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Used to reduce or eliminate tartaric acid in wines. After all fermentation processes have been completed the young wine can be lowered to 45F ° and the tartaric acid will precipitate out as the salt bipotassium tartrate. Blipotassium tartrate is more commonly called cream of tartar.
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COMPLEX:
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A wine with many different, overlaying and changing flavors. The complexity of the wine may not be apparent on the first taste, but will become apparent over the course of several sips from one glass of wine. The hallmark of a fine wine at maturity. It separates very good wines from great wines. A complex wine is sometimes called a deep wine.
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COOKED:
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A heavy, often slightly sweet, smell in the wine that comes from the use of sugar, a concentrated grape juice, or high temperature, during vinification. A fault in the wine making. This is different from Baked wines.
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CORKED, CORKY:
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Wine spoiled by a contaminated cork. This is usually caused by chemicals in the cork that leave a dank and musty smell and taste in the wine. About 1 bottle in 30 is corded. The reasons for this problem are not well understood by either the cork or wine industries.
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CRISP:
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A firm and refreshing acidity that is considered fresh and lively.
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CRUSHING, PARTIAL CRUSH:
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Wine-making operation of breaking open the grape berry so that the juice is more readily available to the yeast for fermentation. To control the fermentation process, the wine maker wants to control the crushing process and limit the number of crushings that occur from the harvesting of each plot of land. A partial crushing may occur in red or white must to limit or control skin contact.
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D
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DEEP COOLING:
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The reduction in temperature of the must, or wine, to around 40 ° to 45 ° to completely stop the first fermentation process (in the must) or to substantially slow down the oxidization process (in the wine). The deep cooling kills off the yeast if the technique is used to stop fermentation.
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DELICATE:
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Light, distinctive and refined but not
timid.
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DESSERT WINE:
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Any wine greater than 17% and less than 24% alcohol content is classified as a dessert wine in the USA. This would also be a fortified wine. Dessert wines can vary from dry to very sweet as well as be fortified. In a general context, the term dessert wines is also used to describe a sweet or very sweet wine of any alcohol level that is served at the end of a meal.
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DESTEMING:
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The process of removing the stem from the berry before, during, or immediately after the crushing process.
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DEVELOPED:
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A general description of the maturity of a wine at any stage in its life. Wine can be UNDEVELOPED when young and they have the potential to become a fine wine, UNDERDEVELOPED if they don ’t reach that potential, WELL DEVELOPED if they do reach their potential, and OVER DEVELOPED if they are past their prime and beginning to fall apart.
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DIFFUSE:
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Wines with unfocused smell and taste. Opposite of a focused wine.
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DRY:
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A wine with no perceptible taste of sugar. The wine has been fermented to less than 0.2% of residual sugar, although most people cannot begin to taste the sugar until it is 0.5% to 0.7%. There is no legal meaning to the term when it is used on a label, so the label can state that the wine is dry when it is higher than 0.5% residual sugar.
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DRY GRAPES:
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See GORVANO or LAE HARVEST.
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DUMB:
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(A) SMELL, TASTE (B) QUALITY
(A) Wine that is too cold to smell or taste is called a “dumb ” wine. (B) An undeveloped young wine with an inherent promise of quality, that is, an adolescent wine, is also called a :dumb ” wine.
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E
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ELEGANT:
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A wine, usually white, that displays exceptional balance and style. The term is also applied to the finest medium-bodied red wines but rarely to a fine full-bodied red wine. Full-bodied wines have breed(ing).
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EXTRACT:
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Soluble solids, excluding sugars, which add to a wine ’s body. This may include pigments, tannins, and other solids, including acids. These solids are extracted from the wine during maceration and fermentation. Unfiltered and unfined wines will be high in extracts.
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F
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FAILING:
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Something incorrect, lacking, or excessive in the wine due to natural causes. Variable causes of failings include climate, hydrology, and sunshine (energy). Permanent failings include topology and geology. See terroir.
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FAT:
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Slightly too full-bodied (even though the wine may be only medium-bodied) for the acid levels (i.e.: low acidity for the body). In a dessert wine, too sweet without the balance of adequate acid.
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FAULT:
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Something done to the wine (or grapes) during the wine making, aging and storing process that reduces one or more of its quality characteristics. This is caused by human intervention. Natural intervention causes failings.
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FERMENTATION (FIRST):
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The process of converting sugar to ethanol (ethyl alcohol) and carbon dioxide. It is effected by the introduction (or natural existence on the skin) of yeast to the must. The yeast “eats ” the sugar and produces ethanol as a byproduct. The carbon dioxide can make the must bubble like it is boiling. Another byproduct of the fermentation process is heat, which must be controlled or the wine can take on cooked flavors.
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FILTERING:
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The process whereby solid particles are strained out of the wine with various sorts of filter. This is a physical alternation to natural settling.
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FINING:
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The wine-making process with the aim of clarification and stabilization of the wine whereby a fining agent is added to quickly coagulate or adsorb and precipitate the suspended matter in the wine. Whipped egg whites, bull ’s blood, and fish scales have historically been used, world wide, as fining agents in wine.
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FINISH:
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The ending flavor and tactile impressions left in the mouth after the wine is swallowed (or spit). The tactile finish may be hot (excessive alcohol) to very velvety (excellent balance). Bitterness in the finish will be due to grape tannins. Acidity is critical to finish, excellent wines will often have an “acid burst ” at the finish. The length of the finish (from v very short to very long) is also an indication of quality. The finish is often the last thing to develop in a quality wine.
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FIRM:
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In mouth balance, opposite to flat or flabby. Describes a tightly-structured wine, with high (but not excessive) acidity, astringency, or both.
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FLABBY, FLAT:
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A wine lacking acidity (flabby), or poor acid balance (flat), and with little or no finish. Flabby is worse than flat. Flat is also used to describe any sparkling wine that has lost its effervescence.
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FOCUSED:
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More than lively in taste, characterized by high acid and/or tannin content.
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FORWARD:
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A young wine that is advanced in maturity for its age. Not to be confused with fruit forward.
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FOXY:
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Word traditionally used to describe the unique earthy, musky and grapey flavors of many native American vine species, particularly Vitis labrusca. It is not an animal descriptor, but related to the native “fox ” grapes, such as Concord, Catawba, and Niagara. The flavor is caused by mentyl anthranilate in the wine and grapes.
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FREE RUN (MUST):
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The name given to the must (grape juice) that runs from the berries without any pressing. In some cases the free run may constitute as much as 75% of the total must (total must is free run plus the press run). Some winemakers only use free run to make their wine, but most blend the free and press runs after they have been made into wine.
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FRESH:
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Having the lively, youthful, uncomplicated qualities sought in lighter reds, rosés and most whites. The term also implies having ample acidity.
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FRUITY:
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Having the distinct aroma, on the nose and in the mouth, of fresh fruit. Usually berry flavors with apple (malic acid) overtones. Wines with high levels of fructose, such as Merlot, often have a “fruity ” flavor. Do not mistaken this term to mean the same as high “retained sugar. ”
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FULL BODY:
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A wine high in extract and balanced with high alcohol (often above 13%). In fortified wines, a heavy sherry, port or Madeira at the top of the alcohol and sugar scale.
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G
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GENERIC WINES:
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Any wine whose name is part of a general category or type rather than the name of a grape variety or the actual location where the grapes were grown. For example, a Mountain Burgundy made in California is a generic wine.
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GOVERNO:
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Italian wine-making term that means to dry some of the grapes after the harvest, and off the vine. The must from these dried grapes is added to the regular must during the first fermentation. This technique is used primarily in Tuscany to produce Chianti or Amarone. The process can also be used to add some natural effervescence to the wine, this is done in some red wines in the Marches (Italian wine-making region).
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GREEN:
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(A) High acidity in a young white wine can cause the wine have a slight green tint. This is normal. (B) Wines made from unripe grapes can be highly acidic and have a “green ” taste that is often quite sour, with grassy overtones. This is either a failing or fault.
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GRITTY:
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A wine that has not been filtered or fined may actually taste “gritty ” in the mouth. This is due to the high levels of solids extract that actually coat the tongue.
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H
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HARD:
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A wine with slightly too much acidity and/or tannins with respect to sweetness and alcohol. In a well made wine these will mellow with time, and the acid, tannin, sweetness and alcohol will come into balance. The opposite of lush or soft.
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HARSH:
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Tannin and acid levels that are one step beyond hard. May include some ethyl acetate as well.
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HARVEST :
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The process of picking and transporting the grapes from the field to the place where the first steps of the wine-making process occur. In some locales the early steps of wine-making, such as pressing, may occur field-side to insure that the grapes were pressed at just the right time. Extensive transportation of the grapes may start a wild fermentation process (usually carbonic maceration) in transit; something that most winemakers want to avoid.
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HAZE:
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A slight cloudiness observed in the bottle. Sometimes it is a thin line running through the middle of the wine. It indicates a bacterial problem. It can also impart a bad taste in the wine.
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HEARTY:
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Term often used to describe a robust, zestful, warm, alcoholic red wine. Often used to describe a Chianti or a Zinfandel.
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HEAT EXCHANGER :
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Acts like an air-conditioner for the fermentation vat. It is a continuous loop of pipe that surrounds the outside of the fermentation vat and has a coolant (such as chilled water or ethylene glycol) pumped through it. The purpose of the heat exchanger is to cool the must as well as control the fermentation temperature of the wine. It can also quick chill, or deep cool, the must/wine. It can be used to stop fermentation. Used in conjunction with stainless steel tanks, not wooden tanks.
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HEAVY:
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A wine with too much alcohol to be totally in balance with the other aspects of the body of the wine. Context is important when using this term. A Hermitage from the Rhône may be too heavy a wine to serve in the middle of summer on a picnic but just right for a mid-winter dinner.
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HOT:
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A wine that is out of balance with respect to alcohol may taste warm or hot. This is not necessarily an indicator of high alcohol content (although this is an easy way to cause the problem) just a balance problem.
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J
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JAM, JAMMY:
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The combination of ripe or overripe fruit and the berry like character of certain grapes when grown in warm climates will impart a fruit jam, rather than fresh fruit, flavor in the wine. Related to the term baked.
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L
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LATE HARVEST (LH):
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If berries are left on the vine after the regular harvest for any extended period of time they usually loose some water content thereby increasing the ratio of sugar and acid to any water that remains. Although most late harvests occur 7 to 14 days after the regular harvest, in Germany, to produce wines such as Trokenbeerenauslese, it may require that the grapes be on the vine for 90-120 days after the start of the regular harvest. Late harvest grapes that are left on the vine for an extended time can begin to look like raisins. The Spatlese (Late Harves) begins exactly 7 days, to the
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LEES, LEES TREATMENT:
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Lees is an old English word that means the dregs or sediment that settles at the bottom of a container (such as a barrel) or fermentation vat. Lees includes dead yeast cells, grape seeds, pulp, stems, skin fragments, and chemical compounds that are present or produced during the wine-making process. Lees contact often helps the start of malolactic fermentation. Lees contact can last from a few weeks, or months, in the case of white or red wines up to a few years in the case of some sparkling wines. A wine is said to “rest on it ’s lees. ”
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LINGERING:
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Both flavor and tactile impressions that remain in the mouth after the wine is swallowed (or spit). When the aftertaste remains in the mouth for a few seconds it is lingering.
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LIVELY:
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Used to describe a fresh young wine with ample fruitiness and acidity. These wines may also have some spritzig. The term is primarily applied to white wines but can also be applied to reds.
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M
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MACERATION:
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The wine-making term for steeping the must with the grape material (stems, skins, and so forth). Maceration can occur with or without a kneading process. The purpose of the kneading process is to increase the contact of the liquid with the material. It is the skins and stems that add color and tannins, respectively, to the wine. The grape material used in the maceration process floats on the top of the must, this is different from the lees material that sinks to the bottom of the vat. Maceration can occur before, during, and after the primary fermentation.
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MADERIZED:
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A white wine that has turned amber (or towards amber) in color as a result of oxidization. A total loss of freshness of flavor. Possessing an aroma and flavor like that of Madeira. Indicates that the wine is past its prime. Sometimes used to describe a red wine, but is correctly used to describe the condition of a white wine.
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MALOLACTIC FERM. (MLF):
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This is not really a sugar to alcohol fermentation, in fact, it is not actually a fermentation at all. Malic acid, which is naturally present in new wines, can be transformed to lactic acid with the introduction of specific bacteria to the wine. The bacteria may be naturally present in the lees or added to the wine after the first fermentation. MLF was incorrectly called a fermentation because a byproduct of the process is carbon dioxide, causing the wine to bubble just as it did during the primary fermentation. MLF reduces the acidity of the wine at a three malic acid to two lactic acid molecule ration; or a two-to-one ration in some cases. MLF is purposely stopped from occurring in the making of some wines, such as a Riesling or Chenin Blanc, that naturally tend to be high in acidity. MLF adds a “buttery ” taste and feel to the wine. A natural MLF always occurs in the making of red wine. It is in the making of white wine that the MLF process may be stopped or stared artificially. MLF is an unstable process, it cannot be partially completed. If a wine is said to have gone through a “partial MLF ” what is really meant is that part of the wine was taken through the MLF process and this was blended with the remaining wine that did not go through the process.
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MECHANICAL TREATMENT :
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The process of desteming, crushing, and/or pressing grapes. Mechanical treatment can also include draining, removing settlings, lees filtering, and heat exchanging.
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MEDIUM SWEET:
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Typically a wine with from 2.0% to 4.0% residual sugar. This is high enough to be called off-dry but not high enough for the wine to be considered a dessert wine. In the USA there is no legal meaning to the term medium sweet so it can be used on a label of a wine that is either dryer or sweeter than the range listed above.
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MUST:
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The wine-making term for the grape juice used to produce wine. The term is used to describe the grape juice from the time the grapes are picked through the completion of the first fermentation. After the first fermentation the liquid is always called a young wine.
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N
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NEW WORLD:
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Those wine growing areas that are not part of the old-world. This includes North America, South America, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and Asia. Most new-world wines are labeled by grape variety not geographic region.
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NOSE :
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The combined aroma and bouquet of the wine. It is also used as a verb: to nose the wine (to smell the aroma and bouquet).
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O
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OFF-DRY:
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A slightly sweet wine with from 0.6% to 1.4% residual sugar. In the USA there is no legal meaning to the term so it can be used on a label of a wine that is either dryer or sweeter than the range listed above.
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OLD WORLD:
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Central Asia, western Europe, and northern Africa where wine was first made. Old world wines include, but are not limited to, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Marocco, Greece, Cyprus, and Georgia. Old world wines are often named for the growing area in which they are found.
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ORGANOLEPTIC:
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The technical name for wine and food pairing tastings.
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OVERRIPE:
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Grapes left on the vine beyond normal maturity, but are not late harvest, develop a concentrated often dried-out flavor and raisony character. Zinfandel and Syrah can yield very attractive wines with this character. Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are generally not enhanced by these characteristics. Related to baked grapes, and often associated with warm climate red wines.
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OXIDIZED:
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Term used to describe the flat off-taste due to over exposure to air. Used to describe a red wine, where maderized is used to describe a white wine. Any wine in its final stages of life.
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P
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PARTIAL CRUSHING :
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See CRUSHING.
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pH :
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Measure of the strength of acidity/alkalinity in the wine; the higher the pH the weaker the acidity. pH stands for power hydrogen.
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PHYLLOXERA:
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A vine disease brought about by tiny aphids or root lice that attack Vitis vinifera roots. The aphid is native to the eastern United States and most native rootstock is resistant to attack. During the latter part of the 19th century Phylloxera was responsible for destroying about 99% of the total vineyards of Europe. Grafting vines to specific American Vitis labrusca rootstock has stopped the destruction of vineyards but no real cure has been found that will destroy the aphids without destroying the plants. Phylloxera does not like sandy soils, so there are a few places in Argentina, parts of Australia, and parts of California that have never suffered from this vine disease.
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POST FERM. MACERATION:
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A maceration that continues after FERMENTATION. See MACERATION.
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POWERFUL:
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Wines high in alcohol (and tannins for reds) with concentrated flavors. Similar in concept to the term Brawny. Used most often to describe red wines, it can also be used to describe a big, dry white wine.
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PRE-FERM. MACERATION:
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A maceration occurring before the onset of FERMENTATION. See MACERATION
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PRESS, PRESS RUN:
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The mechanical pressing of berries to increase the yield of must. Excessive pressing increases the grape tannin in the wine and can make it very bitter. Wine made from the “second pressing ” or “third pressing ” is usually inferior. Grappa, an Italian liquor, is made from the third pressings of white grapes. Press run must is usually kept separate from the free run during the fermentation process and are reblended after the free-run and press-run wine is completed.
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R
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RACKING:
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The wine-making process of moving wine from one vat/barrel to another to purposely introduce a small amount of oxygen (to oxidize the wine) to the wine. This small amount of oxidization adds flavor and body to the wine. Red wines may be racked several times during the barrel aging process. White wines are rarely racked more than two times because oxidization adds an unwanted yellow/brown color to a white wine. Racking the wine also helps remove lees and particulates that are in the young wine because they are left in the bottom of the barrel when the wine is racked to another barrel (or vat).
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RESIDUAL SUGAR (RS):
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Unfermented grape sugars (primarily glucose) left in a finished wine. It is expressed on the label usually as a percentage of volume (e.g.: 2.5% residual sugar). Although not a requirement, the information is often included on dessert wine labels to help determine how the wine should be enjoyed and give some indication of sweetness.
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RICH:
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The term is used to describe dessert wines that are sweet and round in nature, or in very sweet wines that are well balanced with fruit and acid. In dry wines the term is used to describe a wine that has generous alcohol, slightly more than normal viscosity, complex flavors, and by a vanilla, oaky character.
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RIPE:
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(A) A wine at full maturity, causing a mellowness of smell and taste prior to its decline. (B) The desirable elements within each grape variety when it reaches an optimum maturity in the vineyard. Wines made from ripe grapes often have round flavors, are rich and fruity.
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ROUGH:
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Related to astringent, the term is used to describe young red wines with high tannins and/or high acidity.
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ROUND:
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A well balanced, usually mature, wine. No immature edges, and usually showing rich and ripe flavors. Round wines are usually slightly low in acidity and tannins and use glycerin or residual sugar to cover any roughness.
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S
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SAIGNÈE :
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French wine-making term for taking some of the free run and introducing it into the must during latter stages of the first fermentation. Common technique when making a medium body Rosé. Same as SUSSRESERVE.
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SEDIMENT:
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In red wines tannins will combine with proteins in the color of the wine and precipitate to the bottom of the bottle (or onto a side if the bottle is resting on its side). This sediment must be removed by decanting the wine. The sediment is very bitter in taste.
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SETTLING:
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An alternative to, or used in conjunction with, filtering. A wine-making process whereby the wine “rests ” and the suspended matter settles to the bottom of the vat or storage container for removal.
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SKIN CONTACT :
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The wine-making process whereby, during maceration, the skin of the berry is placed in contact with the must. All color in any wine is derived from this contact. It may be for as little as 6-12 hours in a white wine, 12-24 hours in a Rosé, or up to three weeks in some full bodied red wines.
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SO2:
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Sulfur dioxide slows down the oxidation process in wine-making. All wines have had some SO2 added to the must, or during other stages of the wine-making process, to slow or stop oxidation. It is the reason there are some sulfides present in wine. Although SO2 may be added to both red and white wine, it is more critical in white wine where oxidation must be more carefully controlled.
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SOFT:
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(A) A mellow wine with well integrated acid and tannins. (B) Any wine that is low in acid and tannins and slightly high in residual sugar - in this context the opposite of a hard wine.
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SPRITZIG, SPRITZY:
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A very slight effervescence, or prickle, caused by carbonic acid (rather than carbon dioxide) and found in some wines. It is not planned but occurs in some wines after they are bottled depending upon storage temperature. It is considered a plus in a good German wine, or most light bodied white wines. It is always a negative in a full bodied white wine or any red wine and indicates poor wine production management.
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STABILIZING:
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See FINING
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STEREOISOMER:
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The correct term to describe compounds that have the same molecular structure, but the molecules are in a different order. This is why two substances can smell or taste similarly. Wine is very complex with respect to smell and taste and many words are used to describe the aroma and bouquet. Thus, a Chardonnay doesn ’t smell like Chardonnay (the way orange juice smells like an orange) but might smell and taste like apples, pears, herbs, and so forth. The apples, pears, and so forth are stereoisomers to describe the smell and taste of the Chardonnay.
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STOPPED FERMENTATION :
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Either a planned or natural process whereby fermentation processes are stopped or quit naturally. Common if you want to have some residual sugar in the wine. Fermentation may be restarted in some cases. See HEAT EXCHANGER or MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION.
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STORAGE:
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Wine can be stored for extended periods of time in covered vats, in oak barrels, or in bottles.
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STRUCTURE:
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Term used to describe how the fruit, tannin, acid, glycerin, alcohol, and body hold together. It is usually modified by terms like firm, sturdy, or weak to be meaningful. That is, a weak structure, firm structure, and so forth.
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SUGAR:
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One of the four basic tastes. Grapes contain several sugars. The most common are glucose and fructose. Glucose is a sugar that readily converts to alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation. If not all of the glucose is converted to alcohol the wine will contain some residual sugar. Fructose does not quite as readily convert to alcohol during fermentation and the unconverted fructose leaves a fruity taste in the wine. Some grapes are naturally high in fructose and they will make wines that are more fruity than other wines. There are other flavors in a wine that can leave a hint of sweetness: alcohol, and oak (vanilla) are common examples. The use of the term sugar is generally only applied to describe the aroma of the wine, other descriptive terms (stereoisomers) are used to describe the bouquet caused by acid, alcohol, oak, and so forth.
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SUPPLE:
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Used primarily to describe the tactile impression of a red wine that is soft, with firm structure, ample acid, and noticeable tannins. The term is usually applied to a mature wine at its peak. Young, hard, wines are aged to gain suppleness.
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SUR LEE:
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See LEES TREATMENT.
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SUSSRESERVE:
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German term for SAIGNEE.
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T
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TART:
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Slightly too much acid in the wine. A wine that is tart is just one step below being sour and one step above being lively. Tartness may mellow with age, or the wine may fall apart.
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V
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VIN DE PAILLE TECHNIQUE:
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Literal translation “pallet wine. ” Cutting grapes and allowing them to dry in the sun usually on wooden pallets; similar to Gorvano.
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VINICULTURE:
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The art, science and practice of making wine.
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