Vintner's Vocabulary

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 ALL

Acidity

A component of wine, generally consisting of tartaric acid (a natural acid in grapes) and comprising approximately 0.5 to 0.7 percent of the wine by volume.

Aperitif

A broad term for nearly any drink taken before a meal to tease the palate and stimulate the appetite. Diverse flavored and fortified wines are generally used as aperitifs.

The specific area that a wine comes from. It can refer to a region, such as Bordeaux or Burgundy in France, for example. It can refer to an even more tightly defined sub-region within, say, Bordeaux, such as The Medoc.

Bacchus

The Greek God of wine and intoxication. Bacchus was also recognized by the Romans.

Balling

The process of measuring brix or sugar content in wine. Each degree in the balling scale is equivalent to 1 percent of sugar in juice. For example, grape juice that measures12 degrees on the balling or brix scale contains approximately 12 percent sugar.

Barrel-Aged

A term that applies to wines that are fermented in containers of inert material, such as stainless steel, and subsequently placed into wooden barrels for a period of maturation; the term also applies to the maturation period of wines that also fermented in the barrel.

Barrique

The French term for barrel.

Blush

A wine made from red grapes which appears to be pink in color because the grape skins were removed from the fermenting juice before more color could be fully imparted; more commonly referred to as a rose`.

Bottle Shock

A temporary condition of wine that is characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling a wine. After several days this condition usually disappears.

Bottle-Age

Maturation of a wine after it has been bottled; most wines undergo a short period of bottle-age at the winery before release; fine wines can require additional bottle-age fro the consumer.

Brix

Measure of sugar concentration( and therefore grape ripeness) in grape juice or must common in the U.S.

Bung

A rubber stopper that is used in tanks, barrels and carboys.

Carbonic Maceration

Fermentation of whole, un-crushed grapes in a carbon dioxide atmosphere.

Carboy

These typically glass jugs are used for fermenting juice, carrying out secondary fermentations or long term storage of wine.

Cold Stabilization

A clarification technique in which a wine's temperature is lowered to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, causing the tartrates and other insoluble solids to precipitate.

Decanting

A method by which cellar-aged bottled wine is poured slowly and carefully into a second container, usually a glass decanter, in order to leave any sediment in the original bottle before serving. This treatment is almost always confined to red wines.

Enology

The science of winemaking.

Estate

A property that grows grapes and produces wines from its own vineyards; wines labeled estate-bottled are made from vineyards owned by (or in some cases, under the direct control of) the same entity that owns the winery and makes the wine; use of the term is regulated by law in most areas.

Fermentation

The process whereby sweet grape juice is transformed into alcoholic wine, thanks to the action of yeast.

Fortified

A wine which alcohol has been added to, generally to increase the concentration to a high enough level to prevent fermentation.

Hydrometer

An instrument used to measure the sugar content of musts or grape juice, consisting of a weighted bulb with a stem containing a scale calibrated in grams of sugar per 100 grams of solution.

Late Harvest

This term indicates that the grapes used to produce this wine were picked as late as possible in the season so as to develop maximum sugar content. Usually associated with dessert style wines.

Lees

Grape solids and dead yeast cells that are left at the bottom of a fermentation vat after fermentation. Relatively neutral-tasting white wines are often deliberately given prolonged lees contact and even lees stirring to generate more flavor.

Legs

A term used when referring to the liquid that drips down the inside of wineglass bowl after the wine is swirled in order to evaluate the alcohol concentration present. Usually the higher the alcohol content, the more impressive the drops appear because of reduced surface tension effects.

Malolactic Fermentation

Increasingly common second fermentation in which harsh malic acid is converted to softer, lactic (milky) acid, making the resulting wine more supple.

Mulled Wine

Any red wine, served hot, that has been mixed with any combination of sugar, fresh orange or lemon, even fresh spices, usually including cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Must

A word used for the pulpy mass at any stage between grape juice and wine.

Nouveau

A term that indicates a young, immediately drinkable wine.

Off-Dry

A generalized term for wines that are neither fully dry nor very sweet.

Oxidation

Potentially serious calamity that can strike grapes, grape juice and wine if they are over-exposed to oxygen, making them go brown (like a cut apple) and taste flat.

Residual Sugar (RS)

The amount of un-fermented sugar left in a wine after fermentation is complete, usually measured in grams per liter or percent.

Skin Contact

The process during which the juice of grapes rests in contact with the grape skins; in red wine, the process by which the wines absorb color, tannin, and other substances; not normally used in white wine production, but occasionally used to enhance the aromatic character of the wine.

Sommelier

A wine steward that is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional.

Sur Lie

Wines aged sur lie (French for "on the lees") are kept in contact with the dead yeast cells and are not racked or otherwise filtered. This is mainly done for white wines, to enrich them. Originated in Burgundy, with Chardonnay, and popular in Muscadet, Alsace, Germany and California. Aging wines sur lie adds complexity to wines.

Tannins

Cheek-drying, astringent phenolic compounds similar to stewed tea in effect on the palate which are found mainly in red wine and are derived from grape seeds, skins, and stems. Tannins act as a natural preservative, helping the development and, in the right proportion, balance of the wine.

Terroir

A French language term for all the characteristics of the vineyard site thought to be imparted to a particular wine. It is a term that includes geographic, geological, climatic and other attributes that can affect an area of growth as small as a few square meters.

Varietal Character

The particular characteristics associated with a grape picked at optimum maturity.

Vinification

Winemaking, including all the operations and processes involved. Often substituted for the word winemaking.

Vintage (Vintage Date)

The year in which the grapes for a wine were grown

Vintner

Indicates a wine producer or winemaker.

Viticultural Area

Defines a legal grape-growing area distinguished by geographical features, climate, soil, elevation, history and other definable boundaries. Rules vary widely from region to region, and change often. Just for one example, in the United States, a wine must be 85 percent from grapes grown within the viticultural area to carry the appellation name.