Vintner's Vocabulary

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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.