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A
Acidity
an important structural component in wine which adds freshness and contributes to its tart, sour taste. Total acidity is measured by pH, which gets lower as the acidity increases.
Acquit
document which must accompany all shipments of wine on which tax has not yet been paid.
Aging
the balance and complexity of some wines can improve over time; this is influenced by the type of grape, when it was designed to be consumed, and how it is stored.
Alcoholic fermentation
conversion of sugar to alcohol + CO2 + heat by the action of yeasts. The process by which grape juice becomes wine.
Anthocyanins
phenolic compounds found in grapes which contain most of the coloring matter.
Anti-oxidant
substance which modifies the oxidizing tendency of free radicals, a major factor in the aging process.
Aperitif
French word for drinks served before a meal; often these are light, dry white wines.
Appellation
since the appellation ties the product to its place of origin, the word "appellation" may mean either a wine or a wine-growing locality. The higher the quality of the wine, the more exactly the place of origin is pinpointed. This gives rise in Burgundy to four categories of appellations: (1) regional, e.g. Bourgogne Rouge; (2) communal, which mention the name of the producing village, e.g. Vosne-Romanée; (3) Premier Crus, which mention the name of the village plus that of a named plot of recognized excellence, e.g. Vosne-Romanée "Les Chaumes"; (4) Grand Crus, which are grown from a named plot of such quality that it has won the right to constitute an appellation of its own without mentioning the name of the village, e.g. "La Tâche", which is a plot within the commune of Vosne-Romanée.
Aroma Wheel
A means of categorizing the aromas generally found in wine developed in the early 1980s by Ann C. Noble at U.C. Davis.
Assemblage
the process of blending wines.
AVA
American Viticultural Area. Implemented in 1983, it is the American equivalent to the French AOC system. For varietal wines, 75% of grapes must come from the AVA on the label.
C
Cabernet Sauvignon
perhaps the most well-known of the Bordeaux varietals, it is responsible for some of the worlds richest, most complex red wines. Often the backbone for Meritage (Bordeaux-style) blends.
Carbonic maceration
technique employed in the making of Beaujolais wines whereby CO2 generated during fermentation is used to break down the grape-bunches and release their juice.
Cave
French for “cellar.”
Cépage
French for “grape variety,” e.g.: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, etc.
Chardonnay
white grape variety which accounts for almost all white wine production in Burgundy .
Climat
named and delimited plot of wine-growing land, equivalent of a Bordeaux cru.The best of these named plots form part of the appellation and appear on the label.e.g.: Nuits-Saint-Georges Premier Cru "Les Damodes".
Clones
organisms or cells which, because they have a single common parent, have identical genetic make-up
Clos
French word for “closed” or “shut.” Often used to refer to an “enclosed” vineyard.
Collage
French for “fining.”
Corked
used to describe wines which smell moldy or chemical due to contact with a moldy cork and are therefore undrinkable.
Cote
French for “slope.” The “Cote d'Or” or “Golden Slope” is the famous viticultural area in Burgundy beginning in Dijon and continuing about 30 miles south. It includes the Cote de Nuits (northern half) and the Cote de Beaune (southern half).
Cru
French word used to designate specific vineyards which are generally associated with better quality. In Burgundy , Premiers Crus are considered a step above the regular communal AOCs, while Grands Crus are at the top of the scale.
Crush
While it has come to simply mean “harvest,” crushing of the grapes to liberate the juice is also one of the first operations in vinification.
Cuve
French for “tank.”
Cuvée
literally "vatful".e. g. one "lot" of wine from a given appellation.
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Glycerol
a form of alcohol and the constituent of the wine which adds mellowness.
Grafting
joining together two different plants so they grow together as one. Grafting onto resistant rootstock has been key in fighting phylloxera and other vine diseases.
Grassing-down
allowing grass to grow between the vines as a means of combating soil erosion.
Green harvest
removing surplus fruit bunches in July while they are still undeveloped in order to maximize maturation of the remainder.
Green Valley Appellation
Green Valley is one of the smallest appellations in Sonoma County, located in the southwestern part of the Russian River Valley. The predominant soil type (60%) of this American Viticultural Area (AVA) is Goldridge soil, the most sought-after type in Sonoma County—especially for Pinot Noir. For more information, go to: http://greenvalley-russianriver.com/
Gris
another word for rosé.
M
Maceration
steeping the grape solids in the juice to liberate their constituents.
Malolactic fermentation
secondary fermentation by bacterial action, which transforms malic acid into lactic acid and reduces the overall acidity of the wine, thus creating the “buttery” flavor often found in white wines such as Chardonnay.
Marc
the solids remaining in the vat during the vinification of red wines after the liquid has been racked off. (See vin de goutte and vin de presse).
Marl
general term for any soil which combines clay and lime.
Mercaptan
form of alcohol in which oxygen is replaced by sulfur. Has a strong and disagreeable taste and smell.
Merlot
the most widely-planted grape varietal in Bordeaux , it is a key component of most Meritage (Bordeaux-style) blends. Known for creating “smooth texture” in wines.
Mildew
fungal infection of the vine.
Millerandage
This term describes the failure of some grapes in a normal bunch to fully develop resulting in uneven berry size. It is caused by cool weather during during flowering and produces lesser quantities of concentrated juice.
Millesime
French for “vintage.”
Must
pressed grape juice before fermentation.
T
Tannins
naturally-occurring chemical compounds that are particularly concentrated in the skins, seeds and stems of the grape. They are responsible for the bitter, dry taste in wines.
Tastevin
traditional wine-taster's cup, usually made of silver.
Tasting
two kinds are common in wine: "horizontal" tastings, in which a number of wines of the same year are sampled, and"vertical" tastings which sample different years of the same wine.
Terroir
usually translated as "native soil" - a concept of crucial importance in Burgundy where the variability of the soil over quite short distances is the main reason for the plethora of Burgundian appellations and where bringing out the linkage between a product (such as wine) and its "home ground" is the aim of every wine-maker.
Thinning
trimming back unwanted foliage on the vines to improve access and give better circulation of light and air.
Topping-up
refilling of barrels during elevage to eliminate air pockets.
Trellising
tying of the new vine shoots to the wires which support the plants.
Triage
French for “sorting.”
V
Vendange
grape harvest.
Vendange verte
French for “green harvest.”
Véraison
stage in the vegetative cycle of the vine when the grapes begin to take on their final color.
Verjus
unripe grapes.
Vigneron
French for vine-grower.
Vin de base
still wine from which sparkling wines are made.
Vin de garde
wine for laying down, i.e. one which will not reach its peak for a number of years after bottling.
Vin de goutte
"free-run wine" - i.e. wine obtained from the vat by racking (red wines only). As opposed to -
Vin de presse
wine obtained by pressing the marc after the “vin de goutte” has been run off.
Vinification
the series of processes by which grapes are turned into wine.
Vintage
the year in which a wine was made.
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B
Ban de vendanges
a prefectural decree which, each year, lays down the date on which the grape harvest may begin in each district.
Barrel
the oak barrels used for élevage may be new or used. If they have been used once before, they are called "one-wine" barrels, if twice, "two-wine" barrels, and so on.
BATF
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms. American governmental agency responsible for regulating the wine trade. For more information, go to: http://www.atf.treas.gov/
Batonnage
the process of stirring the wine during elevage to return the lees to suspension which prolongs the activity of the yeast cells of which they are composed. This is done only to white wines to improve the taste and body.
Beaujolais
French region located at the southern end of Burgundy known for its wines produced with the Gamay grape.
Beaujolais Nouveau
literally “new Beaujolais ,” this refreshing wine is meant to be consumed within weeks after harvesting. The much-celebrated release date is the third Thursday of November.
Biodynamics
Based on a series of lectures given by Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner in 1924, Biodynamics is a method of agriculture which seeks to actively work with the health-giving forces of nature. It is the oldest non-chemical agricultural movement, predating the organic agriculture movement by some twenty years, and has now spread throughout the world.
Blending
a common winemaking practice in which the juice from different vats and barrels is mixed together to achieve a desired result.
Body
used to describe the perceived weight or density of a wine in the mouth; heavily influenced by the amount of alcohol present. In general, wines with higher alcohol percentages are more full-bodied.
Botrytis cinerea
fungus which causes gray rot in grapes and stimulates production of resveratrol.
Brix
a method of measuring sugar in wine. One degree Brix = approximately 18g/l.
Brut
French word used to describe Champagne or sparkling wine which has not been sweetened and therefore tastes dry.
Bud-break
the first stage in the annual growth-cycle of the vine.
D top
Disgorging
the process of removing unwanted solids from bottles of sparkling wine such as Crémants. The technique involves freezing the contents of the neck of the bottle where the solids have concentrated.
Dégorgement
French for “disgorging.”
Dégustation
French for “wine tasting.”
Décuvage
French for “de-vatting.” (compare encuvage).
Destemming
separating the stems from the grapes before vinification.
E
Élevage
handling and care of wines during the period between vinification and bottling.
Encuvage (or entonnage)
French for “vatting.”
Enherbement
French for “grassing-down.”
Éraflage (or égrappage)
French for “destemming.”
F
Filtration
In contrast to “settling,” where solids are allowed to fall out of the juice naturally, this involves straining them out with a filter, thus speeding up the process.
Fining
addition of a substance such as albumen to red wines to bring about precipitation of fine suspended matter as part of the clarification process which precedes bottling.
Foulage
French for “crushing.”
Free-run
Juice that runs freely from the crushed grapes without pressing. Free-run juice is generally thought to be of better quality and less tannic than that obtained from pressing.
H
Hectare
2.471 acres
Hectolitre
100 litres
L
Lees
solid deposits found in wine after vinification and consisting mainly of dead yeast cells.
Liqueur d'expédition
sugar-based liquid used to top up sparkling wines after disgorging. Its composition will determine whether the final product is brut, demi-sec, or sec.
Liqueur de tirage
mixture of yeasts and sugar added to sparkling wines to promote in-bottle fermentation.
Lyre training
vines grown upwards on doubled palissage and planted at a density of 30,000 plants per hectare.
N
Negociant
French for “merchant.” Negociants buy grapes, must or wine, blend them together and bottle them under their own name. This practice is particularly common in Burgundy , where many growers have very small lots each year.
O
Old Vines
designation given to some wines produced using fruit from older vines because of their reputation for better quality.
P top
Paulée
wine-growers' communal festive meal to celebrate the end of the grape harvest.
Phylloxera
insect-borne disease of the vine, countered by grafting French grape varieties onto phylloxera-resistant American rootstocks.
Pièce
traditional Burgundian barrel with a capacity of 228 litres, commonly used as a unit of measure.
Pierce's disease
a deadly bacterial vine disease for which there is no cure.
Pigeage
French for "cap-punching."
Pinot Noir
Grape variety used in the production of all red Burgundy wines.
Polyphenols
phenolic compounds having anti-oxidant properties and present in quantity in wine, mostly in the form of tannins, anthocyanins (red coloring matter), and flavones (yellow coloring matter).
Potential alcohol
since fermentation turns sugar to alcohol, the alcoholic content of the future wine can be estimated by measuring the sugar content of the grapes.(17g/l of sugar = 1° approx.)
Primeur
wines so described are meant to be drunk young and can be released to the market on November 15th following the harvest (as opposed to December 15 for other AOC wines). Beaujolais Nouveau is perhaps the best-known example.
Prise de mousse
secondary, in-bottle fermentation of sparkling wines such as Crémant de Bourgogne.
Pumping over
wetting the cap with the liquid from the lower part of the vat (red wines only) in order to get the most color and flavor from the crushed fruit.
Punching down
breaking up the solid mass which forms on top of the vat during fermentation in order to re-mix it with the liquid. (see pumping over).
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Racking
running off the contents of a vat or barrel in such a way as to leave behind the solids in the bottom of the container.
Resveratrol
polyphenol contained in wine, produced by the grapes in response to stress. Its exceptional antioxidant properties benefit the moderate wine-drinker by their ability to counter the deleterious effects of free radicals.
Riddling
progressive turning and tilting of sparkling wines during in-bottle fermentation in order to deposit the lees in the neck of the bottle prior to disgorging.
Robe
French word referring to the color and general appearance of a wine.
S
Saignée
running off a part of the contents of a vat during fermentation to increase the concentration of the remainder.
Saint Vincent
patron saint of the vignerons. His feast day on January 22nd is the occasion for numerous wine-related festivities.
Settling
solids contained in the must after pressing (white wines) are normally allowed to settle out before fermentation.
Sorting
Upon arrival at the winery, grapes are picked over to eliminate damaged or unripe fruit.
Sulfitage
treatment of wine with sulphur dioxide, which has valuable anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties.
Sur Lie
French for “on the lees.” This refers to white wines which are aged on their lees after fermentation to increase flavor.
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