Glossary of Terms
Acid: Naturally occurring compounds in grapes that give the impression of tartness in the wine. Common types of acid found in wines may be the following: tartaric, malic, lactic, and perhaps even citric.
Alcohol: Ethanol, or Ethyl Alcohol is the alcohol found in alcoholic drinks. In wine, it is the amount of ethanol present and is measured as a percentage of the total volume as shown on the label.
Barrel Fermented: Refers to wine that is primarily fermented in small oak barrels.
Barrique: A cask that is used to store wine with a capacity of 60 gallons, or 225 litres.
Bodega: Spanish for winery.
Brix: Is a unit of measurement of the dissolved solids (specific gravity) of a liquid. (“Bricks”)
Brut: Dry (of a sparkling wine)
Cask: A wooden barrel, usually made of oak, used for fermentation, maturation and storage of wines. Names and sizes vary from region to region.
Cava: Spanish sparkling wine
Chai: An above-ground warehouse for storing wines. (“Shay”)
Chaptalization: The adding of sugar or grape juice to increase potential alcohol in grape must.
Chateau: Vineyard in Bordeaux, France, generally with an accompanying house.
Cuvée: A blend, which could be of different varieties, regions or vintages, or it could be of different barrels or vats from the same estate or vineyard. (“Coo-vay”)
Demi-sec: Medium Dry
Disgorgement: In the traditional method of producing sparkling wine, it is the removal of sediment from the bottle.
Domaine: Estate
Dry: A wine with no sweetness
Eau-de-vie: Distilled Spirit with a maximum of 96% alcohol. Translates to “water of life”
Fining: Clarification of wine through addition of a “fining agent” such as bentonite (clay) which binds to the particles in wine and settles to the bottom of the barrel or tank.
Lees: The sediment of dead yeast cells that gathers at the bottom of the cask or tank.
Lees stirring: The process of mixing the lees with the wine, usually in the barrel, to help extract components that provide the wine with extra body and flavor.
Maceration: The period of time that the skins are in contact with the juice or wine during fermentation.
Malolactic Fermentation: The conversion of malic acid into softer lactic acid. A side effect is that buttery and nutty flavors can also be produced.
Must: Unfermented grape juice.
Off-Dry: A wine that is slightly sweet
Phenolics: A family of compounds that naturally occur in grapes. Tannins are one general type, along with flavonoid and nonflavonoid phenols. They lend a bitter astringency, as well as coloring (browning). The main sources for pheonlics in grapes are the skins, and to a lesser extent the seeds.
Racking: Removing the clear wine from a barrel or tank and moving it to another, leaving the sediment behind.
Reserve: This word has no legal meaning. It may indicate a superior quality wine.
Residual sugar: Unfermented grape sugar remaining in the wine after fermentation or bottling. Abbreviated as “RS”
Riddling: Moving the sediment to the neck of a bottle before disgorgement in the traditional method of making sparkling wine.
Sulphur dioxide (SO2): Used in winemaking as an anti-oxidant and antiseptic. The “Sulfites” on the label.
Tannin: A sub-group of phenolic compounds found in grapes and finished wines. Tannins allow red wines to age and can have bitter or astringent character, depending on type and amount.
Terroir: A sense of place expressed in wine, which may include the effects of climate, soils, yeast cultures and winemaking practices. (“Tear-wahr”)
Vinification: Winemaking
Viticulture: Grape growing
Yeast: single-celled microorganisms which convert sugar into alcohol. The type most frequently used in winemaking is Saccharomyces cerevisiae.