Master Taster Flash Card Definitions csv
(347 cards)
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Acetic Acid
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All wines contain acetic acid, or vinegar, but usually the amount is quite small. At low levels, acetic acid can enhance the character of a wine, but at higher levels, it can become the dominant flavour and is considered a major flaw. A related substance, ethyl acetate, contributes a nail polishlike smell.
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Acid
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A compound present in all grapes and an essential component of wine that preserves it, enlivens and shapes its flavours and helps prolong its aftertaste. There are four major kinds of acids–tartaric, malic, lactic and citric–found in wine. Acid is identifiable by the crisp, sharp character it imparts to a wine.
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Acidic
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Used to describe wines whose total acid is so high that they taste tart or sour and have a sharp edge on the palate.
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Acidification
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The addition of acid to wine by a winemaker.
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Acidity
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Identified as the crisp, sharp character in a wine.
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Acrid
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Describes the harsh, bitter taste or pungent, nose-biting odour caused by excessive amounts of sulfur added during winemaking.
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Aeration
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This process of encouraging a wine to absorb oxygen is also called breathing.
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Aftertaste
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The taste or flavours that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted, spit or swallowed. The aftertaste or “finish” is the most important factor in judging a wine’s character and quality. Great wines have rich, long, complex aftertastes.
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Ageworthy
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Describes the small number of top wines that have sufficient flavour, acidity, alcohol and tannins to gain additional complexity with time in the bottle.
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Aggressive
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Unpleasantly harsh in taste or texture, usually due to a high level of tannin or acid.
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Aging
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Storage in barrels, tanks or bottles for a period of time allows wine components to knit together or harmonize and develop additional complexity,sometimes referred to as secondary and tertiary aromas and flavours.
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Alcohol
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Ethyl alcohol, a chemical compound formed by the action of natural or added yeast on the sugar content of grapes during fermentation.
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Allier
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A forest in France that produces oak used for wine barrels.
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American Oak
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An alternative to French oak for making barrels in which to age wine. Marked by strong vanilla, dill and cedar notes, it is used primarily for aging Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel, for which it is the preferred oak.
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American Viticultural Area (AVA)
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A delimited, geographical grape growing area that has officially been given appellation status by the Alcohol and Tobacco, Tax andTrade Bureau (TTB). Two examples of AVAs are Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley.
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Amontillado
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Amontillado is a category of Sherry which begins aging in the same manner as a fino Sherry, with a flor yeast cap to protect from oxidation and keep the wine fresh-tasting, but amontillado is then exposed to oxygen, allowing the wine to darken, becoming richer than a fino but still lighter than an oloroso.
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Ancestral Method
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An inexpensive but risky and difficult-to-control method ofproducing sparkling wine, and almost certainly the oldest, in which the primary fermentation is stopped before completing, and a secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle, ending when the yeast cells deplete the supply of residual sugar. There is no dosage, or sugar addition, to kick-start the secondary fermentation, and the wine is not disgorged to remove any sediment or lees remaining afterward.
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Anthocyanins
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The pigments found in red grape skins that give red wine its color.
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Appassimento
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Italian term for drying harvested grapes, traditionally on bamboo racks or straw mats, for a few weeks up to several months to concentrate the sugars and flavours.
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Appearance
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Refers to a wine’s clarity, not color.
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Appellation
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Defines the area where a wine’s grapes were grown, such as Bordeaux, Gevrey-Chambertin, Alexander Valley or Russian River Valley.
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Appellation d’Origine Controlle
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The French system of appellations, begun in the1930s and considered the wine world’s prototype. To carry an appellation in this system, a wine must follow rules describing the area the grapes are grown in, the varieties used, the ripeness, the alcoholic strength, the vineyard yields and the methods used in growing the grapes and making the wine.
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Appellation d’Origine Protegee
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This is the European Union’s new designation, meant to replace the old Appellation d’Origine Controlee for recognition across the member states. It was officially adopted in January 2016.
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Aroma
Aromas are smells, which originate with the grapes, in contrast to bouquet, which defines smells acquired during bottle-aging.
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Aromatic
Describes a wine with intense, often floral, aromas. Particularly aromatic varieties include Gewerztraminer, Muscat and Viognier.
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Aspersion
The process of using water sprinklers to protect budding vines from late spring frosts.
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Assemblage
French term for blending various lots of wine before bottling, especiallyin Champagne.
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Astringent
Describes wines that leave a coarse, rough, furry or drying sensation in the mouth. Astringency is usually attributed to high tannin levels found in some red wines(and a few whites). High tannin levels are frequently found in Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.
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Auslese
German classification based on the ripeness level and sugar content of the grapes.
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Austere
Used to describe relatively hard, high-acid wines that lack depth and roundness. Usually said of young wines that need time to soften, or wines that lack richness and body.
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Backbone
Describes the structure of a wine, referring to balanced acidity, alcoho land, in red wines, tannin. Wines lacking structure are thin or flabby.
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Barbaresco
Nebbiolo-based red wine made in Italy's Piedmont region.
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Barolo
One of Italy's most important wines, Barolo is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo grapes in Piedmont.
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Barrel Aged
Denotes a wine that has spent a period of time in barrels before bottling.
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Barrel Fermented
Denotes wine that has been fermented in small casks (usually 55-gallon oak barrels) instead of larger tanks.
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Barrel Making
After the wood for a barrel is cut and dried, the cooper heats the wood while shaping it into a barrel. Steam, natural gas, boiling water, the burning of oak chips or some combination of these is used in the three-part heating process. The first application of heat (the warming stage) is called chauffage, the bending of the wooden staves into a barrel shape is called cintrage and, finally, the toasting of the wood for flavour is called bousinage.
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Barrique
French term for small oak barrel.
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Battonnage
French term for stirring the lees during the aging and maturation of wine.
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Bentonite:
A clay compound used in the fining process of white wines. The clay binds with solids that might otherwise cause a white wine to become cloudy, removing them from the wine.
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Biodynamic
A farming strategy that combines principles of organic farming and concepts developed by Rudolf Steiner, an Austrian philosopher.
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Bitter
Describes one of the four basic tastes (along with sour, salty and sweet).
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Blanc de Blancs
"White from whites," meaning a white wine made entirely of white grapes, such as Champagne made only of Chardonnay instead of a mix of white and red grape varieties.
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Blanc de Noirs
"White from blacks," meaning a white wine made of red or black grapes, where the juice is squeezed from the grapes and fermented without skin contact. The wines can have a pale pink hue.
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Blending
To make a more harmonious or complex wine, wines with complementary attributes may be blended. For example, a wine with low acidity may be blended with a high-acid wine or a wine with earthy flavours may be blended with a fruity wine.
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Bodega
Spanish term for Estate.
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Body
The impression of weight, fullness or thickness on the palate; usually the result of a combination of alcohol, sugar, dissolved solids (including sugars, phenolics,minerals and acids) and, to a lesser extent, glycerin.
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Botrytis Cinerea
Also known as "noble rot," it is a beneficial mold that grows on ripe wine grapes in the vineyard under specific climatic conditions. The mold dehydratesthe grapes, leaving them shriveled and raisinlike and concentrates the sugars andflavours.
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Bottle Aging
A period of time spent in bottle prior to release and/or consumption; a small percentage of wines gain complexity and bouquet during extended bottle aging.
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Bottle Shock
A temporary condition characterized by muted or disjointed flavours. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile, older wines)are shaken in travel; a few days of rest is the cure.
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Bottle Sickness
A temporary condition characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavours. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile,older wines) are shaken in travel. A few days of rest is the cure.
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Bouquet
The smell that a wine develops after it has been bottled and aged.
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Brawny
Describes wines that are hard, intense and tannic with raw, woody flavours. The opposite of elegant.
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Brettanomyces (Brett):
A spoilage yeast that can cause what are commonly described as barnyard aromas and flavours in a wine.
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Bright
Used for fresh, ripe, zesty, lively young wines with vivid, focused flavours.
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Brilliant
Describes the appearance of very clear wines with absolutely no visible suspended or particulate matter.
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Brix
A measurement of the sugar content of grapes, must and wine, indicating the degree of the grapes' ripeness (meaning sugar level) at harvest.
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Browning
Describes a wine's color, and is a sign that a wine is mature and may be faded. A bad sign in young red (or white) wines, but less significant in older wines.
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Brut
A general term used to designate a relatively dry-finished Champagne or sparkling wine.
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Brut Nature
The driest Champagne or sparkling wine. In Champagne, the scale fromdriest to sweetest is: Brut Nature, Extra Brut, Brut, Extra-Dry (or Extra-Sec), Dry (orSec), Demi-Sec and Doux.
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Cane
A branch of a vine.
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Canopy
The green foliage of a grapevine is called the canopy. The canopy can be trimmed or thinned to manage the amount of air and sun reaching the fruit, improving fruit quality, increasing yield and controlling disease.
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Cap
The thick layer of skins, stems and seeds that forms at the surface of fermenting red wine. Cap management, or breaking up the cap to increase contact between the skins and the liquid, is important since red wines extract color and flavour from the skins.
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Capsule
The metal or plastic protective coating that surrounds the top of the cork and the bottle.
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Carbonic Maceration
Most frequently associated with Beaujolais, this is a method of producing light-bodied, fresh and fruity red wines. Instead of crushing the grapes and releasing the juices to be fermented by yeasts, whole grape bunches are placed in a tank and the oxygen is displaced by carbon dioxide. Fermentation starts on an intracellular level inside the berry, producing some alcohol as well as fruity aromatics. In practice, the weight of the grapes on the top crushes the grapes on the bottom and yeasts ferment the juice; the wine is partly a product of carbonic maceration and partly of traditional yeast fermentation.
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Cava:
Spanish term for sparkling wine made using the traditional Methode Champenoise.
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Chaptalization
The addition of sugar to juice before and/or during fermentation, used to boost sugar levels in underripe grapes and alcohol levels in the subsequent wines.
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Charmat
A less expensive, mass-production method for producing bulk quantities ofsparkling wine. The second fermentation takes place in a pressurized tank, rather than in a bottle, decreasing lees contact and producing larger, coarser bubbles. The wine is filtered under pressure and bottled. Also known as the bulk process or tank method.
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Chewy
Describes highly extracted, full-bodied and tannic wines that are so rich they seem as if they should be chewed, rather than simply swallowed.
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Cigar Box:
Aroma frequently associated with mature Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends, this descriptor refers to the cedary and tobacco leaf scentsa ssociated with cigar boxes.
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Clarity
Referring to the amount of suspended particulate matter in a wine, clarity is described in terms of the wine's reflective quality; brilliant, clear, dull or hazy.
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Classified Growth
Included in Bordeaux's 1855 Classification, which ranked Chateaus from first-growth to fifth-growth. The original classification was set by the prices that the wines fetched and was intended to be synonymous with quality.
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Clean
Fresh on the palate and free of any off-taste.
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Climat
French term for a vineyard site defined by its micro-climate and various other aspects of terroir. The term is most commonly associated with Burgundy.
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Climate
The long-term weather patterns including temperature, precipitation and hours of sunshine in a specific region. In contrast, weather is associated with aspecific event, such as a hailstorm.
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Clonal Selection
Vineyard management term for a technique by which dead or underperforming vines are replaced with new vines grown from a single superior vine, or mother vine.
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Clone
A group of vines originating from a single, individual plant propagated asexually from a single source. Clones are selected for the unique qualities of the grapes and wines they yield, such as flavour, productivity and adaptability to growing conditions.
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Clos
A French term used to describe a walled vineyard, such as Clos du Vougeot in Burgundy.
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Closed
Describes wines that are concentrated and have character, yet are shy in aroma or flavour. Closed wines may open up to reveal more flavours and aromas with aging or aeration.
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Cloudiness
Lack of clarity to the eye. Fine for old wines with sediment, but it can be awarning signal of protein instability, yeast spoilage or re-fermentation in the bottle in younger wines. Cloudiness may also represent a deliberate choice by the winemakernot to filter a wine.
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Cloying
Describes ultra-sweet or sugary wines that lack the balance provided by acid, alcohol, bitterness or intense flavour.
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Cluster
A grape bunch.
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Coarse
Usually refers to texture, and in particular, excessive tannin or oak. Also used to describe harsh bubbles in sparkling wines.
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Cold Stabilization
A clarification technique that can prevent the formation of crystals in wine bottles. Prior to bottling, the wine's temperature is lowered to approximately 30F for two weeks, causing the tartrates and other solids to precipitate out of solution. The wine is then easily racked off (separated from) the solids.
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Colheita
Portuguese term for "vintage."
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Commune
French term for village.
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Complexity
A combination of richness, depth, flavour intensity, focus, balance, harmony and finesse.
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Cooked
Describes a dull, stewed flavour associated with wines adversely affected by excessive heat during shipping or storage.
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Cooper
A wine barrel maker.
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Cooperage
The facility where wine barrels are made.
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Cooperative
A wine company that is owned and managed by a group of vineyard owners who bottle their wine under one label, sharing the profits.
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Coravin
An appliance that allows wine to be removed from an unopened bottle of wine via a hollow needle.
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Corked
Describes a wine having the off-putting, musty, moldy-newspaper flavour and aroma and dry aftertaste caused by a tainted cork.
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Cosecha
Spanish term for "vintage."
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Coulure
During flowering in the spring, wind and rain as well as chemical deficiencies can keep grapevine flowers from being properly fertilized, causing these flowers to drop off the cluster. This dropping of flowers is called coulure, or shatter. Since each flower is responsible for a grape, the cluster of grapes that eventually forms is loose and missing grapes. If the improperly fertilized flower stays attached, it produces a puny, seedless grape called a "shot" grape.
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Crianza
One of Spain's quality classifications, it requires that reds are aged for two years, with at least a year in wood, and whites a total of six months.
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Crisp
Describes a wine with moderately high acidity; refreshing and bright with a clean finish.
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Cru
A French term, "cru" generally refers to a vineyard or group of vineyards that have similar characteristics.
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Cru Beaujolais
The highest category of classification in Beaujolais, account for the production within ten villages/areas in the foothills of the Beaujolais mountains.
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Cru (French)
The term "cru" is officially codified in some old world countries and regions. In Bordeaux, the highest quality wines are called Premiers Crus and in Burgundy, Grands Crus.
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Cru (Other)
In other countries like Italy, "cru" can simply refer to a single-vineyard bottling that may or may not be classified.
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Crush
Harvest season when the grapes are picked and crushed.
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Cuvee
A blend or special lot of wine.
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Decanting
A technique that removes sediment from wine before drinking.
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Degree Days
A method of classifying the climate based on the number of days the temperature is within a range that vines can grow.
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Delestage
French term for racking and returning a wine back to the tank. Wine is pumped out of the fermenting tank and back over the cap to facilitate extraction of color and flavour.
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Delicate
Used to describe light- to medium-weight wines with good flavours. A desirable quality in wines such as Pinot Noir or Riesling.
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Demeter
A non-profit organization that promotes and certifies biodynamic farming.
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Demi-Sec
A misleading term, which designates a medium-sweet Champagne or sparkling wine.
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Destemming
The process of removing the grape berries from the stems once the grapes have been harvested and brought into the winery.
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Desuckering
The removal of young, non-fruit-bearing shoots from a vine.
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Devatting
Also known as delestage, the oxidative winemaking process in which, after the cap of grape musts, skins, seeds and stems forms on the top of a vat of fermenting wine, the wine is drained through a valve at the base of the tank into another vat and reserved while the remaining solids are allowed to drain for a few hours. The reserved wine is then pumped back into the original tank over the top of the drained skins, seeds and stems. Like punch downs and pump overs, the purpose of devatting is to increase the extraction of color, flavour, tannins and aromas from the solids, as well as aerate the fermenting wine.
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Developing
Refers to a wine that is starting to show signs of age in flavour, aroma or color.
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Disgorgement
When making sparkling wine, this technique is used to remove frozen sediment remaining in the bottle after the second fermentation. Through the riddling process, the sediment settles in the bottle neck and the neck is then dipped into a brine solution and frozen. Working quickly, the bottle is turned upright and the crowncap removed. The plug of frozen sediment is ejected by the pressure of the carbon dioxide. Also known as Disgorgement.
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Disjointed
Describes wine with components that are not well-knit, harmonious or balanced.
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Diurnal Temperature Difference
The difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures, which can affect the speed of ripening and grape quality. Shifts can be considerable; parts of Napa Valley regularly experience a 40-degree difference.
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Dolce
Italian term for "sweet."
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Dosage
In bottle-fermented sparkling wines, a small amount of wine (usually mixed with sugar) that is added back to the bottle once the yeast sediment that collects in the neck of the bottle is disgorged. Also known as liqueur d'expedition.
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Doux
Designates a sweet Champagne or sparkling wine.
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Drip Irrigation
An irrigation process associated with grapegrowing. Hoses withindividual spouts for each vine deliver precise amounts of water, drop by drop. Thissaves water and allows grapegrowers to carefully control the water vines receive indry areas.
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Dry
Having no perceptible taste of sugar.
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Dry (Sparkling)
A misleading term, which designates a fairly sweet Champagne or sparkling wine. In Champagne, the scale from driest to sweetest is: Brut Nature, ExtraBrut, Brut, Extra-Dry (or Extra-Sec), Dry (or Sec), Demi-Sec and Doux.
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Early Harvest
Denotes a wine made from early-harvested grapes, usually lower than average in alcoholic content or sweetness.
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Earthy
Describes wines with aromas or flavours of soil or earth. Frequently associated with Pinot Noir.
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Eiswein
Wine made from grapes that have frozen on the vine.
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Elegant:
Describes balanced, harmonious, refined wines; subtle rather than a highly extracted blockbuster.
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En Primeur
The en primeur offerings are a winery's first offer of a particular vintage, when the initial price is set, and offers buyers the opportunity to purchase wines before they are released.
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Esters
The fragrant chemical compounds responsible for the aromas and flavours found in food and wine.
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Ethyl Acetate
A sweet, vinegary smell that often accompanies acetic acid. It exists to some extent in all wines and in small doses can be a plus. When it is strong and smells like nail polish, it's a defect.
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Extra Brut
A dry Champagne or sparkling wine.
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Extra-Dry
A misleading term, which designates a relatively sweet Champagne or sparkling wine. In Champagne, the scale from driest to sweetest is: Brut Nature, ExtraBrut, Brut, Extra-Dry (or Extra-Sec), Dry (or Sec), Demi-Sec and Doux.
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Extract
Richness, depth and concentration of fruit flavours in a wine.
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Fading
Describes a wine that is losing color, fruit or flavour, usually as a result of age.
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Fat
Full-bodied, high alcohol wines low in acidity give a "fat" impression on the palate.Can be a plus with bold, ripe, rich flavours; can also suggest the wine's structure iss uspect.
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Feinherb
Unregulated German term for wines that are off-dry. Feinherb is often used in place of the less popular designation halbtrocken.
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Fermentation
The process by which yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide; turns grape juice into wine.
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Filtering
Pumping wine through a screen or pad to remove leftover grape and fermentation particles. Most wines are filtered for both clarity and stability.
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Fining
A technique for clarifying wine using agents such as bentonite (powdered clay), isinglass (fish bladder), casein (milk protein), gelatin or egg whites, which combine with sediment particles and cause them to settle to the bottom, where they can be easily removed.
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Finish
Taste or flavours that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted. Great wines have rich, long, complex finishes.
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Fino
Fino is the driest classification of Sherry wines. The freshest and palest category of Sherry, finos are protected from oxygenation by a cap of flor yeast while aging in barrel.
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Flabby
Describes a wine that is unbalanced due to insufficient acidity, lacking backbone.
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Flinty
A descriptor for extremely dry white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, whose bouquet can be reminiscent of flint struck against steel.
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Flor
Flor is the Spanish term for a cap of yeast that forms over Sherry wine as it ages in barrel, protecting the wine from oxidation.
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Floral (also Flowery)
Literally, having the characteristic aromas of flowers. Mostly associated with white wines.
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Fortified
Denotes a wine whose alcohol content has been increased by the addition of brandy or neutral spirits.
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Foudre
A large wooden vat, popular in France's Rhone Valley, significantly larger than typical oak barrels, often with the capacity to hold more than a thousand liters of wine.
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Foxy
A term used to describe the unique musky and grapey character of many native American labrusca grape varieties.
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Free-Run Juice
The juice released by a pile of grapes as their skins split under their own weight, before they are mechanically pressed. With white wines, this initial juice is considered to be the highest quality since it has the least amount of contact with bitter elements in the pips, skins and stems.
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French Oak
The traditional wood for wine barrels, which supplies vanilla, cedar and sometimes butterscotch flavours. Used for red and white wines.
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Frizzante
Italian term for sparkling wines.
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Full-Bodied
A rich, extracted wine with a mouthfilling sensation of weight or mass.
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Garagiste
A group of winemakers specializing in very limited-production wines, often known as "vins de garage," or garage wines, because their production size is such that they could be made in a garage.
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Garrigue
As a wine descriptor, garrigue refers to the aroma of the bushy, fragrant plants that grow wild in southern France, such as juniper, thyme, rosemary and lavender.
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Gelatin
The same active gel found in Jell-O, this animal product is used in the fining process to bind with excess tannins so that they may be removed during filtration.
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Glycerin
Produced during fermentation, glycerin contributes to the wine's body.
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Grafting
Uniting two plants so they grow as one. Most often used to join phylloxera resistant rootstock with vitis vinifera buds that will bear fruit.
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Gran Reserva
Gran Reserva, the highest level of Spainsh quality categories, is only made in the best vintages. This distinction requires reds to be aged at least five years with a minimum of two in oak.
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Grand Cru
French, literally "great growth," or the top tier of vineyards and their wines in regions that use the term.
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Grand Cru Classe
French term used to categorize vineyards by quality
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Grand Vin
The premier cuvee made by a winery. Grand vin, or "great wine," is an unregulated term frequently used in Bordeaux to indicate that a wine is the best of multiple wines made at a given winery.
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Grassy
A signature descriptor for Sauvignon Blanc.
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Gray Rot
Gray rot sets in when the fruit fungus Botrytis cinerea, as a result of persistent wet, humid conditions, overruns a crop and destroys the fruit. Fruit afflicted with gray rot appears to be covered in a carpet of gray fur.
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Green
Tasting of unripe fruit. Wines made from unripe grapes will often possess this quality.
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Grip
A welcome firmness of texture, usually from tannin, which helps give definition to wines such as Cabernet and Port.
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Halbtrocken
German term meaning "half-dry." Contains some residual sugar
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Harsh
Used to describe astringent wines that are tannic or high in alcohol.
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Hazy
Used to describe a wine that has small amounts of visible matter. Characteristic of wines that are unfined and unfiltered.
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Hectare
A quantity of land equivalent to 10,000 square meters or 2.47 acres. Used frequently in Europe to measure vineyard size.
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Hectoliter
A quantity of liquid equivalent to 100 liters or 26.4 gallons. In most of Europe, yield is measured in hectoliters per hectare vs. tons per acre in the U.S.
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Herbaceous
Describes the aromas and flavours of herbs in a wine.
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Horizontal Tasting
Tasting one vintage year but from a varity of producers of the same varietal. i.e. Cabernet from 2008 from 9 different producers from the same area. (Who has the best Cab? For that year)
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Hot
High alcohol, unbalanced wines that tend to burn with "heat" on the finish are called hot.
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Indicazione Geografica Tipica
The third of four classifications of wine recognized by the government of Italy. Created to recognize the unusually high quality of the class of wines known as Super Tuscans
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Intensity
Intensity relates to appearance and aroma. When evaluating appearance,intensity describes the concentration of color.
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Kabinett
German classification based on the ripeness level and sugar content of the grapes.
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Kosher Wine
Wine made according to Jewish dietary laws and certified by rabbinical authorities.
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Lactic Acid
A smooth (not sharp) acid created during malolactic fermentation. This acid is also found in milk.
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Lees
Dead yeast cells, grapeseeds, stems, pulp and tartrates (harmless tartaric acid crystals) remaining in a barrel or tank during and after fermentation. Immediately following fermentation, wine should be racked off of the gross lees, the wine may be aged for an extended period on the fine lees, in what's called "sur lie" aging.
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Legs
The viscous droplets that form and ease down the sides of the glass when the wine is swirled.
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Length
The amount of time that taste, flavour or mouthfeel persist after swallowing a wine. The longer the finish, the better the wine quality.
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Limousin
A forest near Limoges, France, that produces oak for barrels. The loose grained wood from this area readily imparts flavours to wine.
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Lingering
Used to describe the persistence of flavour in a wine after tasting. When the aftertaste remains on the palate for several seconds, it is said to be lingering.
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Liqueur de Tirage
A solution of wine, sugar and yeast added to a bottle of still base wine to begin the traditional method of making Champagne, or methode traditionnelle.
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Lively
Describes wines that are fresh and fruity, bright and vivacious.
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Maceration
This process, used primarily in making red wine, involves steeping grapeskins and solids in wine after fermentation, when alcohol acts as a solvent to extract color, tannins and aroma from the skins (aided by heat, the amount of skin contactand time). Cold maceration (steeping when the must is not heated), takes place before fermentation.
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Maderized
Describes the brownish color and slightly sweet, somewhat caramelized and often nutty character found in mature dessert-style wines.
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Malic Acid
A sharp, tart acid found in grapes as well as in green apples. Less-ripe grapes or grapes grown in cooler climates can contain high levels of malic acid; the resulting wines often contain aromas and flavours reminiscent of green apples. It isconverted to smoother lactic acid during malolactic fermentation.
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Malolactic Fermentation (ML)
A bacterial conversion occurring in most wines, this natural process converts sharper malic acid (found in green apples) into softer lactic acid (found in milk). Total acidity is reduced; the wines become softer, rounder and more complex. In addition, malolactic fermentation stabilizes wines by preventing an undesirable fermentation in the bottle. Often called the secondary fermentation. Frequently associated with big, rich, buttery Chardonnay, malolactic fermentation is prevented when fresher, crisper styles are desired.
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Manzanilla
Manzanilla is a category of fino Sherry.
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Meniscus
The thin rim at the edge of a wine's surface where the wine meets theglass.
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Mercaptans
Also known chemically as thiols, mercaptans are organosulfurcompounds that emit unpleasant, skunky aromas of rubber, sulfur or garlic.
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Methode Traditionnelle
The labor-intensive process whereby wine undergoes a secondary fermentation inside the bottle, creating bubbles. The process begins with the addition of a liqueur de tirage (a wine solution of sugar and yeast) to a bottle of still base wine, triggering a secondary fermentation inside the bottle which produces both carbon dioxide and spent yeast cells, or lees, which are collected in the neck of the bottle during the riddling process. The lees are then disgorged from the bottle, and replaced with a solution of wine and sugar, giving the sparkling wine its sweetness. All Champagne and most high-quality sparkling wine is made by this process. Also known as methode Champenoise, methode classique and metodo classico.
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Microoxygenation
This technique, used almost exclusively on red wines, allows winemakers to control the amount of oxygen that wines in tank are exposed to.
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Monopole
An appellation or other designated winegrowing region controlled entirelyby one winery. Notable examples include Domaine de la Romanée-Conti's Romanée-Conti and La Tâche grands crus in Burgundy and Château Grillet's Château-Grillet AOCin the Northern Rhône Valley.
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Mousse
The frothy head that forms at the surface of sparkling wine.
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Mouthfeel
Describes the sensation of wine in the mouth. Most descriptors are relatedto texture, for example: silky, smooth, velvety and rough. Mouthfeel is influenced bywine components, as acidity can be sharp, alcohol can be hot, tannins can be roughand sugar can be thick or cloying.
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Must
The unfermented juice of grapes extracted by crushing or pressing; grape juice in the cask or vat before it is converted into wine.
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Must Weight
Measurement of the sugar content in grape must, or unfermented grapejuice, which indicates the potential alcohol of the juice were all of the sugar to be converted to alcohol during fermentation.
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Musty
Having an off-putting moldy or mildewy smell. The result of a wine being madefrom moldy grapes, stored in improperly cleaned tanks and barrels, or contaminated by a poor cork.
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Nasal Fatigue
Diminished sensory perception; not uncommon after sniffing the same scent a number of times.
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Natural Yeasts
These are yeasts that occur naturally on the grapes, rather than commercially cultured yeasts; both are used for fermentation.
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Negociant
Negociants are merchants who buy grapes, juice, or finished wine from growers, then bottle and sell them on the market wholesale.
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Nevers
A forest in France that produces hard, medium-grained oak for barrels.
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New Oak
Refers to the first time a barrel is used, when it has the greatest impact on wine.
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New World
The New World is comprised of countries that have started producing wine more recently than the countries of Europe, including the United States ,Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa.
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Noble Rot
Also known by its scientific name, Botrytis cinerea, noble rot is a beneficial mold that grows on ripe wine grapes in the vineyard under specific climatic conditions. The mold dehydrates the grapes, leaving them shriveled and raisinlike and concentrates the sugars and flavours.
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Noble Varieties
Considered the classic grape varieties, originating in the Old World,which have the ability to make outstanding wines. Reds include Merlot, CabernetSauvignon, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese and Syrah (Shiraz in the SouthernHemisphere). Whites include Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Gerwerztraminer, Riesling,Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion.
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Non-Vintage
A wine blended with grapes grown in more than one vintage. This allows the vintner to keep a house style from year to year.
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Nose
The character of a wine as determined by the olfactory sense. Also called aroma; includes bouquet.
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Nouveau
A style of light, fruity, youthful red wine bottled and sold as soon as possible. Applies mostly to Beaujolais.
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Nutty
Used to describe oxidized wines. Often a flaw, but when it's close to an oaky flavour it can be a plus.
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Oak Chips
Instead of gaining complexity in expensive oak barrels during the aging process, some popularly-priced wines are aged with small pieces of wood to gain their oaky flavours.
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Oaky
Describes the aroma or taste quality imparted to a wine by the oak barrels or casks in which it was aged. Can be either positive or negative.
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Oechsle
Scale used in Germany to measure sugar levels and other solids in grapes or must to determine ripeness and potential alcohol.
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Off-Dry
Indicates a slightly sweet wine in which the residual sugar is barely perceptible.
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Old Vine
Some wines come from vines that are 50, 70 or even 100 years of age, which yield small quantities of concentrated fruit, and make a more concentrated and complex wine.
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Old World
The Old World refers to the countries of Europe where winemaking dates back centuries.
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Olfactory Epithelium
A dime-sized patch of nerve endings situated in the retronasal passage that connects the nose to the mouth.
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Oloroso
Oloroso is the darkest, richest category of dry Sherry. The wines are aged oxidatively, without the flor yeast cap that protects finos and amontillados, and may have alcohol levels up to 20 percent. The wines have a nutty aroma and flavour, and serve as the base for cream Sherry dessert wines.
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Optical sorter
A machine with an optic sensor that recognizes and removes non standard grapes based on size, shape and/or color with a puff of air.
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Orange wines
White wines made with extended grape skin contact during fermentation or maceration, imparting an orange hue to the finished wine, along with tannins.
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Organic Wine
The rules and methods for producing organic grapes and wine are still evolving. In most cases,organic wines are fermented from grapes grown without the use of synthesized fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. In organic wines, natural yeasts and minimal amounts of sulfur are often used in the fermentation process.
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Oxidative
Refers to winemaking practices that deliberately expose the wine to oxygen, such as the use of open-top fermentors and racking.
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Oxidized
Describes wine that has been exposed too long to air and taken on a brownish color, losing its freshness and perhaps beginning to smell and taste like Sherry or old apples. Oxidized wines are also called maderized or sherrified.
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Palate
The flavour or taste of a wine; also referred to as different sections of taste in the mouth.
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Passito
An Italian term literally translated as "sweet," passito is used in Italy to describe wines that have been made from dried grapes, in the appassimento method.
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Peak
The time when a wine tastes its best--very subjective.
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Perfumed
Describes the strong, usually sweet and floral aromas found in some wines, particularly white wines.
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Pétillant
A French term for lightly sparkling.
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PH
A chemical measurement of acidity or alkalinity; the higher the pH the weaker the acid.
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Phenolics
Tannins, color pigments and flavour compounds originating in the skins,seeds and stems of grapes. Phenolics, which are antioxidants, are more prevalent in red wines than in whites.
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Phylloxera
Tiny aphids or root lice that attack Vitis vinifera roots.
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Pierce's Disease
This bacterial disease, frequently spread by insects such as glassywinged sharpshooters and blue-green sharpshooters, kills vines within a few years of infestation; there are no known preventatives (other than quarantine) and no known cures.
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Pip
Another term for a grape seed.
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Polyphenol
In grapes, polyphenols are responsible for skin pigment, tannins and flavours all of which fall under the category of flavonoids.
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Polyphenolic Ripeness
Also known as physiological ripeness, is the concentration ofpolyphenols in grape skins, seeds and stems, in contrast to the traditional form of measuring ripeness based on sugar content (Brix, Baume, Oechsle).
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Pomace
The mass of grape solids—skins, stems and seeds—remaining after pressing(for whites) and after the wine has been drained from the fermentation vessel (forreds).
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Premier Cru
Refers to a top tier in a cru system. In Burgundy, it is second to grand cru.
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Press
After fermentation, the mixture of red grape juice, skins, lees and other solids is pressed to separate the juice from the solids. Because extended skin contact is undesirable for white wines, white grapes are pressed before fermentation.
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Press Wine (or Pressing)
The juice extracted under pressure after pressing for whitewines and after fermentation for reds. Press wine has more flavour and aroma,deeper color and often more tannins than free-run juice. Wineries often blend aportion of press wine back into the main cuvée for added backbone.
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Puckery
Describes highly tannic and very dry wines.
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Pump-Over
Also known as remontage, the process of pumping red wine up from the bottom of the tank and splashing it over the top of the fermenting must; the purpose is to submerge the skins so that carbon dioxide is pushed to the surface of the must and released.
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Punch-Down
Also known as pigeage, the process of breaking up the thick layer of skins, stems and seeds that forms at the surface of fermenting red wine and submerging it during fermentation to extract color, tannins, flavour and aromas from the grape solids.
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Pungent
Having a powerful, assertive smell linked to a high level of volatile acidity.
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Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP)
Former German quality classification meaning quality with distinction. Shortened now to Prädikatswein.
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Quinta
Portuguese term for Estate.
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Racking
The practice of moving wine from one container to another for aeration or clarification, leaving sediment behind.
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Racy
A tasting term referring to a style, rather than a smell or taste, generally marked by lively acidity and light juiciness.
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Raisiny
Having the taste of raisins from ultra-ripe or overripe grapes.
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Recently Disgorged
Indicates that the lees have been removed from a sparkling wine just prior to release. After sparkling wine has undergone the second fermentation in the bottle, the wine can remain on the lees for many years to develop additional complexity and richness.
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Recioto
Extremely concentrated Italian wine made from grapes that have been dried or raisined in special drying rooms for a few months after harvest before being crushed. The wine can be dry or slightly sweet.
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Reduced
Commonly used to describe a wine that has not been exposed to air and has developed stinky aromas due to reductive chemical reactions (as opposed to oxidation). Reduced notes in a wine generally result from the presence of volatile sulfur compounds, or mercaptans; these notes include rotten eggs, rubber, struck matches, sewage and even skunk. These off aromas may dissipate after exposure to air through decanting or swirling the wine in the glass.
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Reductive
Refers to winemaking practices that reduce a wine's exposure to oxygen,such as the use of stainless steel tanks and inert gases to minimize contact with air.This is done to maximize a wine's fresh fruit flavours.
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Refractometer
A handheld instrument that gauges grapes' ripeness by measuring the ratio of sugar and other solids in the grape juice. Used extensively during harvest by grape growers.
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Reserva
A quality classification in Spain. Red reservas must be aged at least threeyears, with a minimum of one year in oak.
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Residual Sugar
Unfermented grape sugar in a finished wine.
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Resveratrol
Polyphenol found in grape skins and wine as well as in other foods such as peanuts, blueberries and cranberries. It is believed to be the source of wine's health benefits; studies have linked resveratrol with improved heart health and endurance as well as reduced risk of age-related degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, blindness, cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
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Retronasal Passages
The retronasal passages are the airways that connect the nose and the mouth. Also home to a dime-sized patch of nerve endings called the olfactory epithelium. As we inhale through our nose or mouth, this little patch captures airborne aromas and flavours as they pass by, helping us identify thousands of unique aromas.
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Riddling
In making sparkling wine, the process of moving the sediment remaining in the bottle from the second fermentation to rest in the neck of the bottle for easy removal. The process of riddling is part of the methode traditionelle and was developed by Madame Clicquot (Veuve Clicquot) in the early 1800s to remove the cloudy lees from the bottles. The bottles are loaded in a horizontal position onto wooden racks called pupitres. At this point, the sediment rests on the side of thebottle. As the bottles are riddled, or given a sharp quarter-turn daily and gradually tilted upside-down, the sediment works its way to the bottle neck. Today, most producers use efficient mechanical riddlers. Also known as Remuage.
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Rim
Where the wine meets the edge of the glass, useful in describing color variationin a wine.
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Ripasso
Italian term for a process in which dried grapes or leftover grapeskins(pomace) are added to a fermented wine for a period of maceration to increase its intensity, flavour, alcohol and color.
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Ripe
The stage at which the grapes' many components have reached maturity.
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Riserva
Italian term indicating that the wine has been aged for an extra period of time prior to release.
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Rootstock
Disease-resistant native American grapevine grown specifically to provide a root system on which to graft Vitis vinifera varieties. Most of the world takes these measures to prevent attacks of phylloxera.
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Rosado
Spanish term for Rose.
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Rosato
Italian term for Rose.
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Rosé
Rosé, also known as blush wines, range in color from muted salmon-orange to bright pink. These wines are made from red grapes, colored through limited skin contact or, in rare cases, the addition of small quantities of red wine.
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Roto-Fermentor
A programmable, mechanized fermenting tank that rotates on an axis to mix the cap and grape must during fermentation to facilitate extraction of color, tannins and flavour.
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Rough
Describes the drying, gritty or furry mouthfeel associated with higher levels of tannins and coarse tannins.
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Round
Describes a texture that is smooth, not coarse or tannic.
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Rustic
Describes wines made by old-fashioned methods or tasting like wines made in an earlier era. Can be a positive quality in distinctive wines that require aging. Can also be a negative quality when used to describe a young, earthy wine that should be fresh and fruity.
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Saignée
A French term meaning literally "to bleed," saignee refers to the process of bleeding or pulling juice from a tank of red must that is just beginning fermentation.The goal is two-fold. First, the lightly-colored juice that is bled out of the tank produces a rose. Second, the must remaining in the tank has a higher proportion of grape skins to juice; the resulting wine will be richer and more concentrated.
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Secondary Fermentation
The process that creates the bubbles in sparkling wine. As the wine is bottled, a small amount of yeast and sugar is added before the bottle is sealed with a sturdy crown cap. The yeasts quickly start fermenting the sugars,producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Since the gas cannot escape, it dissolves into the wine.
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Sediment
As red wines age, color pigments and tannins bond together and fall out of solution, producing a natural sediment.
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Selection de Grains Nobles
Dessert wine classification used primarily in France's Alsace region. Selection de Grains Nobles is the highest classification level for sweet wines made from botrytized grapes in Alsace.
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Sensory Threshold
For any given aroma, flavour or taste, there is a concentration below which we are no longer able to detect it.
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Sforzato
An Italian term meaning "strained," sforzato wines are made in northern Italy's Valtellina region of Lombardy in the appassimento method, similar to Amarone, by laying harvested grapes on straw mats to dry for several months. The drying process concentrates sugars and results in higher alcohol wines.
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Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made in Jerez, Spain, most often from the Palomino grape but also from the Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel varieties. Following fermentation, the wine is fortified with distilled wine spirit, up to the minimum strength of 15.5 percent alcohol. The fortified wine is then usually aged in oak barrel sarranged in a solera system of multiple vintages, and which may include more than a hundred vintages of Sherry blended together.
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Skin Contact
Refers to the process of grape skins steeping in juice or fermenting must to impart color and flavour to the wine.
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Smaragd
The top category of white wines made in Austria's Wachau valley.
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Smoky
Usually the result of fermenting or aging in oak barrel.
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Solera
A set of barrels, frequently stacked, each containing multiple vintages of wine or spirits. The solera process, by which a given year's wine production is drawn from the oldest barrels in the solera and a portion of each subsequent vintage is used to top off each older barrel, is common to Sherry, Madeira, brandies and some Ports and whiskies.
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Sorting
Checking the grape clusters for soundness during harvest. When bins loadedwith grapes come in from the vineyard, they may contain overripe grapes, underripegrapes, moldy grapes, leaves and other debris.
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Spätlese
German classification based on the ripeness level and sugar content of the grapes. Meaning "late harvest,"Spätlesen are usually richer than kabinette-level wines because the grapes contain a higher concentration of sugar at harvest. The wines canbe dry or sweet.
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Spicy Skin Contact
A descriptor for many wines, indicating the presence of spice flavours such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, mint and pepper which are often present in complex wines.
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Spumante
Italian term for sparkling wine.
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Structure
Related to the mouthfeel of a wine, provided by acidity, tannin, alcohol, sugar and the way these components are balanced. Wines with low, unbalanced levels of acidity or tannin can be described as "lacking in structure" or "flabby." When the acidity or tannin levels are sufficiently high, a "firm structure" is the result.
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Style
Refers to the character, not the quality, of a wine, which is determined in the vineyard and in the winery. Common styles at two ends of a continuum are fresh and fruity at one end and big and oaky at the other end.
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Subtle
Describes delicate wines with finesse, or flavours that are understated rather than full-blown and overt. A positive characteristic.
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Sulfites
Winemakers all over the world use sulfur dioxide to clean equipment, kill unwanted organisms on the grapes and protect wines from spoilage. A tiny amount remains in the bottle, and U.S. label laws require a statement to announce its presence when 10ppm or more.
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Super Tuscan
Wines from Tuscany made using international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah rather than relying primarily on local varieties such as Sangiovese.
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Supple
Describes texture, mostly with reds, as it relates to tannin, body and oak.
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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 whites, to enrich them. (It is a normal part of fermenting red wine, and so is not noted.)
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Sweet
Sweet describes the sugar content in a wine, found at higher levels in late harvest and sweet wines.
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Tank Method
Also known as charmat, a less expensive method for making sparkling wine. The second fermentation takes place in a pressurized tank, rather than in abottle, decreasing lees contact and producing larger, coarser bubbles.
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Tannic
Used to describe a wine high in tannins or with a rough mouthfeel.
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Tannins
The mouth-puckering polyphenols, most prominent in red wines, that are derived primarily from grape skins, seeds and stems, but also from oak barrels.
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Tart
Sharp-tasting because of acidity. Occasionally used as a synonym for acidic.
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Tartaric Acid
The principal acid in grapes and wine; contributes to taste and stabilizes color. Unlike malic acid, tartaric acid does not decline as grapes ripen.
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Tartrates
Harmless crystals resembling shards of glass that may form during fermentation or bottle aging (often on the cork) as tartaric acid naturally present in wine precipitates out of solution.
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TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole)
A chemical compound that can give wine a musty, dirty, bitter, chalky character often described as moldy newspapers or damp cardboard. TCA can be formed in many ways; most consumers associate it with "corky" bottles, because corks are particularly susceptible to contamination by the compound. One common catalyst is chlorine, a widespread cleaning agent, coming into contact with plant phenols (which are found in cork and wood) and mold.
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Tertiary (flavours or aromas)
Refer to all non-fruit descriptors in a wine.
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Tete de cuvee
In Champagne, this refers to the top of the range of a specific house or grower's wines. Notable examples: Louis Roederer's Cristal and Moet & Chandon's Dom Parignon.
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Temperature of Fermentation
As yeasts convert grape sugars into alcohol, they also produce heat. Excessively high temperatures can kill the yeasts and make the wine's fruit flavours seem stewed or dull, whereas cooler temperatures maintain thefreshness of the fruit.
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Tenuta
Italian term for Estate.
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Terroir
A term describing the interaction of soil, climate, topography and grape variety in a specific site, imprinting the wine and making each wine from a specific site distinct.
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Thin
Lacking body and depth.
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Tight
Describes a wine's structure, concentration and body, as in a "tightly wound"wine. Closed or compact are similar terms.
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Toasted Barrels
As a barrel is being constructed, the cooper (barrel maker) chars the inside edges of the staves. This fina ltreatment imparts aromas of vanilla, spice and smoke to the wood and then the wine.
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Toasty
Describes a flavour derived from the oak barrels in which wines are aged.
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Transfer Method
Technique for making sparkling wine in which, after the second fermentation in the bottle and a short period of sur lie aging (but before riddling), the wine is transferred with sediment to a pressurized tank. The wine is then filtered under pressure and bottled.
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Trellising:
The process of tying up the annual green growth of vines on wires; a vine naturally wants to sprawl, but trellising organizes the new shoots, to expose more leaves and grape bunches to the sun and encourage air circulation to prevent rot.
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Trie
French term for sorting and harvesting the best grapes.
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Trocken
German term for dry, describing a wine with little or no residual sugar.
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Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA)
German classification based on the ripeness level and sugar content of the grapes. Trockenbeerenauslese means literally "dry berryselection."
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Ullage
Refers to the small air space in a wine bottle or barrel. Excessive air in the bottle increases the speed of oxidation.
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Umami
Is essentially the fifth taste. Discovered and noted by Chinese gourmets more than 1,200 years ago. Mushrooms,consomme, long-cooked meats, cured meats, shrimp, dried tomatoes and soy sauce all contain umami. This taste tends to bring out tannins or the oaky character inwines.
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Varietal:
Refers to a wine labeled with a single grape variety. Used predominantly in the United States and Australia, the term "varietal" denotes a wine named after and made from a single grape variety.
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Variety
A variety refers to the grape itself, whereas the term varietal refers to the wine made from that grape variety.
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Vegetal
Some wines contain elements in their smell and taste which are reminiscentof plants and vegetables.
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Velvety
Having rich flavour and a silky, sumptuous texture.
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Vendange
French term for harvest.
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Vendange Tardive
French term for late harvest.
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Vendange Tardive
Dessert wine classification used primarily in France's Alsace region.
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Vendimia
Spanish term for Harvest. Can also be used as a word for Vintage.
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Veraison
Occurs in late summer or early fall, when grapes start to lose their greencolor and take on mature hues, which can range from greenish yellow to red to almost black, depending on the variety.
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Vertical tasting
A tasting spanning multiple vintages of a single category of wine,usually a specific cuvee from one producer. ie. Cabernet from one producer covering multiple vitage years eg. 2002-2008 (Which vintage was the best?)
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Vieille Vigne
French term for Old Vine.
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Vigneron
French term for grape grower or winemaker.
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Vine Spacing
The distance between vines in a vineyard; can vary from about three feet to eight feet.
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Vine Training
The process of shaping the vine's permanent wood. In cool regions,vines trained low absorb more heat reflected off the ground, which helps ripen thefruit. In warmer regions, vines are trained higher so they do not absorb reflections.
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Viniculture
The science or study of grape production for wine and the making of wine.
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Vinification
Loosely synonymous with "winemaking," the act of creating wine from grapes, beginning with the crushing of grapes at harvest and ending when the fermented juice is barreled.
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Vinify
The act of Vinification, or creating wine from grapes.
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Vintage
Indicates the year in which the grapes were grown.
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Viscous
Describes full-bodied, thick, rich wines.
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Viticultural Area
Defines a legal grape-growing area distinguished by geographical features, climate, soil, elevation, history and other definable boundaries.
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Viticulture
The cultivation, science and study of grapes.
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Vitis Aestivalis
A hardy grape native to North America, hybrids of Vitis aestivalis are sometimes used for winemaking, the most prominent of which is the Norton grape.
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Vitis Labrusca
The species of grape native to the eastern U.S. that includes the Concord and Catawba varieties.
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Vitis Riparia
A hardy grape native to North America, Vitis Riparia is one of the phylloxera-resistant rootstocks used with Vitis Vinifera grape varieties.
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Vitis Vinifera
Classic European winemaking species of grape. Examples include Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay and most of the famous varieties grown around the world.
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Volatile (Volatile Acidity; VA)
Describes an excessive and undesirable amount of acidity, which gives a wine a slightly sour, vinegary edge.
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Vosges Oak
Tight-grained French oak from the Vosges Mountains in Alsace used tomake wine barrels.
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VQA
Vitner's Quality Alliance Act - regulates Wine production and Quality
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Yeast
Micro-organisms that convert sugar to alcohol and carbon dioxide in the process known as fermentation. Three categories of yeasts are common, including cultured, natural and wild.
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Yield
The quantity of grapes or wine produced measured in tons per acre or hectoliters per hectare.
