A

Abboccato: This is an Italian term found on Italian wine labels, which literally translates as palatable but actually means Medium-Sweet.

Abocado: The Spanish term for Medium-Sweet.

AC: See AOC.

Acetic Acid: A common volatile acid that is often detectable in white wines. It is harmless in wine but its level is controlled as too much can lead to a wine becoming acetic and unpleasant in character and taste.

Acidity: If a wine is Acidic you are likely to feel a slight prickling sensation on the sides of the tongue and the front of the gums. It comes from the natural acids present in the grapes and sometimes through the addition of acids during the winemaking process. The acidity of a wine will have a large influence on both the colour and quality of the final wine.

Acids: These are members of a large group of chemical compounds, which are responsible for the sharp or sour taste in wine. The most important acids present in grapes are Tartaric Acid and Malic Acid as well as several fatty acids and volatile acids.  The presence of acidity in wine is important and can be measured easily and is often encouraged as it can help to retain a wines freshness as well as help ward off any harmful bacteria. Apart from Tartaric and Malic Acid the other most common acids found in wine are Acetic, Citric and Succinic Acid.

Aeration: This is the controlled process of exposing wine to air so as to cause a reaction with oxygen. It is often encouraged during the wine making process to help cure wines suffering from a number of faults including the removal of malodorous and volatile compounds.

Aftertaste: This is the overall impression a wine leaves in the mouth after it has been swallowed. It is normally referred to as the “Finish” of a wine. Depending on the time the “Finish” stays in the mouth it is referred to as a short, medium or long finish. The longer the finish the better the wines supposed quality.

Ageing: The ageing of wine is considered by some as an important part of true wine appreciation. Wine is a fairly unique product in that it can improve in quality and value over time and there are some wine drinkers (Usually rich ones) who will only drink wines once they have been aged for a considerable time. However, most wines available are intended for consumption within twelve months of purchase and will not benefit from ageing.  If a wine is described as being aged then it will probably have been cellared either in cask or bottle long enough for the wine to have matured and improved.

Aggressive: A wine is considered aggressive when it tastes lively on the palate and is perhaps slightly over-tannic and out of balance.

Agrochemicals: This is the collective name used to describe materials used in winemaking to help control pests and diseases as well as fertilizers for plant nutrition. Their use within winemaking is strictly controlled and regulated by government and sometimes also by local laws. Their use is considered essential by some winemakers but frowned upon by many others, leading some winemakers to declare their products to be Organic and free of any agrochemicals.

Alcohol:   An essential element of most wines which binds and preserves. The term alcohol translates from the Arabic al-kuhl, which literally means the fine powder, which stains the eyelids. What!!

It relates to an Arabic term for a powder and later any liquid particularly those which were a product of distillation which represented the essence or spirit of a pure quality product.

Altitude:  This is the measurement of height above sea level and plays an important part in many winemakers’ lives. The altitude of a particular vineyard will affect its climate and therefore its potential to produce grapes at a decent standard. As a general rule, for every 100m you rise in altitude you lose an average of 1degree centigrade per annum. Grapes can be grown at all sorts of altitudes with the highest vineyard used for commercial wine making lying at 1695m in the Salta province of North West Argentina.

Animals: The presence of unwanted animals in the vineyard can cause great problems for winemakers. The main problem comes from reduction in crop size due to animals eating on the foliage and grapes found on the vines. The worst offenders include Kangaroos in Australia, Sheep in New Zealand, Wild Boar in Portugal and Germany and Deer and Squirrels in America.

Anthocyans: This is the collective name given to members of a complex group of organic chemical compounds that are responsible for giving grapes their red to purple colours.

Anthracnose: This is a fungal disease, which affects vine plants and is often called “Black Spot”. It used to be a lot more serious of a problem but is today controlled through judicious use of lime-based Bordeaux mixture.

Aperitifs: These are drinks served prior to food to stimulate the appetite by opening up the digestive system and preparing it for the incoming food. The best wines to serve as aperitifs include Sparkling wines and virtually any light, dry, still white wine. Some sweet wines are also particularly appealing when served as an aperitif although the lighter styles of sweet wines are much more appropriate than a thick, viscous dessert wine.

AOC:  Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, better known, as Appellation Contrôlée (AC) is the title given to the French system of designating and controlling the origin of food and drink products. Wines produced within the AOC system must adhere to strict regulations and controls over their growing locality, conditions and production methods.

Aroma:  This is the term used to describe a simple smell that is easily identifiable.

Aspect:   A vitally important part of siting a vineyard is the aspect at which it lies. The aspect refers to the general direction of a slope, e.g. south facing. The aspect of a vineyard will affect the exposure of the vines to the various elements that make up the climate of the vineyard.

Assemblage: This is the process where lots of different wines are assembled together to create a house style. A good example of Assemblage is the work undertaken by the major Champagne houses each year when they create their house style. It is a process not dissimilar to that undertaken by tea-blenders.

Astringent: A puckering sensation imparted to red wines by its tannin level. A puckering quality adds to the total sense of the wine, giving it a sense of structure, style, and vitality. Tannins are an essential component in red wines, which are made to improve with age while in bottle. Wines vinified for prolonged aging are harshly tannic when young, but mellow when the wine ages and the tannins precipitate to form a sediment in the bottom of the bottle.

Auslese: Literally meaning “Picked Out”. It is a German wine term, which is enshrined by German wine law. Any German wine bearing the Auslese term on its label must adhere to the regulations set out for all QMP wines. Auslese wines are made from fully ripe grapes, with all unripe and diseased grapes removed. The wine is naturally sweet, rich and full and no sugar may be added to increase its natural sweetness level.

B

Bacchus: Bacchus is the God of wine-sorry Oz! He was honoured by the Greeks and Ancient Rome and to this day celebrated as an image of wine and pleasure. In the USA the Society of Bacchus is a huge wine society for dedicated wine drinkers and enthusiasts.

Balance: This is what all winemakers strive to achieve and refers to the balance of the wines main physical components, fruit, tannin, acid, alcohol and sweetness/dryness.  A wine is considered to be well balanced when all the essential components have combined well with no particular character standing out from any other.

Barrel:  A cylindrical container, which is usually made from oak wood and is an important tool in the production of fine wines where it is used to either ferment or mature the wine.

Barrel Fermentation: This is the process of fermenting a wine in a small oak barrel as opposed to a stainless steel, concrete or glass tank. More common in white wines than red particularly well known varieties such as Chardonnay and Viura.

Barrel Maturation:  This is the wine making process of storing a fermented wine in a wooden barrel so that some of the character of the oak is imparted to the wine creating a more balanced and softened wine. The barrel also allows some slow absorption of oxygen, which can be helpful in softening any harsh elements within the wine.  Barrel

Matured wines are likely to fetch higher prices than those that have not undergone any maturation period.

Barrique: This is the most common of the wooden barrel types and has a capacity of 225 litres. Although there are certain countries such as Germany who use the word to describe any small oak barrel.

BATF: These are the initials for the Bureau Of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms. It is the regulatory body that controls the wine trade in the United States. Some winemakers regard their intervention and control as unnecessary bureaucracy whilst others see their work as essential in regulating and protecting the American wine trade.

Beerenauslese: This is a quality level of German Wine defined by German wine law. It translates as “Berry-selected”. The wines are very rich and sweet and are made from individually selected berries, which are selected for their high sugar content, quality and the amount of noble rot they contain. They fetch very high prices and are considered a rarity.

Bianco: The Italian term for white.

Bin: A traditional term for a collection of wine bottles, which would normally be stored together in a horizontal position. Each wine or set of wines are given a bin label to help identify them and a Bin End is the term given to signify the small amount of bottles left from a larger lot.  Watch out for Bin End sales as an ideal source of bargain wines – although be aware of prices which seem too good to be true!

Blending: A wine-making technique of combining different wines to create one really good wine. Often, wines from different grapes are blended. In the case of Champagne and port, wines from different vintages are blended to create a “non-vintage” wine and is referred to as Assemblage.

Bodega: A Spanish term for a wine house (Chateau Or Domaine in France), wine company, wine cellar, or even a wine shop. So if offered a trip to a Bodega make sure you know which one your going to.

Body: The texture and weight of wine as felt in the mouth. Alcohol, fruit extraction, sugar, glycerol, and acidity all play a part in a wine’s body. Wine is generally described as full-bodied” “medium- bodied”, or “light-bodied”, depending on how it “feels” in the mouth.

Botrytis Cinerea: A type of mold that can attack grapes grown in moist and humid conditions. It is considered undesirable for most grape varieties. It can also be a problem when it infects a vineyard prior to the grapes reaching full maturity. Vineyards are therefore regularly treated to prevent its occurrence. When it attacks fully mature grapes it causes them to shrivel, concentrating both the acidity and the sugar whilst reducing the level of water in the grape resulting in an intensified flavour and a sweetness balanced by the remaining acidity. This is generally considered beneficial and highly desirable when required for white varieties such as the Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Chenin Blanc, from which luscious sweet, sticky dessert wines are made.

Breathe: Wine “breathes” when it is exposed to air. Technically, once the cork is removed from the bottle, it begins to aerate with the outside air. Rich, young wines with high tannins will often benefit from breathing. Simply removing the cork from a bottle for a few minutes is not enough to let the wine breathe. You need to pour (or decant) the wine into another container such as a carafe as this will help to provide more aeration. Even allowing a wine to sit in you glass will cause it to breathe somewhat, and the wine may “open up”, meaning that the aroma will become more intense and enjoyable.

C

Carafe: a simple glass container with a large wide open mouth often used by a restaurant for serving the “house wine”.

Chaptalisation:

This is a process of raising the final alcohol content of a wine by adding sugar to the grape juice or must either before or during the fermentation process. Also known as Enrichment the name Chaptalisation is taken from its French inventor, Jean Antoine Chaptal. Uncommon in Southern Europe it is almost the norm in Northern Europe where cooler climatic influences often mean that grapes fail to reach their full ripeness level.

Character: The distinctive, obvious features of a particular wine. Specific types of wine and varietals will have a “character” that differentiates it from others. For example, Sauvignon Blanc is said to have a character of Gooseberry and Grapefruit flavours whilst Chardonnay is often described as having melon and buttery characters.

Closed: When a wine is not showing its full potential, it is often described as “closed”. This means that the fruit is being suppressed by the other characteristics in the wine such as the acidity, alcohol or tannins.  Good quality wines are often “closed” during their youth, and will “open up” and improve over time as they mature.

Cloying: A term for a wine that has a much greater feeling of sweetness than acidity. Many people find cloying wines difficult to drink as the sweetness and stickiness override any of the other main characteristics of the wine. Cloying wines are best served with desserts and cheese although some people prefer to drink them unaccompanied by food.

Colour: Observing a wines colour will add no enjoyment to your wine appreciation. However it may provide some clues to a wines age and identity. Wines are classified as red, rose and white but can vary widely in each of these categories.

Cooperage: Refers to the workplace where the wooden barrels and tanks used for aging wines are produced. The cooperage business works hand in hand with the wine trade and is performed in the main by specialist firms whilst many of the larger operations employ their own cooperage on-site.

Creamy: Wines that have a soft impression of creaminess are often described as creamy and may gain this impression from either the grape variety or the method of vinification. A wine can often be described as having a creamy-fruit character or a creamy-oak character.

Crisp: A desired attribute in a lot of white wines, indicating a plentiful but not too sharp level of acidity. A crisp wine will often be described as fresh, lively or racy.

Cru Bourgeois: This is a term used on wine labels to refer to the red wines of the Haut-Medoc from Bordeaux that are ranked on the quality scale as just below the Grande Cru Classe wines of the 1855 Bordeaux classification.

Cru Classe: Literally translates as “Classified growth”. Refers to the term used on red wine labels to describe those wines that were originally classified as Grande Cru Classe in the 1855 Bordeaux classification.

Crush: American term commonly used to refer to the entire grape harvest or growing season. Most specifically refers to the breaking of the grape berry to free the juice for fermentation.

Crust: A name for the sediment that an older red wine may “throw” or leave as a result of ageing. This term is usually used only when talking about Port. Crusted Port is a style of Port invented by British shippers to create a less expensive style of Port, which is similar to Vintage Port in quality but a lot quicker to produce and mature.

Cuve: A French term for a large vat or tank, usually made of wood, concrete or stainless steel and traditionally employed for the fermentation of grape juice into wine.

Cuvee:  A French term that refers to the content of a wine vat. More loosely used to refer to all the wine made at one time or under similar conditions. Sometimes refers to a specific pressing, or batch of wine and is used in Champagne to describe the first or best juice to flow from the press. Sometimes used as part of a brand name or trademark, or as a wine label term to refer to a batch of wine.

D

Decanter: A glass container that is used for the decanting of wine from the bottle. Though a decanter can be as simple as a cheap wine carafe or as is the case in our house a Cafetiere, there are some expensive decanters made from crystal that can be both functional and beautiful. 

Decanting: The act of pouring wine from the bottle into another container. Normally done for one of two reasons: either to aerate the wine or to separate sediment from an older red wine.

Demi-Sec:

Seen on French wine labels this literally means half-dry, so expect a medium dry wine not one that is medium sweet.

Dosage: Also known as Liqueur d’expedition and is a small amount of sugar syrup and reserve wine that is added to Champagne, right after degorgement. The final sweetness and residual sugar of the wine is determined by this process.

Doux: French term used to describe a sweet wine.

Dry: The  direct opposite of sweet. Some wines are considered medium-dry or off-dry, meaning that there is some residual sweetness to a wine although not a great amount.