Winemaking Glossary – from A to Z

A

Acetic Acid
All wines contain acetic acid, or vinegar, but usually the amount is quite small–from 0.03 percent to 0.06 percent–and not perceptible to smell or taste. Once table wines reach 0.07 percent or above, a sweet-sour vinegary smell and taste becomes evident. At low levels, acetic acid can enhance the character of a wine, but at higher levels (over 0.1 percent), it can become the dominant flavor and is considered a major flaw. A related substance, ethyl acetate, contributes a nail polish-like smell.

Acid
A compound present in all grapes and an essential component of wine that preserves it, enlivens and shapes its flavors 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.

Aftertaste
The flavor that stays in the mouth after swallowing wine. Also known as a wine’s finish, this flavor can be buttery, oaky, spicy, tart, bitter, etc.

Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol, a chemical compound formed by the action of natural or added yeast on the sugar content of grapes during fermentation.

Appearance
Refers to a wine’s clarity, not color.

B

Balance
A well-balanced wine is a primary goal of the wine maker. Such a wine blends all of its components gracefully: the fruit, tannin, acid, and sugar. A wine’s balance may only be realized after some aging.

Body
The impression of weight or fullness on the palate; usually the result of a combination of glycerin, alcohol and sugar. Commonly expressed as full-bodied, medium-bodied or medium-weight, or light-bodied.

Bottle
Glass bottles are the most common containers for storing wine. Glass is ideal because it does not affect the wine in any way, even during extended periods.

Bottle Sickness
A temporary condition characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are shaken in travel. Also called bottle shock. A few days of rest is the cure.

Bouquet
A French term for the aroma of a wine. The bouquet is often the first indicator of a wine’s quality during wine tasting. Aromas may include fruit, spice, and other smells associated with a particular grape variety, region, or condition of the wine. The bouquet of a Merlot, for example, will often contain aromas of raspberry and cassis (black currant).

Breathing
Allowing a wine to mix with the air. Aeration occurs by pouring the wine into a larger container, such as a decanter or large wineglass. Breathing can be beneficial for many red wines and also for some young white wines. Chemically, breathing enables oxygen to mix with the wine, which hastens the aging process. If a wine stands open for more than 12 hours, it will begin to turn to vinegar as the oxygen continues to work. Whether to let a wine breathe before serving depends on the wine. Contrary to popular belief, it is not always beneficial to let older wines breathe prior to drinking, as this can cause them to “turn” – or go bad – before dinner is over.

Brilliant
A clear and bright – as opposed to cloudy – appearance.

C

Capsule
The protective metal or plastic sheath over the cork and neck of a wine bottle. The capsule keeps the cork from drying out and admitting air into the bottle.

Cellar
A storage area for wine, not necessarily underground. A cellar is the best area to keep wines for aging. Ideal conditions are darkness, controlled cool temperature, and high humidity. Bottles should be stored on their sides to keep the corks from drying out.

Character
That which makes a wine distinctive. A region’s winemaking tradition, soils, and grape varieties combine to produce a wine’s character.

Clarification
The process of removing cloudiness in the wine by filtration and/or fining.

Cloudy
The opposite of clear or brilliant. Possibly the result of sediment being stirred up during transportation.

Cloying
Overly sweet, and lacking the correct amount of acidity to give the wine balance.

Cold Stabilization
A clarification technique in which a wine’s temperature is lowered to 32° F, causing the tartrates and other insoluble solids to precipitate.

Cork
Corks are produced from the bark of cork trees, which are grown mainly in Spain and Portugal. Corks are airtight and have for years been the best way to seal wine bottles.

Corked
An expression meaning the wine has gone bad. Implies an unpleasant, musty, moldy smell imparted by a flawed cork. Cork can contain bacteria that will cause “off” flavors in the wine. Quality cork manufacturers bleach and process corks to minimize the chance of a bottle being “corked.” Unfortunately, almost one out of twelve bottles will have some off, corky flavors. It is for this reason that alternative wine bottle closures have been tested in recent years, but the use of non-cork closures has been resisted by traditionalists. Any closure that seals the bottle airtight is a perfect one for wine. Contrary to popular belief, cork does not – or should not – let air into a wine bottle over time. It is intended to create an airtight seal.

D

Decanting
A process for separating the sediment from a wine before drinking. Accomplished by slowly and carefully pouring the wine from its bottle into another container.

Dosage
In bottle-fermented sparkling wines, a small amount of wine (usually sweet) that is added back to the bottle once the yeast sediment that collects in the neck of the bottle is removed.

Dry
Having no perceptible taste of sugar. Most wine tasters begin to perceive sugar at levels of 0.5 percent to 0.7 percent.

E

Enology
The science and study of winemaking. Also spelled oenology.

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.

F

Fermentation
The process by which yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide; turns grape juice into wine.

Filtering
The process of removing particles from wine after fermentation. Most wines unless otherwise labeled are filtered for both clarity and stability.

Fining
A technique for clarifying wine using agents such as bentonite (powdered clay), gelatin or egg whites, which combine with sediment particles and cause them to settle to the bottom, where they can be easily removed.

Finish
The key to judging a wine’s quality is finish, also called aftertaste–a measure of the taste or flavors that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted. Great wines have rich, long, complex finishes.

Fragrant
A fragrant wine is very aromatic and flowery. Common wine fragrances are floral, spice, and fruit aromas such as pineapple, blackberry, peach, apricot, and apple. The variety of the grape is primarily responsible for a wine’s fruit fragrances.

Fruity
A fruity wine is one in which fruit flavors dominate the aroma and taste. Often these wines are easy-drinking and light.

G

H

Hazy
Used to describe a wine that has small amounts of visible matter. A good quality if a wine is unfined and unfiltered.

Herbaceous
Describes a wine that smells or tastes grassy or green. Often a characteristic of wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes. Can also be found in very young wines that will change flavor as they age. Primarily a function of the grape variety, not soil or climate.

I

J

K

L

Lees
The deposits which gather at the bottom of the carboy during winemaking (also known as trub).

Legs
The viscous droplets that form and ease down the sides of the glass when the wine is swirled.

Length
The amount of time the sensations of taste and aroma persist after swallowing. The longer the better.

Light
A term used to describe the body or color of a wine. A light wine is usually easy to drink and not high in alcohol. Muscadet is a light white wine. Beaujolais is an example of a light red wine.

M

Mature
Ready to drink.

Mead
A wine, common in medieval Europe, made by fermenting honey and water. Recently mead has enjoyed new popularity. Wine makers now make flavored mead.

Méthode Champenoise
French term for the method used to make champagne, which is fermented in the bottle. French champagnes and many other sparkling wines are produced using this traditional French technique. The monk Dom Pérignon is credited with inventing this method.

Mulled Wine
Red wine that has been mixed with sugar, lemon, and spices, usually including cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg. Served hot.

Must
The unfermented juice of grapes extracted by crushing or pressing; grape juice in the cask or vat before it is converted into wine.

N

Nose
The character of a wine as determined by the olfactory sense. Also called aroma; includes bouquet.

O

Oak
The most popular wood for constructing barrels. Oak imparts flavors and tannin to wines during the barrel aging process; home winemakers can also accomplish this by using oak chips or powder.

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.

P

Peak
The time when a wine tastes its best–very subjective.

pH
A chemical measurement of acidity or alkalinity; the higher the pH the weaker the acid. Used by some wineries as a measurement of ripeness in relation to acidity. Low pH wines taste tart and crisp; higher pH wines are more susceptible to bacterial growth. A range of 3.0 to 3.4 is desirable for white wines, while 3.3 to 3.6 is best for reds.

Q

R

Racking
The practice of moving wine by hose from one container to another, leaving sediment behind. For aeration or clarification.

Residual Sugar
Unfermented grape sugar in a finished wine.

S

T

Tannin
Substances in must that give wine a tart taste. Occurs naturally in stems, skins, and pips of grapes.

Tartaric acid
The principal acid in wine.

Tartrates
Harmless crystals of potassium bitartrate that may form in cask or bottle (often on the cork) from the tartaric acid naturally present in wine.

Trub
See Lees, above.

U

V

Viniculture
The science or study of grape production for wine and the making of wine.

W

X

Y

Yeast
Micro-organisms that produce the enzymes which convert sugar to alcohol. Necessary for the fermentation of grape juice into wine.

Z

Glossary of winemaking terms from grapestomper.com