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ACETIC ACID
Wines contain several types of acid,
but acetic is the bad one: it suggests
vinegar and is sometimes referred to
as volatile acidity. If present at more
than minimal levels, it makes a wine
unpleasant.
ACIDITY
Acid is present in all grapes, and therefore
all wines. It is extremely important
(particularly in white wines) in determining
structure, shape and lifespan. Good
acid levels can make a wine crisp and
refreshing, supporting the aftertaste.
Acidity also helps preserve a wine.
Wines low in acidity are often described
as tasting flabby.
AERATION
Letting a wine "breathe" before
drinking it in order to soften the tannins,
smooths out the wine, and allow the
bouquet and flavors to open up. Young
red wines benefit most from aeration,
which is accomplished by decanting the
bottle into another container; or else,
by swirling the wine in a glass.
AFTERTASTE
Also called the "finish,"
this is the taste that remains in the
mouth after the wine is swallowed. A
really great wine will have a long,
complex aftertaste.
AGGRESSIVE
A term used to describe a wine with
harsh flavors, often the result of too
much tannin or acid.
AMERICAN OAK
Along with French oak, American oak
is the most widely used wood in the
world to build barrels for wine aging.
American oak barrels are most often
used to age red wines (especially Zinfandels,
Cabernets and Syrahs), Spanish Sherries,
Australian red wines, Bourbon and Scotch.
Less frequently utilized in the production
of white wines, American oak has a different
spice flavor than French oak. In fact,
the flavors vary from different forests
and states. Kentucky oak imparts mellower
flavors, for example, than Oregon oak.
Examples of two famous California wines
aged in 100% American oak are the classic
vintages of Beaulieu Private Reserve
Cabernet Sauvignon (from the 1940's
to the 1970's) and ZD Chardonnay.
AMERICAN VITICULTURAL AREA
(AVA)
A particular geographical location,
such as Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley,
which has been officially, designated
a grape-growing area in the United States
by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and
Firearms. See also: viticultural area.
APPELLATION
A system developed by the French to
regulate the authenticity of their finest
wines. Appellation applies specifically
to the region where the grapes were
grown. The French also regulate what
grapes can be grown where; what winemaking
methods can be used; how large the yields
can be; etc. Other countries have adopted
their own versions of controlled appellations
with varying success.
AROMA
The scent of a wine--frequently used
interchangeably with the word "bouquet."
Some tasters apply the term aroma only
to the fruit-like fragrances of a young
wine, and subsequently refer to the
more complex smells of bottle-aged wines
as bouquet.
ASTRINGENT
The mouth puckering sensation caused
by wines (usually reds) that are high
in tannin. Sometimes astringency can
be appealing in a wine and favorably
complement food. Astringency tends to
decline with bottle age.
AUSTERE
Describes high acid wines; sometimes
used in reference to young wines.
BACKBONE
Often used to describe wines with good
acidity and tannic structure.
BAKED/COOKED
A characteristic-usually not complementary-of
wines produced from very ripe and over-ripe
grapes.
BALANCE
Describes a wine with harmonious elements,
in reference to the balance of acids,
tannins and fruit.
BALTHAZAR
A huge bottle that holds 16 standard
bottles.
BARREL FERMENTED
Wine (usually whites) fermented in,
typically, 55-gallon oak barrels rather
than neutral containers such as stainless
steel. Barrel fermentation requires
careful cellar attention, but can contribute
to increasing the complexity and flavor
of a wine by adding suggestions of spice
and vanilla from the interaction of
the wine and the wood. Most often used
in the fermentation of Chardonnay.
BITTER
Often caused by too much tannin, this
is most often not a desirable trait
in wine. However, many Italian red wines
feature an appealing amount of bitterness
that balances wonderfully with pasta
and tomato sauces.
BLANC DE BLANCS
Wine made of white grapes, such as sparkling
wines made from Chardonnay.
BLANC DE NOIRS
White wine made from red grapes, such
as sparkling wines made from Pinot Noir.
Blanc de Noirs often have a pale pink
color.
BODY
The feeling of a wine's weight in the
mouth, such as full-bodied, medium-bodied
or light-bodied.
BOTRYTIS CINEREA
A fungus or mold that causes grapes
to shrivel and become very concentrated.
Also called the "Noble Rot,"
it is a desirable condition and causes
ripe grapes to shrivel, resulting in
the remaining juice becoming very concentrated.
Such nobly rotted grapes yield the honeyed
richness of many classic dessert wines
like French Sauternes, German Trockenbeerenauslese,
and Hungarian Tokaji. Conditions are
right for the formation of Botrytis
only in certain vintages and the wines
cannot be produced in every year.
BOTTLE SICKNESS
A temporary condition (often caused
by shaking a bottle) that interferes
with a wine's fruit flavors. It can
be alleviated with a few days' rest.
BOTTLED BY
Indicates the winery bottled the wine
but did not necessarily grow, pick or
ferment the grapes.
BOUQUET
Often used interchangeably with the
word aroma. Some tasters use the term
to specifically refer to the scents
of a bottle-aged wine, which includes
the complexities beyond the fruit aromas
of a young wine.
BRILLIANT
A wine of absolute clarity. This is
not important to most experienced tasters,
since highly filtered wines will always
be brilliant-yet the process of filtration
can strip much of the flavor and character
from a fine wine. Most of the finest
wines available deposit sediment with
aging.
BRIX
A system used to measure the sugar content
of grapes and wine. On labels, wineries
sometimes list the Brix at the time
of harvest to express the degree of
ripeness of the grapes (normally in
the range of 20° to 25°).
BRUT
Used by sparkling wine producers to
indicate a dry wine; a producer's Brut
is always drier than an Extra Dry bottling.
BULK PROCESS
See Charmat.
BUTTERY
Describes rich wines with a texture
like that of melted butter, often referring
to Chardonnay.
CAPSULE
The metal or plastic material that covers
the cork and top of a wine bottle. Now
used for decorative purposes more than
anything, capsules originally functioned
as a means of protecting corks in old
cellars from being attacked by insects,
etc.
CASK NUMBER
An unregulated term that suggests a
wine is special. Some wineries use a
cask number to indicate their finest-or
reserve bottling, such as Stag's Leap
Wine Cellars and the classic Inglenook
Napa wines. But cask numbers can be
applied to any wine-as can the word
reserve.
CHAPTALIZATION
To add sugar during the fermentation
process when the grapes have not ripened
adequately, for the purpose of raising
the alcohol level of the wine. It is
not done to make the wine sweet, as
the sugar is fermented into alcohol.
Chaptalization is common in northern
Europe, where grapes have to struggle
to fully ripen. It is legal in some
regions (Burgundy) and not allowed in
others (California).
CHARMAT
Also known as bulk process, this is
an inexpensive way to create bubbles
in sparkling wine. The wine undergoes
fermentation in stainless steel tanks
rather than individual bottles, and
is bottled under pressure rather like
pop. The result is coarser, larger bubbles
and simpler flavors-but bulk process
sparkling wines can be sold much more
cheaply than methode champanoise wines.
Popular American examples include brands
such as Cooks and Andre.
CHARDONNAY
Arguably the best and most widely planted
white wine grape in the world.
CHEWY
Describes full-bodied, sometimes tannic
wines-rich enough to chew on.
CLEAN
A well-made wine with no off smells
or flavors.
CLONE
The offspring of grape vines that contains
the genetic material of the parent.
There are very many clones of grape
varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot
Noir-some may ripen earlier than others,
produce a larger yield, or have different
characteristics the grower considers
important. Research is continuing in
this field and clonal selections are
being studied in vineyards all over
the world.
COMPLEXITY
When a wine is at once rich and deep,
yet balanced and showing finesse. No
greater compliment can be paid a wine.
A mature Chateau Latour, d'Yquem or
La Tache Burgundy are prime examples
of complex wines.
CORKED
Describes a wine that smells and tastes
musty or moldy; a problem caused by
a defective cork.
CRUST
The name applied to sediment that forms
in the bottom and sides of a wine bottle,
commonly found in Vintage Ports.
CUVEE
Like the words cask and reserve, cuvee
is an unregulated term that some wineries
use to indicate a special (or reserve)
batch of wine.
DECANTING
To slowly pour wine from the bottle
into another container, thereby ridding
the wine of its sediment.
DEMI-SEC
Literally "partly dry" though
when referring to sparkling wines it
indicates slight to medium sweetness.
In sparkling wines, Demi-Sec is always
sweeter than Extra Dry and Brut.
DEPTH
Describes a wine of complexity and intense
flavors; a wine that makes more than
a first impression and is worth paying
attention to.
DRY
No discernible sugar taste.
DRYING OUT
When a wine's fruit flavor has been
diminished due to age; a wine becomes
less attractive and past its prime when
the flavors are overtaken by the taste
of tannin, acid or alcohol.
EARTHY
Can either describe a clean, complex
taste and aroma that reminds one of
fresh garden soil; or a funky, livestock
and farm-like connotation that is not
a compliment. As a positive example,
earthy is often used to describe the
wonderful flavor of red Graves wines
such as Chateau Haut Brion.
ELEGANT
Describes beautiful, well balanced wines-graceful,
not necessarily full-bodied.
ENOLOGY
The science of winemaking; also spelled
oenology.
ENOPHILE
Someone who enjoys and appreciates fine
wine; also spelled oenophile.
ESTATE-BOTTLED
Indicates a winery owns the vineyard
from whence the grapes come or has a
long-term lease arrangement for the
grapes.
EXTRA-DRY
The equivalent of semi-dry, Extra Dry
is a term used to describe sparkling
wines that are not as dry as Brut.
EXTRACT
Pronounced concentration of fruit in
a wine. A good sign unless it is manifested
in too-high levels of tannin. The components
and concentration of a wine that contribute
to its flavor. Over-extracted wines,
however, are often harsh due to fermenting
too long on the grape skins.
FAT
Describes the feel of wines that are
full-bodied and mouth filling. Most
late-harvest dessert wines, for example,
are luscious and fat.
FERMENTATION
When sugar is turned to alcohol by yeast,
causing grape juice to become wine.
FIELD BLEND
It used to be a common practice to intersperse
complementary grapevines in a vineyard;
when all the grapes are harvested together,
the resulting wine is often referred
to as a field blend. Examples include
many of the old Sonoma Zinfandel vineyards
(such as Ridge Lytton Springs) where
Petite Sirah was commonly planted with
Zinfandel.
FILTERING
A process of "cleaning up"
a wine used after fermentation (and
before bottling); similar to running
coffee through a filter, but arguably
not always necessary to produce fine
wine. The purpose of filtering is to
remove sediment, grape skins, dead yeast,
etc., from the wine. Filtering can range
from very fine to coarse; however, it
is increasingly being minimized (or
avoided whenever possible) because the
finer the filtering, the more flavors
and character are stripped from the
wine. Many wineries are using the more
labor-intensive, old-fashioned practices
of fining or racking to clarify wines
these days. Historically, many filters
before the 1980's were made from asbestos.
FINING
A traditional winemaker technique for
clarifying wines by adding egg whites
or bentonite (clay) to casks of wine;
the eggs collect particles and sediment
and slowly sink to the bottom of the
cask (where the material is then removed).
Considered a less intrusive process
for clarifying wines than filtering.
FINISH
The lasting impression, or aftertaste,
of a wine on the palate. A long, complex
finish is desirable.
FLABBY
Soft feel and lack of acidity on the
palate; the opposite of firmly structured
wines.
FLAT
Often used to describe wines that are
low in acidity and lack zip.
FLESHY
Soft, smooth texture with low tannins.
FLINTY
A stone or mineral-like character often
used to describe Sauvignon Blanc and
French Chablis.
FLORAL
Tasting and/or smelling of flowers
FORTIFIED
Wines with a higher than normal alcohol
content due to the addition of brandy
or spirits. Examples include Port, Sherry
and Madeira.
FRENCH OAK
The classic wood for wine barrels, it
imparts flavors of vanilla, cedar and/or
other spices. The oak from different
French forests lends slightly different
characteristics to the wine, and is
therefore named for the forest region
from which it was harvested. Famous
French names include Limousin, Nevers,
Allier and Troncais. French oak is vital
not only in the production of great
French wines, but is also used around
the world to age everything from California
Chardonnay to Oregon Pinot Noir to Australian
Cabernets.
FRUIT BOMB
An informal wine term often applied
to New World (especially California)
wines produced from very ripe grapes
that emphasize lush fruit flavors combined
with soft, low acid structures. Examples
of fruit bombs include the soft, tropical-fruit-like
Chardonnays of Kendall-Jackson.
GRASSY
Characteristics reminding the taster
of grass or fresh hay; frequently used
to describe the flavor and aroma of
Sauvignon Blanc.
HARD
High in acidity or tannins; a less complementary
way of describing a firmly structured
wine.
HEADY
High in alcohol.
HERBACEOUS
Tasting or smelling of herbs; frequently
a component of Cabernets and Sauvignon
Blancs.
HOLLOW
Lacking in middle flavors and structure;
the sense that something is missing
between the first taste and the finish.
Hollow wines are often the result of
yields that are too large, diluting
the quality of the grapes.
HOT
Describes unbalanced, high alcohol wines
that have a burning flavor sensation.
HOUSE STYLE
Nonvintage wines (which are blends of
multiple vintages) allow vintners to
create a "house style" by
blending for consistency and distinctive,
recognizable aromas and flavors year
after year. For example, Champagne producers
create a house style with their nonvintage
Brut bottlings; Port producers create
a house style with their nonvintage
ruby and aged tawny ports.
IMPERIAL
A large bottle that holds the equivalent
of eight regular bottles.
JEROBOAM
A large bottle that holds the equivalent
of six regular bottles; however, in
Champagne a Jeroboam holds four bottles
of wine.
LATE HARVEST
Wines made from grapes picked later
than normal (and therefore with higher
sugar content), usually dessert wines.
Most late harvest wines contain some
residual sugar.
LATE-BOTTLED VINTAGE PORT
LBV's are an increasingly popular category
of Port. Similar to--but less-expensive
than--Vintage Ports (which must by law
be bottled within 2 1⁄2 years
of the vintage), LBV's spend an extra
3 or 4 years mellowing in barrel before
bottling. Therefore, they are more mature
and easy-to-drink than Vintage Ports
from the same year. Some LBV's are filtered
before bottling; those labeled "Tradition"
are unfiltered and will deposit sediment
with further aging.
LEAN
Indicates a wine is lacking in mouth-filling
sensations.
LEES
Sediment and yeast found in a barrel
or tank during and after fermentation.
Increasingly, New World winemakers are
using the old technique of aging the
wine on the lees to increase complexities
in the aromas and flavors. "Sur
Lie" is the French term for a wine
left on the lees.
LEGS
The drops of wine that slide down the
sides of the glass when it is swirled.
Legs indicate the glycerol content of
the wine, alcohol content and residual
sugar.
LENGTH
The amount of time a wine's taste and
aroma are evident after it has been
swallowed.
LIMOUSIN
A type of French oak cask, from the
forests of Limoges, France. See French
oak.
MACERATION
Stirring the grape skins (and sometimes
stems) with the wine during the fermentation
process in order to extract color, tannin
and aroma.
MADE AND BOTTLED BY
A near meaningless term with few legal
requirements; in California, for example,
a winery can use this phrase even though
the winery crushed, fermented and bottled
only ten percent of the wine in the
bottle.
MADERIZED
A wine showing evidence of oxidation,
including a brownish color and bad Madeira-like
flavor.
MAGNUM
A bottle that holds 1.5 liters, the
equivalent of two standard size wine
bottles.
MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION
This refers to a secondary fermentation,
which converts the malic acid in a wine
to softer lactic acid, and thereby reduces
the total acidity of the wine. This
softens and adds complexity to most
red wines, and contributes to the buttery
richness of white wines such as Chardonnay.
Not all wines go through malolactic
fermentation.
MATURE
Ready to drink.
MERITAGE
A term coined by California wineries,
for Bordeaux-style red and white blended
wines that often don't meet minimal
labeling requirements for varietals.
If a winery produces a Meritage wine,
it is frequently their most expensive
blended dry wine. Examples of wines
that fall into this category include
Opus One, Phelps’s Insignia and
Dominus.
METHODE CHAMPENOISE
The secondary, inside-the-bottle fermentation
that is used to create authentic Champagne
and other high quality sparkling wines.
It's what creates the bubbles in the
finest sparkling wines, but it is an
expensive, labor-intensive process.
Cheaper bubblies are made by the Charmat
process. See Charmat.
MINERALITY
Aromas of various stones, metals and
minerals in wine, such as: limestone,
flint, chalk, etc.
METHUSELAH
An extra-large bottle holding 6 liters;
the equivalent of eight standard bottles.
MUST
What grape juice is called before it
becomes wine.
NEBUCHADNEZZAR
A giant wine bottle holding the equivalent
of 20 standard bottles.
NOBLE ROT
See Botrytis cinerea.
NONVINTAGE
Wine blended from multiple harvests;
nonvintage wines are particularly common
in Champagne and sparkling wines, Sherries
and Ports. Blending allows the winemaker
to create an individual "house"
style that can be fairly consistent
from bottle to bottle, year after year.
Examples include Krug Champagne and
Grahams 20-year-old Tawny Port.
NOUVEAU
A tradition started in Beaujolais, these
are usually quickly fermented fruity
red wines that are the first release
of the new harvest. The best from France,
Italy and California are fresh, fruity
and dry-a celebration of the harvest,
they are greatly enjoyable during the
fall and winter holidays. Bottled rapidly
after fermentation is completed and
rushed to the market, Nouveau wines
display all their charms from the get-go
and should be consumed within a few
months of release.
OAKY
Describes the overtly obvious aromas
or taste characters resulting from a
wines interaction with the oak of a
wood barrel.
OFF-DRY
A slightly sweet wine.
OXIDIZED
A wine that has lost its freshness from
exposure to the air, similar to an apple
turning brown and losing its flavor
once the skin is peeled away. Oxidation
is what ruins the flavors of leftover
wines. Using products such as Private
Preserve Wine Preserver (which blankets
the wine with inert gas and prevents
contact with oxygen) can prevent oxidation.
PEAK
The time when a wine displays its smoothest,
fullest flavors, this can vary from
a few months for Nouveau or fragile
white wines, to spans of decades for
long-lived Ports, Bordeaux and dessert
wines.
PH
A chemical measurement of the intensity
of the acidity in a wine; the lower
the pH, the more intense the acid. Low
pH wines are better candidates for aging
as they are less sensitive to oxidation
and have greater resistance to bacteria.
But pH is really a much more important
factor to winemakers than to most consumers.
PHYLLOXERA
The name of a root louse, which attacks
and devastates grapevines. It spread
from America to Europe in the 1860's
and destroyed the vineyards of France,
then spread elsewhere. Most of the world's
vineyards are now planted on American
rootstock (which is more resistant to
Phylloxera). However, in the last 20
years it has become rampant in the Napa
Valley and caused major replanting.
PRIVATE RESERVE
A label once used to indicate a producer's
finest bottlings; Private Reserve has
no legal definition and is now applied
to everything from cheap wines to $100
bottles.
PUNT
The name of the indentation found in
the bottom of most wine bottles.
RACKING
A term for the traditional winemaker
practice of moving wine from one container
to another. It's essentially decanting
on a grand scale by moving a wine from
barrel to barrel. The purpose of racking
is to rid the wine of sediment by leaving
it behind in the first barrel. It requires
more labor, but racking is less disturbing
to the wine than filtration.
REHOBOAM
A large bottle equivalent to six regular
bottles.
RESERVE PORT
See Vintage Character Port.
RESIDUAL SUGAR
A measurement, usually expressed in
degrees of Brix, of the amount of grape
sugar remaining in a wine after fermentation
is completed. Dry wines have little
or no residual sugar; dessert wines
have much residual sugar.
RICH
An expression indicating opulent, full
flavors-not necessarily sweet.
ROBUST
Full-bodied, intense.
ROUND
Describes a smooth wine.
SALMANAZAR
A large bottle that holds the equivalent
of 12 regular bottles.
SOFT
Wines that are low in acid have a soft
texture in the mouth.
SPICY
A complementary description applicable
to many fine wines: Syrah usually displays
a pepper spice character; Pinot Noir
frequently has suggestions of cinnamon;
and oak barrels contribute a vanilla-spice
element.
SPRITZY
A pleasant, light sparkling sensation
(sometimes found in young wines) caused
by a slight secondary fermentation,
or the addition of carbon dioxide.
STEMMY
Green, astringent character of wines
fermented too long with the grape stems.
A green, sometimes astringent character.
STILL WINE
A term that applies to any wine that
is not sparkling.
STRUCTURE
A wine's texture, mouthfeel and balance.
SULFITES
Sulfites are a derivative of sulfur
and a natural by-product of fermentation.
Most wines contain very low levels of
sulfites, which have been used for hundreds
of years by winemakers to clean and
sterilize equipment and barrels; to
kill off bacteria; and to prevent browning
and possible spoilage. Sulfur is also
sometimes sprayed in a vineyard to prevent
disease and pests. Most wines contain
very low levels of sulfites even when
the winemaker doesn't utilize sulfur
anywhere! Under U.S. law, any wine with
sulfites higher than 10 ppm must state,
"contains sulfites" on the
label.
SUPPLE
Describes wines of a harmonious, velvety
texture-often applicable, for example,
to the Merlot wines of Pomerol and St.
Emilion.
SUR LIE
Indicates a wine was aged "on the
lees" (sediment consisting mainly
of dead yeast cells and small grape
particles). This process is a normal
procedure for fermenting red wines;
Burgundian winemakers discovered that
it often added complexity to their Chardonnays,
and now this process enriches many white
wines from around the world.
TABLE WINE
In the United States, any wine that
is between 7-14% alcohol can be labeled
simply as "table wine" and
does not have to state the actual alcohol
content.
TANNIN
Tannins are a natural substance found
in many plants (including grapes and
tea leaves) that produce an astringent,
mouth puckering sensation. Tannins are
common in most fine young red wines
and help form natural preservatives
that allow wines to develop and age;
with time, they smooth out and disappear.
Brew yourself a strong cup of black
tea to experience and immediately identify
tannins.
TARTRATES
Beautiful, natural and totally harmless
crystals that often form in the cask,
in the sediment and on the corks of
naturally made wines. These deposits
come from the tartaric acids present
in wines; though they look like cut
glass, they are totally safe. In fact,
they are a positive indication to experienced
tasters that a wine has not been overly
processed.
TASTING TERMS
The following is a list of the most
common grape varieties used in California’s
fine wines and their profiles:
CHARDONNAY -BUTTERY STYLE-mango,
cream, buttery, toast, pineapple, banana,
melons, peach, honey, low acidity. CRISP
STYLE -green apple, pears, acacia, biscuit,
grapefruit, honey, nuts, lemon, moderate
acidity.
SAUVIGNON BLANC-pink grapefruit,
lime, grassy, gooseberry, kiwi, moderate-high
acidity
VIOGNIER-orange blossom, peaches,
apricots, jasmine, candied citrus peel,
low acidity
PINOT GRIS/PINOT GRIGIO-honeysuckle,
apple, mango, musky, moderate acidity
CABERNET SAUVIGNON-plum, blackcurrant,
black cherry, green bell pepper, eucalyptus,
tobacco, full body, high tannins
MERLOT- plums, figs, black
cherry, black currants, raspberry, truffles,
nuts, chocolate, coffee, medium to full
body, smooth tannins, low acidity
ZINFANDEL-jammy, raisin, prune,
blackberry, raspberry, black pepper,
clove, roses, pine, light to full body,
low acidity, low to moderate tannins
SYRAH-leather, meaty, blackberry,
violets, mulberry, rosemary, licorice,
black pepper, medium to full body, high
tannins,
PINOT NOIR-cranberry, cherries,
raspberry, earthy, barnyard, strawberry,
lighter body, moderate acidity, low
tannins
SANGIOVESE- bitter cherries,
violets, tomato, rose, green spices,
medium body, high acidity and tannins
TERRIOR
A French term used to indicate the influence
of place on the aromas and flavors of
a wine.
THIN
Lacking body; often used to describe
a diluted tasting wine with little potential
for improvement.
TOASTY
A flavor imparted by oak barrels and
sometimes descriptive of sparkling wines
with prolonged lees aging as well.
VARIETAL CHARACTER
The aromas and taste sensations typical
of a particular grape variety.
VEGETAL
A word applied to wines that smell or
taste like plants or green vegetables;
too much vegetal character can detract
from the enjoyment of a wine.
VELVETY
A soft, silky, lush tactile impression
found in the best Burgundies and Pinot
Noirs.
VINICULTURE
The science of growing wine grapes and
making wine.
VINTAGE CHARACTER PORT
Sometimes labeled Reserve Port; these
wines are richer bottlings than standard
Ruby Ports due to the addition of vintage-quality
wines. The flavors are meant to suggest
the attributes of Vintage Port for a
fraction of the price.
VINTAGE DATE
Refers to the year the grapes were harvested
and to the wine made from those grapes.
To place a vintage on the label, most
wine producing regions now require that
at least 95% of the wine contain grapes
harvested from only that year. Historically,
some wine regions were lax in requiring
that vintage dates be accurate. Wines
that are blended from more than one
harvest are called nonvintage wines.
VINTNER
Wine producer or winery proprietor.
VITICULTURAL AREA
A grape-growing area in the United States,
as defined by law. U.S. has set borders
on certain regions that have identifiable
geographical features, climate and history.
Unlike the French system, the U.S. does
not limit yields, grape types or winemaking
methods within these regions. It simply
regulates that the wines must be 85%
from a viticultural area to carry its
name. Napa Valley is an example of a
viticultural area.
VITICULTURE
The science of grape growing; when including
the production of wine, the proper term
is viniculture.
VITIS VINIFERA
The species of grapevines most responsible
for producing the world's best wines,
including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernets,
etc.
YEAST
Important microorganisms that cause
fermentation by converting sugar to
alcohol. Without yeast, the world would
lack wine, beer and most bread.
ZINFANDEL
A popular grape in California of disputed
origin; scientists say it is related
to grapes in Croatia and southern Italy.
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