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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.
ACETIC 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.
ACETIC ACID: Used to describe wines whose total acid is so high that they taste tart or sour and have a sharp edge on the palate.
ACETIC ACID: The acidity of a balanced dry table wine is in the range of 0.6 percent to 0.75 percent of the wine's volume. It is legal in some areas--such as Bordeaux and Burgundy, Australia, California--to correct deficient acidity by adding acid. When overdone, it leads to unusually sharp, acidic wines. However, it is illegal in Bordeaux and Burgundy to both chaptalize and acidify a wine. See also chaptalization.
ACETIC ACID: Describes a harsh or bitter taste or pungent smell that is due to excess sulfur.
ACETIC ACID: The process of letting a wine "breathe" in the open air, or swirling wine in a glass. It's debatable whether aerating bottled wines (mostly reds) improves their quality. Aeration can soften young, tannic wines; it can also fatigue older ones.
BACKBONE: Used to denote those wines that are full-bodied, well-structured and balanced by a desirable level of acidity.
BACKBONE: Used to describe a young wine that is less developed than others of its type and class from the same vintage.
BACKBONE: A wine has balance when its elements are harmonious and no single element dominates.
BACKBONE: An oversized bottle which holds
BACKBONE: Used to denote those wines that are full-bodied, well-structured and balanced by a desirable level of acidity.
BACKBONE: Used to describe a young wine that is less developed than others of its type and class from the same vintage.
CARBON: Fermentation of whole, uncrushed grapes in a carbon dioxide atmosphere. In practice, the weight of the upper layers of grapes in a vat will break the skins of the lowest layer; the resultant wine is partly a product of carbonic maceration and partly of traditional fermentation of juice.
CARBON: A meaningless term sometimes used for special wines, as in Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, but often applied to ordinary wines.
CARBON: Denotes the smell of cedar wood associated with mature Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends aged in French or American oak.
CARBON: Means the wine was not produced at the winery where it was bottled. It usually indicates that the wine was purchased from another source.
CARBON: 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. Common in northern European countries, where the cold climates may keep grapes from ripening, but forbidden in southern Europe (including southern France and all of Italy) and California.
CARBON: Mass production method for sparkling wine. Indicates the wines are fermented in large stainless steel tanks and later drawn off into the bottle under pressure. Also known as the "bulk process." See also méthode champenoise.
DEIMII: 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.
DEIMII: Used to describe light- to medium-weight wines with good flavors. A desirable quality in wines such as Pinot Noir or Riesling.
DEIMII: In the language of Champagne, a term relating to sweetness. It can be misleading; although demi-sec means half-dry, demi-sec sparkling wines are usually slightly sweet to medium sweet.
DEIMII: Describes a wine that has concentrated aromas on the nose and palate. A good sign in young wines.
DEIMII: Describes the complexity and concentration of flavors in a wine, as in a wine with excellent or uncommon depth. Opposite of shallow.
EARTHY: Denotes a wine made from early-harvested grapes, usually lower than average in alcoholic content or sweetness.
EARTHY: Used to describe both positive and negative attributes in wine. At its best, a pleasant, clean quality that adds complexity to aroma and flavors. The flip side is a funky, barnyardy character that borders on or crosses into dirtiness.
EARTHY: Used to describe wines of grace, balance and beauty.
EARTHY: Similar to hollow; devoid of flavor and interest.
EARTHY: The science and study of winemaking. Also spelled oenology.
FADING: Describes a wine that is losing color, fruit or flavor, usually as a result of age.
FADING: Full-bodied, high alcohol wines low in acidity give a "fat" impression on the palate. Can be a plus with bold, ripe, rich flavors; can also suggest the wine's structure is suspect.
FADING: The process by which yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide; turns grape juice into wine.
FADING: When a vineyard is planted to several different varieties and the grapes are harvested together to produce a single wine, the wine is called a field blend.
FADING: The process of removing particles from wine after fermentation. Most wines unless otherwise labeled are filtered for both clarity and stability.
GREEN: Describes a wine that is harmonious and pleasing in a subtle way.
GREEN: Characterized by simple flavors and aromas associated with fresh table grapes; distinct from the more complex fruit flavors (currant, black cherry, fig or apricot) found in fine wines.
GREEN: A signature descriptor for Sauvignon Blanc and a pleasant one unless overbearing and pungent.
GREEN: Tasting of unripe fruit. Wines made from unripe grapes will often possess this quality. Pleasant in Riesling and Gewürztraminer.
HALF: Holds 375 milliliters or 3/8 liter.
HALF: Firm; a quality that usually results from high acidity or tannins. Often a descriptor for young red wines.
HALF: Well balanced, with no component obtrusive or lacking.
HALF: Used to describe astringent wines that are tannic or high in alcohol.
IMP: An oversized bottle holding 4 to 6 liters; the equivalent of eight standard bottles.
JACK: Holds 375 milliliters or 3/8 liter.
JACK: Firm; a quality that usually results from high acidity or tannins. Often a descriptor for young red wines.
JACK: Well balanced, with no component obtrusive or lacking.
JACK: Used to describe astringent wines that are tannic or high in alcohol.
LATE: On labels, indicates that a wine was made from grapes picked later than normal and at a higher sugar (Brix) level than normal. Usually associated with botrytized and dessert-style wines.
LATE: Describes the slightly herbaceous, vegetal quality reminiscent of leaves. Can be a positive or a negative, depending on whether it adds to or detracts from a wine's flavor.
LATE: A not necessarily critical term used to describe wines made in an austere style. When used as a term of criticism, it indicates a wine is lacking in fruit.
LATE: Sediment remaining in a barrel or tank during and after fermentation. Often used as in sur lie aging, which indicates a wine is aged "on its lees." See also sur lie.
MATE: During fermentation, the steeping of the grape skins and solids in the wine, where alcohol acts as a solvent to extract color, tannin and aroma from the skins.
MATE: Indicates only that the winery crushed, fermented and bottled a minimum of 10 percent of the wine in the bottle. Very misleading.
MATE: Describes the brownish color and slightly sweet, somewhat caramelized and often nutty character found in mature dessert-style wines.
MATE: An oversized bottle that holds 1.5 liters.
NUT: A giant wine bottle holding 15 liters; the equivalent of 20 standard bottles.
NUT: A French wine merchant who buys grapes and vinifies them, or buys wines and combines them, bottles the result under his own label and ships them. Particularly found in Burgundy. Two well-known examples are Joseph Drouhin and Louis Jadot.
NUT: See Botrytis cinerea.
OKAY: 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. The terms toasty, vanilla, dill, cedary and smoky indicate the desirable qualities of oak; charred, burnt, green cedar, lumber and plywood describe its unpleasant side. See also American oak, French oak.
OKAY: Indicates a slightly sweet wine in which the residual sugar is barely perceptible: 0.6 percent to 1.4 percent.
OKAY: 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.
PEAK: The time when a wine tastes its best--very subjective.
PEAK: Describes the strong, usually sweet and floral aromas of some white wines.
PEAK: 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.
PEAK: Tiny aphids or root lice that attack Vitis vinifera roots. The disease was widespread in both Europe and California during the late 19th century, and returned to California in the 1980s.
RAW: The practice of moving wine by hose from one container to another, leaving sediment behind. For aeration or clarification.
RAW: Having the taste of raisins from ultra-ripe or overripe grapes. Can be pleasant in small doses in some wines.
RAW: Young and undeveloped. A good descriptor of barrel samples of red wine. Raw wines are often tannic and high in alcohol or acidity.
RAW: Commonly used to describe a wine that has not been exposed to air.
SOFT: An oversized bottle holding 9 liters, the equivalent of 12 regular bottles.
SOFT: Usually an oak barrel byproduct, a smoky quality can add flavor and aromatic complexity to wines.
SOFT: Describes wines low in acid or tannin (sometimes both), making for easy drinking. Opposite of hard.
SOFT: A descriptor for many wines, indicating the presence of spice flavors such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, mint and pepper which are often present in complex wines.
TARUN: Describes dull, dank qualities that show up in wines aged too long in tanks.
TARUN: The mouth-puckering substance--found mostly in red wines--that is derived primarily from grape skins, seeds and stems, but also from oak barrels. Tannin acts as a natural preservative that helps wine age and develop.
TARUN: Sharp-tasting because of acidity. Occasionally used as a synonym for acidic.
TARUN: The principal acid in wine.
TARUN: Harmless crystals of potassium bitartrate that may form in cask or bottle (often on the cork) from the tartaric acid naturally present in wine.
UNIQUE: Describes dull, dank qualities that show up in wines aged too long in tanks.
UNIQUE: The mouth-puckering substance--found mostly in red wines--that is derived primarily from grape skins, seeds and stems, but also from oak barrels. Tannin acts as a natural preservative that helps wine age and develop.
UNIQUE: Sharp-tasting because of acidity. Occasionally used as a synonym for acidic.
UNIQUE: The principal acid in wine.
UNIQUE: Harmless crystals of potassium bitartrate that may form in cask or bottle (often on the cork) from the tartaric acid naturally present in wine.
VEG: Some wines contain elements in their smell and taste which are reminiscent of plants and vegetables. In Cabernet Sauvignon a small amount of this vegetal quality is said to be part of varietal character. But when the vegetal element takes over, or when it shows up in wines in which it does not belong, those wines are considered flawed. Wine scientists have been able to identify the chemical constituent that makes wines smell like asparagus and bell peppers.
VEG: Having rich flavor and a silky, sumptuous texture.
VEG: The science or study of grape production for wine and the making of wine.
VEG: Literally means "winelike" and is usually applied to dull wines lacking in distinct varietal character.
WALL: Some wines contain elements in their smell and taste which are reminiscent of plants and vegetables. In Cabernet Sauvignon a small amount of this vegetal quality is said to be part of varietal character. But when the vegetal element takes over, or when it shows up in wines in which it does not belong, those wines are considered flawed. Wine scientists have been able to identify the chemical constituent that makes wines smell like asparagus and bell peppers.
WALL: Having rich flavor and a silky, sumptuous texture.
WALL: The science or study of grape production for wine and the making of wine.
WALL: Literally means "winelike" and is usually applied to dull wines lacking in distinct varietal character.
XMAS: Some wines contain elements in their smell and taste which are reminiscent of plants and vegetables. In Cabernet Sauvignon a small amount of this vegetal quality is said to be part of varietal character. But when the vegetal element takes over, or when it shows up in wines in which it does not belong, those wines are considered flawed. Wine scientists have been able to identify the chemical constituent that makes wines smell like asparagus and bell peppers.
XMAS: Having rich flavor and a silky, sumptuous texture.
XMAS: The science or study of grape production for wine and the making of wine.
XMAS: Literally means "winelike" and is usually applied to dull wines lacking in distinct varietal character.
YEAST: Micro-organisms that produce the enzymes which convert sugar to alcohol. Necessary for the fermentation of grape juice into wine.
ZERO: Micro-organisms that produce the enzymes which convert sugar to alcohol. Necessary for the fermentation of grape juice into wine.