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Also known as 'Brouillis the cloudy water-white alcoholic spirit of around 30% ABV that is derived from the first distillation of Cognac production
French term meaning vat or tank. On wine labels it is used to denote wine of a specific blend or batch.
A reserve of unfermented grape juice that is added to wines as a sweetening device.
A group of aromatic compounds in grapes that contribute to some of the green herbaceous notes in wine from the green bell pepper notes in some Cabernet Sauvignon to the grassy notes of some Sauvignon blanc. In red wines the abundance of pyrazines can be ...
Also known as powdery mildew. A fungal grape disease that dehydrates grapes and leaves as powdery gray residue.
A medium-dry sparkling wine. In Champagne this a wine that has received a dosage of 32-50 grams/liter
Spanish term for a sparkling wine that has been tank fermented as opposed to going through secondary fermentation in the bottle according to the Traditional Method used for Cava production
A method of sparkling wine production where a wine undergoes normal secondary fermentation in the bottle but then after the bottles are open its contents transferred to a tank where they are filtered and then rebottled in small "splits" or large format s ...
A designation of better quality German wines. When used in isolation on a wine label it refers to Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete.
The part of the male-reproductive organs of the grapevine flower located on the stamen that contains the pollen needed for fertilization.
Refers to the increasingly international nature of the wine industry including vineyard management practices winemaking techniques wine styles and wine marketing.
Italian term for a wine that has very slight effervescence more than a still wine but less than a semi-sparkling. Similar to the French term perlant.
A winetasting term for anything that affects one of the main senses such as smell. An example would be an affliction of the common cold or being in a room with someone wearing an overwhelming amount of perfume.
The harvesting of green (unripe) grapes in an attempt to increase the yield of quality grapes.
Commissioned by French Ministry of Agriculture to better position the wine industry for the future.
The time a sparkling wine spend aging in the bottle between when it has been disgorged to when the bottle is opened for consumption.
The shoot fruit or flower offspring that arise from bud that has experienced a spontaneous genetic mutation in at least one gene in one of the buds cells. This offspring will be genetically different from the rest of the bud offspring on the plant and ma ...
Italian term for a winery that only produces wine from its own estate vineyards
In the distillation process used in Cognac and Armagnac production this is the third fraction that is collected during from a pot still that usually contains a large number of less volatile compounds and alcohols many of which are toxic with this fracti ...
French term for "shipping liquid" or dosage used to top up and possibly sweeten sparkling wine after disgorging. Usually a solution of saccharose in base wine.
A condition in wines with an excessive amount of protein particles. These particles react with tannins to create a cloudy hazy appearance in the wine. This condition is rectify with the use of a fining agent such as bentonite to remove the proteins.
A French term referring to a viticultural problem in which grape bunches contain berries of greatly differing size and levels of maturity. Caused by cool weather during flowering.
A cool dark location in which wine is stored often for the purpose of ageing.
The active element of sulfur dioxide that combined with molecules of oxygen to prevent oxidation. For more details see fixed sulfur above.
The distillate made from pomace. The term can also refer to the pomace itself or in the Champagne region to individual press fractions from the traditional vertical wine press.
Vineyard soil type made up of extremely fine-grained particles that can retain water sometimes to excess with usually low soil temperatures. Associated with several wine regions such as the Pomerol AOC located on the right bank of Bordeaux
A sour-tasting highly acidic liquid made from the oxidation of ethanol in wine cider beer fermented fruit juice or nearly any other liquid containing alcohol.
A wine-like alcoholic beverage made of fermented honey and water rather than grape juice.
The tendency of water of within two solutions separated by a semipermeable membrane to travel from a weaker solution to the more concentrated one to achieve equilibrium. In winemaking osmotic pressure is observed in yeast cells added to grape must with a ...
The degree of temperature variation that occurs in a wine region from daytime to night.
A strong tasting acid in wine reminiscent of the flavor of green apples. The amount of malic acid in grapes is gradually reduced during the ripening process while the grapes are on the vine and can be further reduced during winemaking by fermentation and ...
A bacterium found in wine that causes acetification resulting in the conversion of wine to vinegar.
Plural of Tri. A French term meaning a "sweep" or tries through the vineyard picking grapes. In the harvesting of botrytized grapes a team will go through the vineyard several times (several tries) over a couple weeks picking only the individual grapes t ...
The contact of grape skins with the must during fermentation extracting phenolic compounds including tannins anthocyanins and aroma. See also cuvaison.
Wines produced inside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa.
French term meaning "liqueur-like" used for dessert wine with a luscious almost unctuous quality. Often used to describe wines made by botrytis-infected grapes
An Italian term used to describe full-bodied wines with medium-level sweetness
Abbreviation for Amtliche Prüfungsnummer the official testing number displayed on a German wine label that shows that the wine was tasted and passed government quality control standards.
A French wine barrel with the capacity to hold 30 gallons (114 liters) in Burgundy and 35 gallons (132 liters) in Chablis.
French term for Lieu-dit used in Burgundy for a single plot of land located within a vineyard that has its own name and demonstrated terroir.
Whole uncrushed grapes are fermented in a sealed vat containing a layer of carbon dioxide. This results in fruity soft and distinct red wines. These wines have little tannin and are immediately drinkable. This is the method used throughout France's Beaujo ...
A measure of the amount of grapes or wine produced per unit surface of vineyard.
A PDO wine designation for high quality used in Germany and Austria based on grape ripeness and must weight. There are several Prädikate ranging from Kabinett (Spätlese in Austria) to Trockenbeerenauslese. The Austrian Prädikat also includes the designati ...
In Cognac and Armagnac production this is the alcoholic liquid that results from fermentation that is about be distilled
A wine that is either drunk by itself (i.e. without food) or before a meal in order to stimulate the appetite.
The aromas in wine that are developed as the wine ages in the bottle. This is in contrast to the primary aromas which come from the grape variety itself and the secondary aromas which come from the winemaking process.
Phenolic compounds found in wine that may contribute to off odors and flavors that are considered wine faults. The most common types of volatile phenols found in wine are ethyl and vinyl phenols. To a limited degree some volatile phenols may contribute pl ...
Grapes with a high proportion of fruity and fresh tasting tartaric acid in contrast to the harsher tasting malic acid.
A large oak barrel that holds 159 gallons (600 liters). In between the petit foudre and the barrique.
The number of vines per a define area of land (acres hectare etc). This can be influenced by many factors including appellation law the availability of water and soil fertility and the need for mechanization in the vineyard. In many wine regions vine d ...
A proposal for enhancing the economic status of the wine industry in Bordeaux.
Italian term for a very old wine often used in association with Marsala
Crystalline deposits of the tartaric acids that precipitate out of the wine over time or through exposure to cold temperatures such as the process of cold stabilization.
A type of wine fault describing undesirable aromas and flavors in wine often attributed to mold growth on chlorine bleached corks.
German wine classification for dry wines from a single vineyard location
An ultrafine means of filtration usually done with kieselguhr or perlite that leaves a wine with exceptionally bright clarity – giving the impression that it has been polished. Premium wines will often decline polishing because ultra fine precision can al ...
Chemical compounds formed by the reaction of ethyl and methyl alcohol with hydrogen sulfide to produce a wine fault that creates odors in the wine reminiscent of burnt rubber garlic onions or stale cabbage.
A viticultural disorder of the vine also known as "green sickness". It is caused by a mineral imbalance such as a deficiency in magnesium or iron.
A generic French term for a large wooden vat between 20 and 120 hectoliters.
Hungarian wine term meaning "as it comes" and used to describe a wine that will have a mixture of healthy and botrytis-infected grapes
A system of vine growing that doesn't use chemical fertilizers herbicides and pesticides.
A process of adding carbonic gas to a wine just before bottling in order to add some slight effervescence to the wine.
In sparkling wine production these are the still wines kept over from previous vintages in order to blend with the product of a current vintage in order to improve quality or maintain a consistent house style with a non-vintage wine.
In the case of grafted vines the producer vine is the above ground vine stock that determined the grape variety. Since the phylloxera epidemic many vines had American Vitis labrusca rootstock onto Vitis vinifera producer vine stock such as Merlot. The r ...
A range of viticultural techniques applied in vineyards to manipulate the vine canopy. This is performed for vine shape limiting direct sunlight and disease control in order to create an optimal growing environment.
The characteristic of a chemical (like sulfur dioxide or sorbic acid) to kill unwanted or beneficial bacteria.
Also known as the "Charmat" or "Cuve close" method where the secondary fermentation of sparkling wine production takes place under pressure within a sealed tank.
A United States winery license allowing farms to produce and sell wine on-site sometimes known as a farm winery.
Compounds (typically: potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite) which are added to wine to prevent oxidation microbial spoilage and further fermentation by the yeast.
French classification system denoting wines that are above vin de table but below VDQS.
A European Union directive initiated in 1992 that mandates every bottle of wine produced or sold in the European Union to include a designated lot number. This allows identified defective or fraudulent wine to be tracked and removed from circulation more ...
The mixing of two or more different parcels of wine together by winemakers to produce a consistent finished wine that is ready for bottling. Laws generally dictate what wines can be blended together and what is subsequently printed on the wine label.
Organic compounds that are produced throughout the winemaking process from fermentation through maturation and even distillation for spirits such as a Cognac. These compounds include aldehydes esters and ketones which can influence the aroma and flavor o ...
An ester or salt of carbonic acid that increases the alkalinity of the soil. Most commonly found in vineyards with chalky-limestone soils.
A mechanized riddling palate that can complete the remuage process that would manually take several weeks over the course a few days
The phenomenon of sap being expelled from an open pruning wound on the grapevine that often happens during early spring. This is often a sign of good health for the vine. Also known as weeping.
