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Acids
Acids give wine tartness. Several acids
are in the grape before fermentation and
others arise afterwards.
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Appellation
of Origin
You might see this phrase on a wine label.
It denotes the place where most of the
grapes used in the wine were grown. An
appellation of origin can be the name
of a country, state, county or geographic
region. Federal regulations require that
at least 75 percent of the grapes must
be grown in the named state or county.
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Astringency
The degree of astringency (how much a
wine makes your mouth pucker) depends
upon the amount of tannin a wine has absorbed
from the skins and seeds of the grapes.
A moderate amount of astringency is desirable—it
creates a lovely flavor—in many red
wine types.
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Balance
A wine has balance when its elements are
harmonious; when no one part dominates.
Acid should balance against sweetness;
fruit should balance against oak and tannin;
alcohol balances against acid and flavor.
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Body
It's all about how thin or thick the wine
feels in your mouth. Light, connotes a
thin feel (or body) in your mouth. Medium,
means a wine is full-flavored, without
being too heavy. Heavy, means the wine
has a robust, round, and very rich feel.
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Bouquet
Smells that result from a wine's aging
process. Bouquet can also describe a wine's
overall smell.
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Brix
A scale or standard way to measure the
sugar content in grapes before fermentation.
Just so you know: most table wines are
harvested between 19 degrees and 25 degrees
Brix.
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Cellar
A storehouse or storeroom used specifically
for holding wine. Long ago, wine was best
kept in underground cellars. Modern methods
of insulation and temperature control
have transformed the job of storing wine,
making it possible for wine "cellars"
to be above ground as well.
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D.O.C
Abbreviation for "Denominazione di
Origine Controllata". This name on
a label means the wine was grown and produced
within a certain limited area in a regulated
way (specific grape varieties used, how
they were grown, how the wine was made
and/or aged, etc.). Various regulations
and standards for each D.O.C. are determined
by producers within that zone, with oversight
from Italy's national wine committee.
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D.O.C.G
Similar to D.O.C., with the "G"
standing for "Garantita" or
Guaranteed. This certification is also
administered by the local producers, but
is even more strict than the D.O.C., and
only 22 of these zones exist today throughout
all of Italy.
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Fermentation
This is the way in which grape sugar is
converted to ethyl alcohol and carbon
dioxide. It happens with the release of
heat.
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Finish
The finish is the overall taste that remains
in your mouth after you've swallowed the
wine; it's the length and pleasantness
of the aftertaste. A well-balanced, full–bodied
wine usually has a long finish, while
a well-balanced, light–bodied wine
has a shorter finish.
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Legs
You've seen them—the drops of wine
that creep down the side of the wine glass.
A higher alcohol content means thinner
legs flow back into the wine after you
swirl the glass.
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Malolactic
Fermentation
Also called "secondary fermentation."
It's what happens when the malic acid
in wine converts to lactic acid and carbon
dioxide—decreasing tartness and causing
buttery aromas.
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Mouthfeel
The various sensations—thick or thin,
ripe or green— a wine can create
while in the mouth.
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Nose
Most wine lovers prefer to say nose, but
what they actually mean is the smell of
the wine. The nose of a wine is made up
of its aroma and bouquet, two qualities
that are best sensed by smell just after
you swirl the wine in your glass. Check out
Tastes & Aromas if you want to learn
more about the ways of wine tasting.
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Residual
Sugar
Indicates how sweet or dry a wine is.
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Sommelier
(So-mel-YAY) The French word for wine steward. Many fine restaurants
have a Sommelier to assist guests in choosing a wine from the
menu.
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Tannin
A naturally occurring substance found
mostly in grape skins, seeds and stems.
They can give young wines a mouth-puckering
bitterness and astringency, but some tannins are desirable in red wines to give them structure.
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Varietal
The varieties of grape from which the
wine was made. You might be familiar with
these, for starters: Cabernet Sauvignon,
Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Shiraz.
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Vintage
The year in which the grapes used to make
the wine were harvested.
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