Acetaldehyde
A distinctive, desirable component of Fino sherry caused by aging under flor.

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.

Acetification
Wine turning to vinegar

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.

Acid Blend
A blend of the three primary acids found in fruit: Tartaric, Citric and Malic. Used in winemaking to help bring out the fruitiness in wines that are lacking in acid.

Acidity
1. Natural acids (citric, malic, lactic or tartaric) that occur in fruit. In wine, tartaric acid provides tartness.
2. Perceived in the taste of the wine as a level of tartness, acidity is a naturally component consisting of mainly tartaric acid, at about 0.5 to 0.7 percent of the wine by volume.
3. The amount of acid in a wine

Acidulation
The process of adding natural grape acids, primarily tartaric and/or malic acid, to a wine to increase its total acidity.

Activated Yeast
A hydrated, feeding, reproducing colony of yeast. The colony may have formerly been stored as active dry yeast (ADY), as a dense liquid colony under refrigeration, as dried yeast on grape skins and pulp, or in several other forms.

Active Dry Yeast
A dehydrated yeast culture that is the most convenient form of yeast for home winemakers to work with. Active dry yeast (ADY) cultures are prepared by extruding 70% moisture compressed yeast through a perforated plate into a spaghetti-like form, about the diameter of a 0.036 inch pencil lead, into a drier with a screen bottom that has a upward flow of air that keeps the particles of yeast suspended in a fluid-like bed. The incoming air is controlled for volume, temperature and relative humidity. The drying from the original 70% moisture down to 4-7% occurs in less than 30 minutes. There are typically over 150 billiob cells in a 5-gram sachet of ADY. The ADY should be rehydrated in a starter solution (see Yeast Starter) before “pitching,” both to ensure the culture is still good and to get a vigorous start.
Aerate
1. To add oxygen to wine during the winemaking process or while decanting a wine.
2. Exposing the wine to oxygen either through decanting or allowing the wine to “breathe” in an opened bottle or glass. Thought to allow off-odors to bow off in older wines, and to soften aromas in younger ones.

Aftertaste
1. Flavors and odors that linger in the mouth after wine is swallowed.
2. 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.

Aging
A resting period occurring after fermentation period of the winemaking process. It allows time for the wine to improve its qualities through and endless series of natural changes. This resting period is typically between 2 months to 2 years.

Aerobic fermentation
Fermentation in the presence of air (primary fermentation)

Air lock
1. A valve filled with water that lets CO2 out, but no air inside
2. A small device that acts as a water trap. It is used on top of a winemaking container to allow gases to escape without allowing contaminants in.
See: Trap

Aging
Holding wines for a period of time in barrels, tanks or bottles to affect the character of the finished wine.

Albariza
(al-bar-ee-tha) The white, chalky soil that characterizes Spain’s Jerez de la Frontera sherry region. Albariza soil is considered the finest soil for producing Fino sherry.

Alcohol
1. Ethyl alcohol (or ethanol) formed in wine during fermentation, which affects the taste, aroma and mouthfeel of wine.
2. The sugar in wine grapes is fermented through the winemaking process into alcohol, and is measured as a percentage of volume. In white wines, this ranges between 9 and 14 percent; in red wines between 11 and 14 percent.

Alcohol by Volume
The amount of alcohol in a volume of wine, expressed as a percentile.

Alcohol Level
The percentage of alcohol by volume of a wine. Most table wines have between 9 and 15% alcohol by volume.

American oak barrel
Barrels made from oak wood from American forests. American oak barrels are generally thought to impart more aggressive wood flavors than do French oak barrels.

American Viticultural Area (AVA)
The term given in the United States to an officially designated winegrape growing region. AVAs are defined officially by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (BATF) based on geographic, climatic and historical criteria. Generally, if an area can demonstrate that it has geographic and climatic conditions significantly different from the surrounding area, it may petition the BATF for an AVA designation.

Amontillado
A sherry that is aged for a time under flor yeast, then given a boost in alcohol to kill the layer of yeast. The wine, now exposed to air, is aged an additional period without the flor cover, gaining body and, through oxidation, a nutty aroma and flavor (like hazelnuts) and turning from pale straw color to amber.

Ample
A descriptor used to describe the impression of fullness in the mouth.

Anearobic fermentation
Fermentation in the absence of air (secondary fermentation)

Aperitif
Wine consumed as a before-dinner drink.

Appearance
1. Generally the first category by which wines are judged in a sensory evaluation. The wine’s clarity and color are the primary factors evaluated.
2. Refers to a wine’s clarity, not color.

Appellation
1. The official geographic origin of a wine, which becomes part of a wine’s official name.
2. Official name referring to a wine’s geographic region of origin.

Appellations of origin
Term for the label designations that indicate the geographic origin of the grapes used to make the wine.

Aroma
1. Odors in a wine that originate from the grape. Some distinguish these smells from “bouquet,” but the term is often used to describe all smells of a wine.
2. The smell of a wine. Some people use the term aroma for younger wines; bouquet for those that have been aged
3. Those odors in wine primarily derived from the grape.

Aromatic
1. A descriptor used to describe wines that have pronounced smells, particularly fruity and floral smells.
2. Used to refer to a wine, particularly white wines, with intensely floral or fruity aromas, such as Muscat or Viognier

Aromatic compounds
The chemical substances in wine, from either the grapes or the winemaking process, that are responsible for the wine’s aromas, bouquet and flavors.

Astringent
1. The harsh, drying sensation in the mouth that is caused by high levels of tannin. The opposite of the wine descriptor “smooth.”
2. Producing a sensation of dryness in the mouth; used to describe some wines.
3. Caused by acid or tannin, or a combination of both, refers to the mouth- puckering character of some wines. Attack: In wine tasting, the first impression of a wine on the mouth. Usually perceived as a first “hit” on the tip of the tongue and at the front of mouth
4. The “puckerish” quality of high tannin content, which has the effect of drying out the mouth. Many young red wines are astringent because of tannin.

Austere
Somewhat hard, with restrained fruit and character.

AVA
Acronym for American Viticultural Area, indicating wine-growing regions as defined
through geographic and climatic boundaries by the Federal Government. Theoretically, the American version of the French AOC system.

BATF
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms, the branch of the government that regulates the wine industry.

Balance
1. The relationship between a wine’s alcohol, acid, residual sugar and tannin. A wine is considered well-balanced when no one of these components stands out significantly from the rest.
2. The relationship of the components of the wine including alcohol, residual sugar, acid and tannin. When no one component stands out against the rest, the wine is said to be well balanced, an indication of quality.
3. 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.

Balling
A unit of measurement found on some winemaking hydrometers that indicates the sugar level of a liquid. A balling reading of 10 means that the liquid is 10 percent sugar by weight.

Barrel
1. A wooden container, generally 60-gallons, used for fermenting and/or aging wines.
2. A small wooden barrel used for aging red wine, and fermenting some styles of white wine. Barrels are about 60 gallons in size, and are made of oak, primarily from French and American forests.

Barrel-aged
1. A term used for wines that matured for a period of time after fermentation in oak barrels.
2. Refers to wines that are fermented in containers such as stainless steel, then placed in oak barrels to mature. Also refers to wines that are fermented in the barrel. Barrel-fermented: Some white wines, notably Chardonnay, may be fermented in barrels rather than in stainless steel to impart a subtle oak character. Barrique: Small French oak barrel.

Barrel-fermented
A term used for wines that are fermented in oak containers. The benefit of this method is the development of a more subtle oak character than that of barrel-aged only wines.

Bentonite
1. A clay used as a fining agent to achieve heat stabilization or to aid in the removal of other fining agents.
2. A very fine clay used as a fining or clarifying agent in wine to remove protein, to achieve Heat Stabilization or to remove another fining agent.

Berry-like
The term used to describe red wines that exhibit aroma and flavor reminiscent of strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, etc.

Big
1. A term used to describe wines that are very intense or very full.
2. Used to describe wines that are very full and intense; considered the opposite of elegant.

Bin
To store bottled wine for further aging, before its release for sale.

Bitter
A taste sensation generally experienced on the back of the tongue.

Black fruits
Wine aromas and/or flavors that suggest black currants, black cherries, blackberries, blueberries, or other black fruit.

Black grapes
Wine grapes with a blue or reddish skin pigmentation that are used to make red wines.

Blanc de blancs
A white wine made of white grapes.

Blanc de noirs
A white wine made of red grapes

Blend
1. To combine two or more individual lots of wine, either of different varietals, different vineyards or different vintages. The term generally applied to a wine derived from the juice of different grape varieties.
2. To assemble individual lots of wine together to make one wine. Can apply to different grape varieties, or grapes of the same type from different vineyards, regions and vintages.

Bodega
The Spanish term for a winery, or the building where wine is stored.

Body
1. A tactile sensation describing the viscosity or “weight” of wine in the mouth. Body is correlated with the level of alcohol and extract. Wines are described as light-, medium- or full-bodied.
2. The fullness of a wine
3. The tactile impression of wine in your mouth. Think in terms of light, medium and full– or skim milk, whole milk and cream! Bordeaux blend: A style of wine assembled from the classic red grapes of Bordeaux including Cabernet sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot .
4. A tasting term used to describe the mouth-feel of the wine. Wines are usually described as being either full, medium or light bodied.
5.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.

Botrytis cinerea
A mold produced in very particular conditions of temperature and humidity that pierces grape skins, causing dehydration. Also known as “noble rot.”

Botrytised
Sweet wines made from grapes affected by botrytis cinera.

Bottle
1. 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. A bottle is a bottle is a bottle….. right? Sounds simple enough, but the wrong wine bottles may not work with your corker! Typically, the wine bottles with the popular flared tip are not compatible with many of the hand-held corkers. That’s why grapestompers is careful to stock only the bottles that will work with all of the corkers we offer. You’ll need 27-30 bottles per wine kit, depending on the effectiveness of your racking and the number of samples drawn.
2. The most common wine bottle size worldwide is 750 ml, but it is not standard. Some German wine bottles are a liter, some are 700 ml, while some from Alsace are 720 ml. Every wine bottle consists of a mouth, neck, ogive or shoulder, body, and bottom. The bottom may contain an indention, the term for which is a punt. Some almost standard names for different size wine bottles are:
Split (Sparkling): 187 ml
Half-Bottle: 375 ml
Pot: 500 ml (Beaujolais table bottle)
Clavelin: 620 ml (Jura bottle)
Bottle: 750 ml
Magnum: 1.5 litres
Tregnum: 2.25 litres
Double-Magnum: 3 litres (Bordeaux shaped)
Jeroboam (Sparkling): 3 litres (Burgundy shaped)
Jeroboam (Still): 4.5 to 5 litres (Bordeaux shaped)
Rehoboam: 4.5 litres
Imperial (Still): 6 litres (Bordeaux shaped)
Methusalah (Sparkling): 6 litres (Burgundy shaped)
Salmanazar: 9 litres (Bordeaux shaped)
Balthazar (Sparkling): 12 litres (Burgundy shaped)
Nebuchadnezzar (Sparkling): 15 litres (Burgundy shaped)
Soverign: 50 litres

Bottle-aged
Description of the character of a wine derived from its maturation period in bottle.

Bottle aging
1. The maturation period of a wine after bottling that allows some of its components to mature and a bottle-aged bouquet to form.
2. The winemaker decides how long a wine will age in the bottle before it is released for sale. Many wines are made to be consumed upon release; finer wines, particularly reds, may require additional bottle aging by the consumer. In the case of Champagne and sparkling wine, bottle aging allows the wine to acquire, complexity, depth and fine texture; it is also known as aging “on the yeast” or “en tirage”.

Bottle Drainer
These bottle draining trees hold either 45 or 81 wine bottles at once, depending on the size you order. Bottle draining trees are a great space-saver for any winemaker who needs to drain bottles after washing or rinsing. Easy assembly; plastic construction.

Bottle Rinser
Use this spring-loaded contraption to effectively squirt sanitizing solution or rinsing water into your upended bottles. This time-saving device will literally pay for itself the first time you use it!

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.

Bottle Washer
If you recycle your wine bottles to save money, you’ll need this jet washer to blast the gunk out of the bottom of your bottles. The washer attaches easily to a garden hose, or it can be used in conjunction with the bottle washer adapter (see below) to be attached to any standard kitchen faucet. Made of sturdy brass.

Bottle Washer Adapter
Use this adapter kit to convert the brass bottle washer for use with a standard kitchen faucet.

Bottling Wand
A stiff plastic tube with a one-way flow valve at the lower end that is used in Bottling. In its simplest form, when the tip is pressed against the bottom of a bottle, wine flows into the bottle. When the tip is lifted, the flow-valve closes and stops the flow of wine.

Bouquet
1. The odors of wine attributed to the winemaking process: fermentation, processing and aging, particularly those that develop after bottling.
2. Smell of a wine
3. The more developed and complex aromas said to be evident in older and mature wines.
4. The aroma or smell of the wine.
5. 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.

Bright
1. A term used to describe wines whose characteristics are perceived vividly, either visually or by aroma and flavor.
2. A wine descriptor referring the character of the wine, including its appearance in the glass, to be fresh and exciting, and refracting light.

Brilliant
1. The description of a wine that is absolutely clear.
2. A clear and bright – as opposed to cloudy – appearance.

Brix
1. The measure of the density of grape juice or fermenting wine, used to ascertain sugar level at harvest.
2. Scale of measurement of total dissolved compounds in grape juice and approximate
concentration of sugars used in the United States as one gauge of ripeness at harvest. One degree Brix is approximately 12-g/1 sugar.
3. Value used to express the weight in grams of sucrose dissolved in 100 grams of a solute, such as grape juice.
4. One of several hydrometer or saccharometer scales denoting the density of liquid (must, juice or new wine) in terms of specific gravity. Each degree Brix is equavalent to 1 gram of sugar per 100 grams of liquid. The potential alcohol of a must is estimated by multiplying the Brix reading by 0.55. Both the Brix and Balling scales are comparable and are ususally used to finely estimate sugar content.
See Balling

Brut
1. Almost-dry Champagne.
2. Used to describe sparkling wines that are dry.
3. Champagne style that is very dry, meaning little or no residual sugar.

Bung
1. Barrel stopper made of glass, plastic, rubber, silicone or other material which seals the bung-hole in the barrel like a cork. Can be removed to permit topping up or racking. The position of the bunghole can be changed to maximize or reduce aeration.
2. In cooperage, a wooden stopper used to seal the cask, keg or barrel. In glassware, usually a rubber stopper used to seal a demijohn, carboy or jug. Bungs may be either solid or drilled with a central hole to accept a fermentation lock (airlock). Some bungs have two holes drilled to accept two airlocks, or one airlock and a blow-off tube.

Buttery
1. Butter-like odor in wine created by malolactic fermentation caused by the presence of diacetyl.
2. Descriptor often applicable to Chardonnay that has undergone malolactic fermentation; describes both texture and flavor attributes.

Cabernet Franc
A red wine grape known for its use in the fine wines of Bordeaux, particularly wines of Pomerol, Saint-Emilion and Medoc. Also grown in Italy and California.

Cabernet Sauvignon
Considered the most important red wine grape throughout the world, and the basis of the most famous wines of California, Bordeaux, and many other wine districts.

Campden tablets
1. Tablets that contain sulphite in a handy form
2. Used in fresh juice at the rate of 1 tablet per gallon to kill any wild organisms such as vinegar and mold when making wine. Also used in higher doses with water to create a sanitizing solution. It is interchangeable with Sodium Bisulfite.
3. Tablets used in winemaking to sanitize equipment and fermentation media and add free SO2 to the must or wine. When crushed and dissolved, they provide sulfur dioxide (SO2) in a convenient form. Tablets must be crushed to use, but this ensures the proper dosage and assists in their dissolution. The active ingredient in Campden tablets can be purchased bulk from most winemaker suppliers under its chemical name, potassium metabisulfite. For sanitizing bottles, primaries, secondaries, funnels and other equipment, two crushed tablets dissolved in 1 gallon of water will suffice. Do not rinse equipment after sanitizing. For adding to must, use one crushed and dissolved tablet per gallon of must and wait 12 hours before adding yeast. Campden tablets come in various sizes and doses, so inquire if not packaged with instructions. Most tablets are intended to dose 5 US gallons (19 liters) or 5 Imperial gallons (23 liters). Also see Potassium Metabisulfite and Sodium Metabisulfite.
See Sodium Bisulfite

Canopy
The foliage of a grape vine.

Canopy management
The viticultural techniques used to balance shoot growth and fruit development to maximize the varietal character of the grapes.

Cap
1. A layer of skins and seeds that forms on top of the juice during fermentation of red wines.
2. A floating layer of solids that forms on a fermenting must during primary fermentation
3. The layer of fruit pulp, skins, and possibly seeds that forms on top of the must during fermentation in the primary fermentation vessel. The cap forms when carbon dioxide emitted by the yeast rises to the surface, carrying solid material with it. The steady rise of CO2 keeps the solids at the surface where they form a “cap.” The surface of the cap should not be allowed to dry out, as it is a pefect medium for mold growth. One should “punch down the cap” at least daily, but preferrably twice a day. This keeps the cap moist and, by submerging it briefly, coats it with sulfite-bearing wine that kills mold spores (assuming, that is, that the must was treated with Campden tablets or potassium metabisulfite initially).

Capsule
1. Metallic or plastic foil that covers the cork and the upper neck of a wine bottle.
2. 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.
3. A decorative foil, plastic, or mylar sleeve placed over the cork and neck of a wine bottle.

Caramel
A distinctive odor in heated sweet wines and a subtle component of Champagne.

Carbonic Maceration
A technique for producing light red wines with low tannins, intense color, and fresh, fruity flavors and aromas. This process involves dumping whole bunches of freshly picked, uncrushed grapes into large vats filled with carbon dioxide. The bottom grapes are crushed by the weight of the grapes above them, and fermentation begins with the exuded juice and develops upward. Eventually, fermentation begins within the whole grapes, and they begin to exude more juice. Finally, the whole batch is pressed, and fermentation is finished in a standard way.

Carboy
1. A large fermentation bottle
2. Glass water jugs, typically between 3 and 7 gallons in size, that are used in winemaking as a secondary fermenter.
3. The 6-gallon carboy is an essential part of your home winemaking hobby, because fermentation occurs within this specially crafted glass jug. It’s the perfect size for all the wine kits grapestompers sells. We prefer the glass type of carboy, since you can visually track the entire winemaking process, and air can’t travel across the carboy wall (as in the case of plastic carboys). We also stock other sizes of carboys – 5 gallons and 3 gallons.
4. A large glass or plastic bottle of 2-1/2 gallon capacity or more, with or without handles, and sometimes fitted with a spigot or plastic tubing at the bottom for drainage.
See Secondary Fermenter

Carboy Brush
With its narrow neck and large capacity, glass carboys are awfully hard to clean properly with this specialized brush. The business end of the carboy brush (bristles) is bent at a ninety degree angle – just right for ensuring proper sanitation.

Carboy Handle
Did you know that a full carboy weighs upward of 45 pounds? Don’t try to move a full carboy unless you have one of these handles or a good chiropractor! They attach easily to the neck of the carboy with a wing nut assembly.

Casein
A fining agent made from milk protein.

Cask
A large wooden container used for making or storing wines.

Cedary
Aromas or flavors that resemble the smell of cedar wood.

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.

Champagne
1. A region in France and the sparkling wines produced there using the methode champenoise. In the US, this term is semi-generic to mean sparkling wine.
2. A sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France. Technically, any sparking wine that is not made in Champagne is not a true Champagne.
3. Refers to sparkling wines made from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France and vinified using the Methode Champenoise winemaking process. Term is sometimes used to refer to sparkling wines from different regions, but correctly, only sparkling wine from Champagne may be called Champagne.

Champenoise
A product or person of France’s Champagne district.

Character
1. The impression of a wine being solid and having integrity and substance.
2. That which makes a wine distinctive. A region’s winemaking tradition, soils, and grape varieties combine to produce a wine’s character

Chardonnay
1. A white grape variety considered one of the world’s finest. Widely planted and used both for dry, barrel-aged table wines as well as blends for fine sparkling wines.
2. A variety of vinifera that is used in making white wine. Chardonnay wines are extremely popular, and extremely varied in flavor. Flavors that can be found in Chardonnay include apple, peach, citrus, smoke, vanilla, and oak. (These last three flavors result from oak treatment, which is extremely common for Chardonnay.)

Charry
Aromas and flavors of a toasty nature created by the application of oak barrel aging to the wine.

Chateau
A French winery estate, typically found in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, the architecture of chateaux can range from grand to mundane.

Chewy
Wines with unusual thickness of texture or tannins that one almost “chews” before swallowing.

Citric Acid
A colorless acid found in all citrus fruit, pineapples, and in lesser amounts in several other fruit.

Chenin Blanc
A versatile white variety known for dry and sweet table and sparkling wines of Loire, France, as well as dry table wines of California and South Africa.

Clarify
The process of a wine becoming clear, which occurs when all of the yeast and microscopic bits of pulp from the base ingredients of the wine settle to the bottom of the secondary, leaving a clear wine without haze. A wine that has clarified to the nth degree and is crystal clear is called brilliant.

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

Clarity
Clearness in the wine.

Classico
Italian term indicating that wine comes from the heart of a specific region. While Chianti Classico is a demarcated DOCG district, the Classico for Verdicchio, for example, refers to the central part of the appellation.

Clone
A sub-variety of a wine grape variety that exhibits specific enological characteristics.

Closure
The device used to seal a wine bottle, usually a cork.

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
1. Chilling wine before bottling to remove potassium acid tartrate crystals or other sediment from the finished wine.
2. A clarification technique in which a wine’s temperature is lowered to 32? F, causing the tartrates and other insoluble solids to precipitate.

Colheita
Term used in Port winemaking referring to vintage.

Commune
Typically refers to a wine-growing village in the Burgundy region of France.

Compact
1. A descriptor used to describe a wine that is intense but not full.
2. Wine described as intense but not full.

Complex
1. A wine that exhibits many different odors and flavors.
2. Opposite of simple. A wine that has a lot going on. Concentrated: Dense aromas and flavors.

Concentrated
A term to describe aromas and flavors that are dense.

Concentration
1. What wines with dense aromas and flavors evidence (as opposed to weak and watery).
2. A descriptor used for a wine whose flavors or fruit character are tightly knit.

Cooper
One who makes or repairs wooden barrels or casks.

Country wines
Wines made from ingredients other than grapes

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.

Corks – Altec
Our bulk straight wine corks, made by Altec, were developed by fusing the purest part of cork (suberin) and synthetic cells. These corks have been tested for over 10 years and have been awarded “winery grade” status because of their effectiveness under adverse conditions. Other key features of these corks include:
Corks – Absolutely symmetrical
Provide optimal gaseous interchange (key to aging process)
Contain 10 times less cork dust content than conventional corks
Guaranteed 100% leakproof at a pressure of 2 bars
Homogenous surface – no defects on sides or ends
Smooth surface ideal for branding

Cork Retriever
Ever accidentally push your cork inside a bottle of wine? With this magical doohickey, you can easily retrieve that naughty cork and salvage a bottle. It’s the wine lover’s equivalent to a golf ball retriever!

Corked or Corky
1. A moldy odor and flavor caused from a fungus-infected cork, caused by tiny amounts of tyrene that contaminate the wine.
2. 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.
3. A wine that’s been affected by a faulty cork, specifically by a chemical compound (2,4,6-Tricloroanisole-246-TCA) that humans can perceive at levels as low as 30 parts per trillion. High levels of this compound produce an unmistakably odor and flavor that many describe as that of moldy, wet cardboard or newspapers. At moderate levels, a corked wine takes on a musty quality; at lower levels, it seems lacking in fruit.

Creamy
1. A full-bodied, golden sweet dessert sherry.
2. Wines, particularly barrel-fermented Chardonnay that has undergone a secondary, malolactic fermentation, that have a rich, smooth mouth feel and are fuller in body are often characterized as creamy.

Cramant
French term for wines that are slightly sparkling, literally “creaming.” Cramant wines have 4 atmospheres of pressure compared to Champagne’s 6.

Crisp
1. A term for wine that feels clean and slightly brittle in the mouth, usually from high acidity.
2. Describes wines that are clean, and possibly a bit on the tart side. Opposite of soft. Wines that are crisp are typically higher in acid, and go well with food.

Crush
After stems are removed, breaking the grape skins prior to pressing and fermentation. The term also applied to the season of the year (during harvest) when this occurs.

Crusher
A machine that breaks open grapes and usually de-stems them as well.

Cuvee
1. French term for a specific blend of wines, usually of different varietals and vintages, combined to make Champagne.
2. A blend of many lots of still wines, particularly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, designed to become a well-balanced Champagne or sparkling wine.

Deacidification
The process of reducing the amount of titratable acid in must, juice or wine. This is usually done by chemical neutralization, cold stabilization and/or amelioration.

Decant
1. To transfer wine from one container to another, either to aerate the wine or to remove red wine from its sediment deposit.
2. To transfer wine from the bottle into another container, to aerate or to separate a red wine from its sediment Demi-sec: A Champagne style that is semi-dry, but sweeter than sec. Depth: The impression of many layers of complexity in a fine wine.
3. 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.

Degorgement
1. The French term for “disgorging,” the removal of yeast sediment from bottles in methode Champenoise.
2. The process by which the sediment collected in the neck of the Champagne bottle during the riddling process is frozen and expelled prior to the final corking.

Demi-john
A 1 gallon (about 4 litres) fermentation bottle

Demi-sec
Sparkling wines that are moderately sweet to medium sweet.

Depth
The characteristic of fine wines that gives the impression of having layers of taste, rather than being one-dimensional.

Dessert wine
A sweet wine that usually accompanies dessert, such as fortified or late harvest wines.

Deuxieme
A term of method Champenoise referring to the second batch, or “cut,” of press juices collected after the free-run juice.

Diacetyl
A chemical byproduct of malolactic fermentation that gives a buttery odor to the wine, enhancing complexity.

Diammonium Phosphate
One of the major ingredients in almost all yeast nutrients and energizers, serving as their basic source of nitrogen. Also known as DAP.

Dilute
A term given to wines whose aromas and flavors are thin, as opposed to concentrated.

Disgorging
Using the pressure of gas in the wine to remove the collected sediment from bottle-fermented sparkling wine.

District
1. A geographic area more specific than a region.
2. Refers to a geographic area more specific than region, but less specific than commune.

DO
1. In Spain, the abbreviation of Denominacion de Origin (place name), the official category for wines whose defining factors are regulated by law.
2. Abbreviation for Denominacion de Origen, which means place name and refers to Spain’s official category for wines whose name, region of origin, variety and other defining factors are regulated by law.

DOC
1. In Portugal, the abbreviation for Denominacao de Origen Controlada, the official category for the country’s highest wine category, whose defining factors are regulated by law.
2. Abbreviation for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which means controlled place name. Italy’s official category for wines whose name, region of origin, variety and other defining factors are regulated by law. In Portugal, DOC is also an abbreviation for the highest official wine category, Denominacao de Origem Controlada.

DOCG
Abbreviation for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita , meaning controlled and guaranteed place. Italy’s official category for its highest ranking wines.

Dosage
1. In the making of Champagne and other sparkling wines, the wine and sugar mixture that is added to adjust the final sweetness of the wine.
2. The liqueur, or sugar dissolved in reserve wine, added to the Champagne just before final corking. The dosage finishes the Champagnes and determines its level of sweetness.
3. 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.

Doux
1. The sweetest category of sparkling wines.
2. A Champagne style that is sweet.

Domaine
French term for wine estate, commonly used in Burgundy.

Dry
1. A wine that is not sweet because all perceptible sugar was consumed during the fermentation process.
2. Used to describe wine that is not sweet.
3. Refers to a wine that is not sweet. Can also mean a wine that feels rough or dry in the mouth.
4. Having no perceptible taste of sugar. Most wine tasters begin to perceive sugar at levels of 0.5 percent to 0.7 percent.

Dull
1. A wine whose appearance, aromas and flavors, and/or general style are hazy and unclear.
2. Opposite of bright and clean; can refer to a wine’s appearance, aromas and flavors or overall style.