wine terminology

8/11/2019 Wine Terminology

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WINE TERMINOLOGY


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INTRODUCTION

There is no doubt that wine can seem to be an overwhelming subjectto the beginner. There are literally thousands of different grapevarieties and wines to be found throughout the world, but the learningprocess doesnt have to be intimidating. Our goal is to make youcomfortable with the subject of wine and to begin to remove some of

the intimidation factors associated with it.Dont expect, however, to become an expert overnight from takingthis course. Learning about wine is a cumulative process, and trueexpertise requires a frame of reference which can take years todevelop. Thats the bad news. The good news is that to learn about

wine, one has to taste and drink it not such a bad thing. And with all the tasting and drinking one really needs theaccompaniment of good food as well which in turn calls for goodcompany. This is sounding better by the minute!


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MODULE OBJECTIVES

In this module you will learn: Basic wine terms

Terms that are vital to understanding wine

and wine tasting


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WHAT IS WINE?

Wine is a beverage madefrom the fermented juiceof fruit.

All fine wines are madefrom the fermented juiceof certain grapes.


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WHAT IS FINE WINE?

Fine wine is made from Vitis Vinifera grapesgrown in certain areas using the best availablewinemaking techniques.

Fine wines are balanced, and offer manydifferent aromas and flavors. Many have thepotential to age if properly cellared.


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WHAT AREVITIS VINIFERA GRAPES?

There are many species ofgrapes around the world butonly ones from the VitisVinifera family are used to

make fine wine.There are over 1,000 types ofVitis Vinifera grapes grown aroundthe world.

Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon areexamples of Vitis Vinifera grapes.


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WHAT ISFERMENTATION?

Fermentation is the process bywhich sugar in the grape juice("must" is the grape juice, skins& seeds ) is converted by yeast to

alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat.The yeast used for fermentingthe must exists naturally on thegrapes or can be supplied by

the winemaker.Winemakers generally use twovessels for fermentation: stainlesssteel tanks or small oak barrels


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STAINLESS STEELFERMENTATION

This photo shows winefermenting in stainlesssteel tanks. These tanksvary in size and areusually equipped withthermal jacketing whichallows the winemaker tocontrol the temperatureof the fermentation.


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BARREL FERMENTATION

This photo shows winefermenting in smalleroak barrels. Barrelfermentation impartsyeasty flavors andlends a creaminess tothe texture of the wine.


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WHAT IS YEAST?

Yeasts are the microorganisms that causefermentation by secreting various enzymes ingrape juice converting it into wine. A drop offermenting must may contain over 5 milliondifferent strains of yeasts. Winemakers makeuse of cultured yeasts (those selected for theirspecific fermentation characteristics) or so-callednative yeasts which are found in the vineyardand on the grapes when harvested.


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COLOR & SECONDARY COLOR

Color/hue : The color of wine. The color of awine is impacted by winemaking, the qualityvintage, storage and age. Generally speaking,white wines gain color with age while red wineslose color.

Secondary Color : Colors found in a glass ofwine other than the predominant color. White

wines often display green and unpolished silverand brass, while young red wines display pinkat the rim of the glass.


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WHAT DETERMINESCOLOR IN WINE?

A wines color is determined by the kind of grapevariety used to make the wine and also throughvarious winemaking processes.

With very few exceptions, the juice of almost every

Vitis Vinifera grape is clear. The color in red wines isderived from the skins of the grapes. During the redwine making process, the young wine is left on theskins for an extended period of time to extract colorand tannins. White wines are made with little or noskin contact.

Color can also be added through oak aging. As wineis kept in barrel, it undergoes slight oxidation andgains color.


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WINE TYPES:RED & DESSERT

Red Wine: Wine made from red grape varietiessuch as Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon .Red wines range in color from light ruby red to deep,opaque black purple. Red wines also have varying

amounts of tannin derived from the grape skins,seeds, stems, and the barrels the wines are oftenaged in.

Dessert Wine : Sweet wines made from late-harvested grapes such as Riesling, SauvignonBlanc, and Semillon . Dessert wines derive theirsweetness from the residual sugar left in the wineafter fermentation.


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WINE TYPES:BLUSH & FORTIFIED

Blush Wine : Also called ros or pink wine. Blush winesare made from red grapes. The pink color is derived fromleaving the must in contact with the grape skins just longenough to extract the desired color. However, some rosChampagnes are made by blending white and red winestogether. Blush wines range from dry to slightly sweetin style.

Fortified Wine : Wines made with the addition of neutral

spirits high proof colorless, odorless, and tastelessalcohol. Sherry, Port, and Madeira are the three mostwell-known fortified wines. Fortified wines range in stylefrom bone dry to very sweet dessert wines. Some fortifiedwines are capable of very long-term aging.


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WHAT IS ALCOHOL?

Alcohol : specifically, ethyl alcohol, the colorlessvolatile spirit formed during fermentation.

One can find a wide range of alcohol in wine, from aslittle as 5.5% in light wines such as Moscato di Asti ofItaly, to as much as 20% in sweet, fortified winessuch as port and sherry.

Alcohol can be sensed as heat in the nose, throat,

and chest, when tasting wine.


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WHAT IS ACIDITY?

Acidity : Acidity is one of the most vital componentsof wine. Every wine must possess enough acidity tobe balanced and to have any potential to age.

There are four acids in wine: tartaric, malic, lactic,and citric. Tartaric is the most important acid of thefour. All are measured in terms of grams of totalacidity per liter of wine.


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WHAT IS TANNIN?

Tannin : Tannins in wine are derived from the skins,seeds, and stems of the grape; and also the barrelsin which wine is often aged.

Tannin tastes bitter and feels gritty or aggressive onthe back of your tongue. The best way to think oftannin is to imagine a cup of overly-brewed tea. Thatbitter, astringent taste is tannin.

White wines without oak will have little, if any, tannin.However, white wines, such as Chardonnay, that areoften aged in new oak, can have as much tannin asmany red wines. Red wines generally have muchmore tannin than white wines.


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TERMS:ANATOMY OF A WINE BOTTLE

Lip: the very top of the bottle.When serving a bottle, cut thecapsule below the lip.

Capsule: the decorative,plastic or metal, foil coveringthe neck of the bottle.

Neck: the narrow part of the topof the bottle housing the cork.

Shoulder: below the neckof the bottle.

Label: paper affixed tothe bottle with all pertinent(and legally required)information about the wineand the winery.

Punt: the indentation

on the bottom of thebottle that not only lendsstructural reinforcementto the bottle, but gathersthe sediment in olderred wines.


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SELECTINGPROPER GLASSWARE

Selecting the right kind ofwine glass is not difficult ifone follows some simpleguidelines. However, dontfeel that you need to rush outand purchase an expensiveset of crystal. That is notnecessary. It is, nevertheless,very important for you to havethe right kind of glasses foryour tastings.


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Foot: the bottompart of the glassthat rests on thetable (or deck ofthe yacht) thatkeeps the glassfrom topplingover and spilling

into your lap.

Lip: the edge of theglass your lips (aha!)touch when tasting ordrinking the wine.

Bowl: the partof the glass thatholds the wine.

Stem: the thin stretchof glass between thebowl and the foot, orbottom. This is thepart of the glass that

you hold on to.

GLASSWARE PARTS

Heres the low-down, the top-to-bottom, of the differentparts that make up each and every wine glass:


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REVIEW

You should now have a good understanding of: Basic wine terms

Terms that are vital to understanding wine and

wine tasting

wine terminology

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