WINE GLOSSARY & TERMINOLOGY

The following words are generally written on labels and are used in tastings to describe the wine.

 

A

After taste: the sensation the wine leaves after tasting

Amiable: sweet wine, but not exessively so.

Ample: wine which has a varied and rich variety of aromas.

Aromatic: wine whose main aroma is of the vinyard from which it comes.

 

B

Barrick: wine refined in barrels or barrique (a small wooden barrel with a general capacity of 225 litres).

Blanc de Blancs: found on the label of some champagnes; Indicates that the wine has been produced with only white grapes.

Blanc de Noirs: as above, but produced with only black grapes.

Bouquet: The effect that the aroma, in its wholeness has on the senses, of an aged wine.

Brut spumante: a dry taste, resulting from a sugar content of less than 15 g/l

 

C

Champenoise: term which indicates the method of sparkling the wine with a second fermentation in the bottle. In Italy it is called “classic”.

Charmat: the sparkling of the wine done with a second fermentation of the wine in autoclave.

Cremant: term that indicates sparkling wine produced with a lower number of atmospheres. Can be served throughout meals.

Cru: french word used to indicate a part of the specific vineyard.

Cryomaceration: “Cold Maceration” – the process of leaving the must on the grape skins for about 12-24 hours at a low temperature. This important phase allows easier extraction from the grape skins of all the best grape characteristics, enhancing the fruity, fresh and fragrant flavour of the wine.

 

D

Doc: controlled denomination of origine.

Docg: controlled and guaranteed denomintion of origine.

Dry: wine with a very dry taste.

 

E

Erbaceo: wine with a distinct aroma of cut grass.

 

F

Fragrant: term which indicates the aroma of spumanti wine, which bring to mind yeast and baked bread, or wines which have a dominating floral sensation.

Froth: whitish mass of gas bubbes which forms on the surface of wines during fermentation.

Full: defines a rich wine full of body

 

G

Generous: wine whose alcoholic content has a dominant role

Igt: typical geographic indication

 

J

Jeroboam: champagne bottle which contains 3 litres and fills 28 glasses

 

L

Liqueur-like: wine to which alcohol has been added or which has a naturally high alcoholic level.

 

M

Magnum: bottle of champagne which contains 1.5 litres and fills 14 glasses

Mathusalem: bottle for champagne which contains 6 litres and fills 56 glasses

Medium sweet: wine tending to a sweet taste

Millesimato: term used for champagne and spumanti prodouced with grapes from only one years harvesting.

Must: is the liquid obtained from the grape pressing and has nto yet fermented.

 

N

Nabucodonosor: is the biggest bottle for champagne; it holds 15 litres of Champagne

New wine: name of the wine produced by carbonic steeping, available for drinking after two months after harvesting.

 

P

Pas Dosé: term used for spumanti and champagne, which has not had liquer d’expédition added.

Passito: wine which has been to dry in the cellars, on the vine or in the open.

Perlage: French definition which defines the bubbles present in champagne and spumante.

Picure: French definition which reffers to the concave part of the bottom of the bottle where very old wines (20 years or more) deposite their residue

 

S

Salmanazar: champagne bottle which containes 9 litres and fills about 84 glasses

Sapido: term applied to a tasty wine.

Sincere: honest wine with no defects.

skin and pip. Uvaggio: the mix of grapes that make the wine.

Smooth: wine which has a balanced mix of hardness (acidity and tanine) and smoothness (alcohol and sugar).

Sweet: wine with a very sweet taste.

 

T

Tannic: wine with a lot of tannin

Tannin: product of the polymerization of phenolic substances, a compound which is astringent.

Tart: used for young wine with a high content of acidity, not pleasureable. Lanky: wine with an ecessive amount of tanine and a consequential very strong astringent effect.

 

V

Vinoso: perfume which brings to mind the must in the cellars

VQPRD : quality wine produced in determined areas.

VLQPRD: liquerish wine of quality produced in determined areas.

VSQPRD: spumante wine of quality produced in determined areas.

 

W

Warm: sensation given by a wine rich in alcoholic content.