The Wine Blokes

A glossary of wine related terms.

Terroir was originally a French term in wine, coffee and tea used to denote the special characteristics that geography bestowed upon them. It can be very loosely translated as “a sense of place” which is embodied in certain qualities, and the sum of the effects that the local environment has had on the manufacture of […]

Cabernet Franc grapes undergoing véraison.
Véraison is a French term, but has been adopted into the English literature on viticulture. The official definition of véraison is “change of color of the grape berries.” Véraison signifies the change from berry growth to berry ripening in grapevines.
Process
Many changes occur at veraison. Grape berries follow a double sigmoid growth […]

A
Acid
There are four major acids found in wine: tartaric, malic, lactic and citric. Acid is identifiable by the crisp, fresh character it imparts to a wine’s palate. Too much can lead to a sharp, sour taste; too little can leave a wine ‘flabby’ and out of balance.
Acidity
The quality of tartness, sourness and sharpness.
Aftertaste
Describes the […]