The Wine Blokes

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 taste, flavour and mouthfeel sensations noticeable after tasting or swallowing wine. When these characters remain for more than 20 seconds, a wine is said to have a rich, long or persistent aftertaste.

Alcohol
Ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is produced by the action of natural or added yeast on grape sugars during fermentation.

American hybrid
Grape varieties which have been crossbred from American and European vines.

Ampelography
The science of identifying varieties by appearance with the leaves as the primary identifier.

Appellation
A recognised wine-growing region.

Anthocyanins
Phenolics which strongly influence a wine’s colour.

Aroma
The smell of wine, which largely originates from the grape varieties used to make the wine. Oak often accompanies the aroma of young reds.

Ascorbic acid
A natural component found in wine that is sometimes added to prevent oxidation occurring. If ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) has been added, the wine label will show ‘Antioxidant 300 added’.

Astringent
Describes a harsh, dry, mouth-puckering sensation, usually due to high levels of tannins or acids present in red wines (and some whites).

Austere
Generally meant to indicate a wine that has flavours that are ‘closed’, that is without strong recognisable varietal or oak characters.

B

Balance
A wine that has all its flavour components in harmony, with no single one being too dominant, is said to have good balance.

Barrels
Vessels used for the making or maturation of wine. These may be of cement, plastic, stainless steel or oak. Oak barrels allow the wine to mature and breath while adding natural tannins and flavours such as vanilla or toast.

Baume
A measure of the sugar concentration in the juice or wine.

Bitterness
One of the main taste sensations, usually detected at the back of the tongue after swallowing. Phenolic substances are the main source of bitterness in wine, and come from wood (oak) and the grape.

Blanc de Blancs
Meaning ‘white from white’ this is a sparkling wine made from 85% or more of a white-skinned grape variety, usually chardonnay.

Blanc de Noir
Meaning ‘white from black’ this is a white or slightly pink sparkling wine made from 85% or more of a dark-skinned grape variety, usually pinot noir.

Bland
Wine-tasting term used to describe a wine that lacks any discernable character, though not necessarily having any particular wine faults.

Blend
Mixing of two or more grape varieties, vintages or locations to increase quality, complexity or maintain consistency.

Body
A term used to express the weight of a wine. ‘Full-bodied’ describes a wine (generally one that is higher in alcohol) with fullness of flavour in the mouth.

Bottle age
Maturation and ageing in bottle imparts mature, mellow characters that increase the complexity, quality and overall harmony of wine.

Bottle fermentation
A method of producing sparkling wine where secondary fermentation occurs in bottles. The wine is then transferred to a pressure tank where it is mixed, filtered then bottled for sale.

Botrytis
A fungus which may cause bunch rot and wine spoilage. In controlled situations, called noble rot, it can lead to concentrated sugars in the berries and delicious sweet wines can be made.

Bouquet
Describes the complex aromas a wine develops after time spent in the bottle.

Bright
Used to describe fresh, lively young wines that show vivid, intense flavours.

Brilliant
Perfectly clear wine with no suspended particles. Brilliance can be an indicator of wine quality, except in premium red wine, where some crust or sediment can be expected to form after bottle maturation.

Brix
A measure of the sugar concentration in juice or wine.

Brut
A general term used to describe dry sparkling white wine. Some commercial brut styles have a small amount of ‘liqueur’ added to soften the dryness of the palate.

Brut Cremant
A dry sparkling wine that leaves a full, creamy, round mouthfeel.

Brut de Brut
A term used to describe sparkling wine that is fermented to absolute dryness containing no residual sugar.

Bulk fermentation
A method of producing sparkling wine in large stainless steel tanks as opposed to in the bottle. This process offers good quality, consistent wines.

C

Canopy
The above ground parts of the vine, especially the shoots and leaves.

Canopy management
A range of viticultural techniques used to manipulate the vine canopy. This is done for vine shape, interception of sunlight and disease control.
Cap
The thick cap of grape skins floating on top of the fermenting red wine.

Carbon dioxide
The gas given off during fermentation which is responsible for the bubbles in sparkling wines.

Carbonic Maceration
When whole bunches of grapes are allowed to ferment to produce an early-maturing wine style such as Beaujolais.

Chaptalization
The addition of sugar to wine. An illegal practice in Australia.

Chewy
Describes rich, tannic wines that seem to be thick and full in the mouth. A positive quality in many red wines.

Clarification
To make a wine clear through fining, filtration and refrigeration.

Clone
A grape variety which has undergone some genetic adaptation from the original.

Cloying
An excessively sweet wine that may seem to be out of balance due to low acidity.

Colour
In wine, an extremely important indicator of quality and condition. Darker colours in whites usually indicate older wines, while red wines tend to turn a tawny, brick red colour with age.

Complexity
A combination of richness, depth of flavour, intensity, balance, harmony and finesse. An essential element in all great wines (and most good ones).

Corked
A wine whose quality is affected by an off-flavour from the cork. It is perceived as a mouldy, ‘rotten wood’ or damp cardboard smell and sometimes bitter taste. About 3% of all wines worldwide are affected by cork taint.

Cultivar
Another term for grape variety.

D

Delicate
Describes most light to medium-bodied wines with good, clear flavours. Desirable in wines such as riesling, semillon or pinot noir.

Depth
Describes a wine that shows an excellent concentration of aromas and flavours.

Downy mildew
Fungal vine disease.

Dry/Dryness
A wine that has completed fermentation and has less than 7.5 grams per litre of dissolved sugar remaining is said to have fermented to dryness.

The absence of residual sugar (sweetness) in a wine leads to a dry rather than sweet finish.

E

Earthy
A musty or savoury flavour found in some wine (often referred to in tasting notes as ‘barnyard’characters).

Elegant
Describes wines that are graceful, well balanced and usually light-bodied.

Ethyl alcohol
Ethanol is the primary alcohol in an alcoholic beverage.

F

Fan leaf
A viral vine disease.

Fermentation
The transformation of sugar into alcohol through the action of yeasts.

Filtration
The removal of solid particles from the juice or wine.

Fining
A clarification technique where a fining agent such as egg white or bentonite is used to aid in the flocculation of particulate matter in the wine.

Finish
The end taste of wine after it has been swallowed or spat out. High tannin content might produce a ‘firm finish’; lack of flavour and body might yield a ’short finish ‘.

Firm
Term referring to a taste sensation caused by tannins - usually noticeable at the back of the mouth.

Flabby
Soft, lacking acidity on the palate (when a wine loses acidity, it is referred to as ‘flat’).

Flinty
Term usually applied to austere, dry and crisp whites.

Flowery
An attractive scent reminiscent of flowers. ‘Floral ‘and ‘fragrant’ are similar descriptors often applied to young, fresh white wines.

Flor
A special yeast used to make sherry. This yeast functions with full contact with oxygen and can ferment to higher than 15 per cent alcohol.

Free run
Juice that runs freely from grape bunches without applied mechanical pressure. Usually of the highest quality because it contains less tannin from skin, stalk or seed material.

Fruit set
After flowering the fertilised flowers are “set” to form berries.

G

Grafting
The insertion of a section, scion, of one variety into another. Genetic compatibility is important.

Green
A term describing wines made with unripe fruit.

H

Hectare
An area of land totalling 10,000 square meters or 2.47 acres.
Herbaceous
An aroma related to vegetative or grassy characters. Some reds, notably under-ripe cabernet sauvignon (a distinct tomato-leaf smell), and some whites (sauvignon blanc’s asparagus and capsicum flavours, for example) are described as ‘herbaceous’.

Hot
Describes the hot or peppery mouthfeel of high alcohol wines (a positive in fortified styles).

Hybrid
Grape variety bred from number of different species.

I

Inert gas
A gas which does not react with the juice or wine. Carbon dioxide or nitrogen are commonly used to fill the head space in tanks and bottles to avoid oxidation.

L

Lactic acid
A single carboxyl acid produced during malolactic fermentation.

Leaf roll
A viral disease in grape vines.

Lees
Solid waste at the bottom of the ferment, primarily composed of dead yeast cells and grape matter.

Legs
Viscous columns which trickle down the inside surface of a glass after a wine has been swirled. Prominent ‘legs ‘ indicate high alcohol.

Liqueur d’ expedition
Liqueur added to top up disgorged wine.

Luscious
Describes sweet wines such as liqueur muscat and tokay that are rich, fruity and high in residual sugar.

M

Malic acid
A double carboxylic acid which adds a sharpness to wine. Undesirable in high concentrations it is often reduced through malolactic fermentation to lactic acid.

Malolactic fermentation
A secondary fermentation that converts malic acid into softer lactic acid. Adds complexity to chardonnay and smoothness to reds such as cabernet sauvignon and merlot.

Medals
Wine show awards for well-made wines. International and capital city wine shows are the most reliable indicators of quality. Gold medals are awarded to wines attaining 18.5 points or more (out of 20 points); silver medals,17.0 to 18.4; and bronze, 15.5-16.9.

Mercaptans
Yeast reacting with lees causing a mousey smell.

Mèthode Champenoise
The traditional French method of producing sparkling wines, where the wine goes through secondary fermentation in the bottle in which it is eventually sold.

Must
Grapes, seeds, skins and juice resulting from crushing grapes.

N

Noble rot
Highly prized form of the fungal disease Botrytis. Affected grapes will shrivel concentrating sugars resulting in delicious sweet wines.

O

Oak
Wines fermented and/or stored in oak barrels (from the wood genus quercus) gain extra flavour profiles and complexity. The more intense, sweet vanillin and coconutty flavours of American oak are well-suited to full flavoured red wines (particularly the Penfolds range); while the delicate vanilla, cedar and butterscotch characters of French oak integrate well with more elegant wine styles.

Oechsle
The German measure for the sugar concentration in grape juice or wine.

Oenology
The science of winemaking.

Oxidation
Exposure to oxygen causes wine to go brown and flat. Oxidation creates bitterness and destroys flavour.

Oxygen
A gas vital for the growth of yeast cells. A small amount of oxygen is important at the start of fermentation. Too high a concentration of oxygen will lead to oxidation of the wine causing a loss of colour, flavour and aroma.

P

pH
A measure of the concentration of acidity. pH ranges from 1 to 14 with the numbers 1 to 7 being more acidic. Water is neutral at pH 7 and wines are generally between pH 3 - 4.

Peppery
A not entirely unpleasant characteristic reminiscent of black pepper sometimes found in young red wines (especially shiraz) and ports.

Phenolics
Alarge group of compounds found mainly in the skins and seeds of the grape. They include the flavonoids, anthocyanins and tannins. During the ageing process of wines many of these are precipitated out. Evidence suggests that red wine will offer greater protection against heart disease than white wine due to its’ higher concentration of phenolics.

Phylloxera
An American vine root pest, present in most countries, which can cause complete vineyard loss. American rootstocks are used for their resistance in affected areas or as an insurance against possible outbreaks.

Potential alcohol
The alcoholic concentration that could be produced if all the sugars present were converted to alcohol.

Powdery mildew
A fungal vine disease common to cooler climates which can lead to crop losses.

Precipitate
When a dissolved substance can no longer stay dissolved and leaves the solution as a solid it is said to precipitate, to leave the solution.

Pressing
White grapes are pressed to release their juice only and not to break the seeds. Red or black grapes are pressed after fermentation to release more of the juice, colour and astringent qualities.

Pruning
Cutting the vine to improve its shape and balance. The level of pruning can affect a vine’s vigour and the quality of its yield.

Pulp
The flesh of the grape containing water, sugars and acids. The flesh of most grapes, whether red or white, is clear.

R

Racking
Transfer of wine from one container to another. The operation must be conducted to minimise the contact with oxygen.

Remuage
The entire process of riddling of the bottles, in Champagne production, to shake the yeast lees to the neck of the bottle for removal.

Residual sugar
Unfermented natural grape sugar that contributes sweetness to a finished wine. Can be unpleasant and cloying if overdone, or with the wrong type of wine.

Root stock
Root system to which a grape variety is grafted.

Round
Describes a texture that is well balanced with agreeable qualities of fullness (body) without other characters in excess.

S

Scion
Grape variety grafted to the rootstock.

Sharp
Acid taste on the palate. Not necessarily unpleasant.SmokyFlavour and aromatic complexity. Usually a by-product of fired (toasted) oak barrels.

Skin
Essential part of red winemaking as it contains pigments, flavonoids and tannins.

Skin contact
Continual and deliberate contact of the skins with the juice during the winemaking.

Soft
Describes a wine with a mild tannin or acid sensation with no harshness on the palate or in the aftertaste.

Solera system
A system of ‘fractional blending ‘ used in the production of fortified wines. Usually, a stack of barrels will have the youngest wines at the top and the oldest at the bottom. Wine is removed from the bottom barrels for bottling and topped up from the row above. In this way, a consistent wine can be produced over many years.

Sorbic acid
Used to kill yeasts and moulds but can produce the undesirable odour of crushed geranium.

Sparkling Shiraz
Sparkling Shiraz is red wine that has undergone secondary yeast fermentation in the bottle. Traditionally called Sparkling Burgundy after the region where it was first produced in 1820. Deep red in colour, it has distinctly different characters to other sparkling wines.Sulphur dioxide (SO2)Used for thousands of years as an antioxidant in winemaking. The smell of sulphur dioxide can be present in a newly opened bottle of wine, but usually dissipates. With today ’s truth-in-labelling laws, it is referred to on food and wine labels as ‘Preservative (220) added ‘.

Stabilisation
Processes used to stop the wine from deteriorating.

Sulphur dioxide
Used since Roman times to preserve, disinfect and reduce oxidation in wines.

Sweet
More than fruity; pertaining to the sugar level in finished wine.

T

Tannin
A vital ingredient in wines,especially reds. Tannins come from grape seeds, stalks, and skins, and in young wines produce a bitter, mouth-puckering sensation.
Astringent phenolics. A balanced wine will have soft tannins and give a full-mouth feel.

Tart
Noticeable acidic taste of natural grape acids. Unpleasant in excess. A food acid and a good preservative.

Tartrates
Harmless potassium bitartrate crystals that may form (often on the cork) from the tartaric acid naturally present in wine.

Thin
Lacking in body, depth and flavour.

Toasty
Describes a flavour derived from oak. Also a character that develops in some sparkling wines.

Triage
The sorting of the grapes.

U

Ullage
The headspace between wine and the top of a container. This is kept to a minimum to avoid oxidation.

V

Varietal
The grape variety a wine is made from, for example, shiraz; the opposite of a generic wine named after a region (for example, chablis).

Vegetal
Smells and tastes in wine that are reminiscent of plants and vegetables (such as cabernet sauvignon, which exhibits these qualities that are part of the varietal character).

Velvety
Having rich flavour, and a smooth, soft texture.

Vigneron
Grape grower.

Vigour
A vine’s growth rate.

Vigorous
In wine, a lively taste or feel.

Vin
Wine (French). As in vin ordinaire, or ordinary wine. To vinify is to make grapes into wine. (Pron.’vann ‘).

Vinifera
Vine species of European origin.

Vinegar
Wine spoiled by the vinegar bacteria (acetic acid) can be easily detected by a sharp, unpleasant sensation on the nose or palate (see volatile).

Vinosity
Wine-tasting term pertaining to the alcoholic strength of a wine and its grape character.

Vintage
The period of picking or harvesting grapes each year, as in ‘the vintage’; also the year a wine was made or ‘vintaged’. In Australia, wine must contain at least 85% of grapes from the year stated in order to carry a vintage date on the label.

Vintner
Winemaker, wine producer or winery proprietor.

Viscous
Thick appearance in wine; showing the presence of glycerol.

Viticulture
The study, science and cultivation of grapes.

Vitis Vinifera
The botanical name for the grape-bearing vine that is responsible for most of the world ’s quality wines. The North American Vitis labrusca is a native vine.
The vine genus.

Volatile
A wine affected by the presence of acetic acid is said to be volatile, or to have volatile acidity (v.a.). In small amounts, this can contribute to complexity, but in excess it gives wine a slightly sour, vinegary edge.

Y

Yeast
Micro-organisms that produce the enzymes which convert sugar into alcohol.

In fermentation of grapes yeast produces primarily ethanol and small quantities of higher alcohols and esters that give a wine its individual character