Glossary of Wine Terms
You can browse our topics using the letters below, or search for a term.
Word |
Description |
|---|---|
| Color | A key determinant of a wine's age and quality; white wines grow darker in color as they age while red wines turn brownish orange. |
| Cabernet Franc | A red grape common to Bordeaux; characteristics include an herbal, leafy flavor and a soft, fleshy texture. |
| Crianza | A Spanish term for a red wine that has been aged in oak barrels for at least one year. |
| Chaptalization | The process of adding sugar to fermenting grapes in order to increase alcohol. |
| Decant | The process of transferring wine from a bottle to another holding vessel. The purpose is generally to aerate a young wine or to separate an older wine from any sediment. |
| Disgorge | The process by which final sediments are removed from traditionally made sparkling wines prior to the adding of the dosage. |
| Douro | A river in Portugal as well as the wine region famous for producing Port wines. |
| Dosage | A sweetened spirit added at the very end to Champagne and other traditionally made sparkling wines. It determines whether a wine is brut, extra dry, dry, or semisweet. |
| Denominazione di Origine Controllata | Italian for a controlled wine region; similar to the French AOC or Spanish DO. |
| Dry | A wine containing no more than 0.2 percent unfermented sugar. |
| Denominacion de Origen | Spanish for 'appellation of origin;' like the French AOC or Italian DOC. |
| Enology | The science of wine production; an enologist is a professional winemaker; an enophile is someone who enjoys wine. |
| Earthy | A term used to describe aromas and flavors that have a certain soil-like quality. |
| Fortified Wine | A wine in which brandy is introduced during fermentation; sugars and sweetness are high due to the suspended fermentation. |
| Fermentation | The process by which sugar is transformed into alcohol; how grape juice interacts with yeast to become wine. |
| Fume Blanc | A name created by Robert Mondavi to describe dry Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Fining | Part of the clarification process whereby elements are added to the wine, i.e. egg whites, in order to capture solids prior to filtration. |
| Filtration | The process by which wine is clarified before bottling. |
| Graft | A vineyard technique in which the bud-producing part of a grapevine is attached to an existing root. |
| Grand Cru | French for 'great growth;' the very best vineyards. |
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