Word |
Description |
| Malolactic Fermentation | A secondary fermentation, often occurring in barrels, whereby harsher malic acid is converted into creamier lactic acid. |
| Malbec | A hearty red grape of French origin now exceedingly popular in Argentina. |
| Must | Crushed grapes about to go or going through fermentation. |
| Maceration | The process of allowing grape juice and skins to ferment together, thereby imparting color, tannins, and aromas. |
| Magnum | A bottle equal to two regular 750 ml bottles. |
| Maderized | Stemming from the word Madeira, this term means oxidization in a hot environment. |
| Madeira | A fortified wine that has been made on a Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco since the fifteenth century. |
| Medoc | A section of Bordeaux on the west bank of the Gironde Estuary known for great red wines; Margaux, St.-Estephe, and Pauillac are three leading AOCs in the Medoc. |
| Merlot | A lauded red grape popular in Bordeaux and throughout the world; large amounts of Merlot exist in Italy, the United States, South America, and elsewhere. |
| Labrusca | Grape types native to North America such as Concord and Catawba. |
| Legs | A term used to describe how wine sticks to the inside of a wineglass after drinking or swirling. |
| Lees | Heavy sediment left in the barrel by fermenting wines; a combination of spent yeast cells and grape solids. |
| Loire | A river in central France as well as a wine region famous for Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Franc. |
| Late Harvest | A term used to describe dessert wines made from grapes left on the vines for an extra long period, often until botrytis has set in. |
| Kabinett | A German term for a wine of quality; usually the driest of Germanyis best Rieslings. |
| Kosher | A wine made according to strict Jewish rules under rabbinical supervision. |
| Jeroboam | An oversized bottle equal to six regular 750 ml bottles. |
| Ice Wine | From the German eiswein, this is a wine made from frozen grapes; Germany, Austria and Canada are leading ice wine producers. |
| Hollow | A term used to describe a wine that doesnit have depth or body. |
| Hybrid | The genetic crossing of two or more grape types; common hybrids include Mueller-Thurgau and Bacchus |
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