Wine Glossary

Acidity

The acid content of a wine. Acid is the nervous system of the wine and one of its most important components. It gives wine its tartness and liveliness. It also helps preserve a wine as well as mitigate the sweetness of wines with residual sugar.

Appellation

A geographical based term to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown

Aroma

The smell of a wine. The term is generally applied to younger wines, while the term Bouquet is reserved for more aged wines.

A.V.A.

American Viticultural Area; the United States term for appellation

Balance

The harmonious relationship of the components of wine - acids, fruit, tannins, alcohol, etc. - resulting in a well proportioned, or well balanced, wine

Barrel

Used for fermenting and aging wine

Body

The weight and heft of a wine in your mouth, often determined by viscosity or thickness of a wine, which may be caused by high sugar or alcohol content

Bottle shock

A temporary condition of wine characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are shaken in travel. After several days the condition usually disappears. Longer after bottling, usually 3-6 months.

Bouquet

A term for the complex aromas of an aged wine. The term is generally not applied to young wines.

Brix

Method of measuring sugar in grape juice and wine. Named for the man who developed the calibrations on the hydrometer used by American winemakers for this purpose. Degrees Brix translates exactly to percent of sugar (i.e. 20 degrees Brix = 20% sugar).

Cold stabilization

A winemaking process to where wine is chilled to near freezing temperatures for several weeks to encourage the precipitation of tartrate crystals

Crisp

Tasting term for a wine with a pleasant, refreshing amount of acidity

Decanting

The process of pouring wine from its bottle into a decanter to separate the sediment from the wine; allows the wine to aerate

Dry

A wine that has no discernable trace of sweetness; < 1% residual sugar

Enology

The study of wine, specifically the study of winemaking

Estate bottled

A wine made from grapes grown by the producer of the wine

Fermentation

A natural process where the sugar in grape juice is converted into alcohol (by-products include heat and CO2)

Free run

Juice obtained from grapes that have not been pressed

Late harvest wine

Wine made from grapes that have been left on the vine longer than usual. Usually an indicator for a very sweet or dessert wine.

LMS

Lake Michigan Shore, one of four Michigan AVA's; 90% of Michigan's vineyards fall within this appellation

Maceration

The process of soaking the skins of red grapes in their grape juice, giving the juice color and tannin

Malolactic fermentation

Secondary fermentation whereby bacteria convert harsh malic acid [found in green apples] into soft lactic acid [found in milk]. The process softens a wine and gives it a buttery character.

Must

Term applied to the juice of crushed grapes until it has been fermented into alcohol.

New world wine

A reference to non-European wine-producing countries such as Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States.

Noble rot

Botrytis cinerea; A sometimes beneficial mold. It attacks grape skins, causing the moisture to evaporate and the grape sugars to concentrate. It also imparts a honeyed and pleasant moldy-like smell and flavor to the wine.

Nose

The smell or aroma of a wine

Old world wine

Wines produced inside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa

Palate

A tasting term for the feel and taste of a wine in the mouth.

Reserve

A term given to wine to indicate that it is of higher quality than usual.

Residual sugar

Sugar remaining in wine after fermentation

Sweet

The opposite of dry

Sparkling wine

Any wine with bubbles

Still wine

A wine that contains no bubbles

Tannin

Phenolic compound found in the skin, stems, and seeds of grapes

Varietal

A wine named for the sole principal grape variety from which it was made

Vinifera

Common European grape cultivated in many varieties; chief source of Old World wine and table grapes

Vintage

The year the grapes were harvested

Vodka

A clear, colorless, unaged liquor that is the result of distillation at high proof levels, then filtration through activated charcoal to remove most remaining impurities that would contribute distinctive characteristics.