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Glossary of wine words & terms
A-F G-P Q-Z
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- Racking
- The process of siphoning off the clear wine from the sediment
that has settled in the bottom of the wine barrel.
Rancio- A tasting term that is used to describe a highly desirable characteristic
of fortified wines that have undergone extended barrel maturation.
In Australian wines, it is at its most pronounced in the better
muscats and tokays of north eastern Victoria. Best described as
a rich nutty, burnt butter character that is integrated with the
unctuous sweetness and Christmas pudding-like complexity of such
muscats and tokays. Also typical of high-quality port, Cognac and
madeira.
Residual Sugar- Unfermented sugar present in the finished wine. In moderate quantities,
such as those found in many Australian aromatic white wines, residual
sugar is not perceived as an overt sweetness by the taster, but
rather grants the wine an added richness and viscosity in the mouth.
Riesling- Riesling is the great white wine grape variety of Germany and
could claim to be the finest white grape variety in the world on
the basis of the longevity of its wines and their ability to transmit
the characteristics without losing riesling's own inimitable style.
Its name has been considerably debased by being applied to a wide
range of white grape varieties of varied and often doubtful quality.
Rousanne- A white grape variety that owes its name to the russet colour
of its grapes, rousanne's chief attribute lies in its haunting
aroma, akin to a refreshing herb tea, together with acidity that
allows it to age.
Sangiovese- A red grape variety, sangiovese is particularly common in central
Italy, accounting for 10% of all Italian vineyards.
Sappy- Slightly resinous, grassy character most commonly found in high
quality pinot noir. This desirable trait derives from grape stalks
that have an impact on these wines due to partial whole bunch fermentation
often utilised in their production. Sometimes used to describe
the leafy character in cool climate cabernet sauvignon or merlot
wines and the resinous character of certain types of oak on young
wines.
Sauvignon Blanc- A white grape variety typically used to produce a pungent style
of dry white wine. The intense 'grassy' character of some of these
wines, sometimes described as 'asparagus', 'green pea' or even
cat's urine by tasters, makes this a love or hate variety.
Semillon- Semillon is the world's most planted white grape variety, due
mainly to its predominance in Bordeaux and much of the southern
hemisphere. The grape's versatility, combined with its hardy plant
growth, makes semillon an especially productive vine, which no
doubt accounts for its widespread popularity and planting.
Shiraz (Syrah)- A red grape variety that has been grown for centuries in the
Rhône Valley, where shiraz (syrah) is renowned for producing some
of France's richest, noblest red wines. The peppery, spicy, warm-grown
Shiraz is capable of dignified ageing for decades. Its luscious
fruit and adaptable vine has seen Shiraz survive successfully in
many locations, including South Africa, California, but most notably,
in Australia. It is the most widely planted red grape variety in
Australia.
Solera- A vatting system used in the production of certain fortified
wines, most notably sherry. Barrels of wine are stacked on top
of each other to form a pyramid. Wine for bottling and sampling
is taken from the ground level of the solera and these lower barrels
are then topped up from the next layer above them, and this layer
is then topped up from the level above it and so on. Any new, younger
wine is stacked on top of the solera. This complex and laborious
system of blending means that the oldest, on average, more mature
wine is always in the lowest barrels and hence in the bottle.
Sparkling red/sparkling shiraz- A uniquely Australian style of wine, the best examples of sparkling
shiraz are richly flavoured and soft with a delicate sweetness.
They can be very long lived and are traditionally drunk on Christmas
Day.
Spatlese- A German term which denotes a late harvest, riper style of wine.
It's not necessarily sweet, but in Australia it is nearly always
so. It is not as sweet as auslese.
Structure- The impression of volume or form that a given wine leaves in
the mind of an experienced taster. It might seem odd that a liquid
should be described in the architectural language of shape but
tasters need to make use of such language in an attempt to capture
the balance, or lack of it, in any given wine. A red wine that
exhibits a balance of all components, when in its prime drinking
period, will appear supple and spherical (the mark of quality wine).
Sur Lie- French for 'on lees'. A wine making process whereby the wine
is left in extended contact with particles of grape pulp, skin,
stalk,
stem and dead yeast cells. See Lees.
Sylvaner- A white grape that produces a bland wine used mostly for blending.
Of minimal importance.
Syrah- See Shiraz.
Tannin- An organic substance concentrated in the grape skins, pips, and
stalks of the grape. Oak tannins can also be absorbed into a given
wine via oak maturation. It is mainly evident in red wines and
makes its presence known through a chalky dryness in the mouth.
Apart from giving the wine this added astringency, tannin functions
as a preserving agent. Still unsure? Try chewing on a grape pip.
Tarrango- A hybrid red grape developed by Australian researchers from a
cross between touriga and sultana. Can be made into a light red.
Tartaric Acid- The most important acid, in terms of wine making, naturally occurring
in grapes. Tartaric acid is vital, not only in the flavour of a
wine but also in its vibrancy of colour and its role in maintaining
this colour with bottle age. Young tannic reds can seem hard and
angular as can whites with high acidity. Sweet wines tend to have
a round and heavy mouthfeel although again, if well balanced with
lively acidity, will appear deceptively ethereal on the palate.
Length of flavour and mouthfeel are both facets of a wine's structure.
Traminer Riesling- A blend of traminer and riesling.
Trebbiano- A white grape generally used to make cask wine or cheap sparkling.
Lends itself well to distillation due to its neutral flavour.
Ullage- The gap of air between the cork and the liquid surface in a bottle
of wine is called the ullage. As a given wine ages, the ullage
increases. A reasonably high ullage level is a fairly reliable
indicator of the soundness of a mature wine. At the very least
this indicates that the cork has remained sound. In very old wines,
a large ullage is acceptable, and to be expected, as long as it
has not dropped below the curved shoulder of the bottle. Ideally
speaking, however, the ullage level should remain in the neck of
the bottle and some experienced drinkers claim that when a wine's
level has reached the base of the neck, it is time to pull the
cork.
Varietal- A wine that is titled with the predominant grape variety(ies)
from which it has been made. Eg 'chardonnay'.
Vat- A vessel for wine storage and maturation. Sometimes used in Australian
wine labeling as in the case of 'Tyrrell's Vat 47', where it is
simply a brand name.
Verdelho- A white grape variety principally grown on two islands - Portuguese
Madeira and Australia. In the former, Verdelho is used to produce
fortified wine. In Australia, Verdelho generally produces rich,
full bodied, fruity white table wines best consumed within three
years of harvest. Vinification The process of making wines from
grapes.
Viscous- The round mouthfeel perceived by the taster especially in regard
to sweet wines and, less commonly, richly flavoured wines that
have undergone extended barrel maturation.
Volatile Acidity- Generally used in reference to acetic acid, although there are
a few other acids that are also volatile such as lactic, succinic,
among others. VA can be beneficial to a wine in small amounts when
it is said to lift the aroma and flavour of a wine and lend it
a certain complexity. This 'lift' is of most benefit to rich and
tannic red wines (Penfolds Grange is an example that is often cited)
and sweet, late harvest wines rely on a level of VA to balance
their unctuous sweetness. Small quantities of acetic acid are a
natural by-product of the fermentation process. However, if the
finished wine comes into prolonged contact with air, a bacteria
known as acetobactor causes a reaction between the alcohol in the
wine and oxygen to produce markedly higher levels of acetic acid.
An excess of such VA leads to the wine being spoilt. It is generally
detected by the taster as an aroma of vinegar or nail polish remover
(ethyl acetate is produced contemporaneously with an increase in
acetic acid) and a sour, thin flavour on the palate. Such wines
are described as having excessive volatility.
Volatility- An excess of volatile acidity.
Wine Press- A crushing device used to press grapes and drain away the grape
juice from solids such as skins, pips, etc.
Xynomavro- Red grape widely planted in Greece. Even in the warm to hot climates
in which it is grown it can produce wines with the colour, acid
and tannin structure to age well.
Yeast- An organism, either wild or cultured, that is a vital component
of the fermentation process. Wine yeast 'consumes' sugar as an
energy source and the by-products of this activity are alcohol
and carbon dioxide. This reaction is known as fermentation and
the resulting liquid; wine. But you already know that don't you.
Zinfandel- A red grape variety from which it is possible to make a wide
variety of wines, as is the case in California, where it is made
into cask wines, full-bodied reds of extremely high quality and
pinky coloured Rose-style wines. In Australia, this variety is
mostly grown in Western Australia.
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