Glossary of Wine Terms

Alcohol –colorless, volatile, flammable liquid produced by yeast
fermentation of carbohydrates or synthetically by hydration of ethylene.
It draws the line between wine and grape juice

Aroma- the scent or smell of wine.

Barrel –cylindrical wooden container with slightly bulging sides made of
staves hooped together, and with flat, parallel ends. Usually made of oak,
and used in fermenting wine.

Bottle-portable container for holding liquids, having neck and mouth and
made of glass or plastic. Wine bottles are nearly always made of glass
because it is nonporous, strong, and aesthetically pleasing.

Bouquet –the characteristic aroma of wines.

Cork- a piece of oak, rubber, or the like used as a stopper, as for a
bottle. In wine bottles, it is usually made of oak wood.

Corkscrew- an instrument typically consisting of a metal spiral with a
sharp point at one end and a transverse handle at the other, used for
drawing corks from bottles.

Ethyl Alcohol, or ethanol, the kind of alcohol found in alcoholic drinks
such as wine

Fermentation –process whereby grape juice is transformed into an
alcoholic wine, through the help of yeast.

Filtration –a process of removing suspended solid particles in a wine in
order to make it clear. It is thought to be controversial in the wine
industry as it strips off the flavour if the filtration is overdone.

Finish- a tasting term referring to the taste of the wine at the point of,
and just after swallowing.

Fruit wine –also a fermented alcoholic beverage made from non-grape
fruits. In the Philippines, local and common fruits are made for wine such
as strawberry, bignay (wild berry), duhat (plum), mango, guyabano (sour
sop) and others.

Glass-used in drinking wines. There are certain glasses for certain wines
but usually, the basic requirements are that the bowl should be big enough
that there’s room above the wine for the aromas to be captured.

Grape- edible smooth-skinned fruit that grows in clusters on vines and is
fermented to make wine.

Nebuchadnezzar –the largest wine bottle, can hold up to 20 quarts or
18.9 litres of wine.

Oak- the most common kind of wood used in making wine barrels.

pH- the measure of the acidity in a liquid. Most wines have a pH of 3 or 4
which means they’re acidic. Lower  than 3 is quite dangerous.

Pulp- the fleshy part of the grape usually containing all the water,
sugars, and acid.

Seed –part of the wine which contains tannins. Seeds should not be
crushed in wine making

Sherry- a fortified wine that has been subjected to controlled oxidation
to produce a distinctive flavour.

Skin- part of the grape which holds most flavour compounds, pigments, and
tannins. The skin is responsible for the color of the wine such as red or
white.

Tannin -a bitter tasting substance that cause the “dry mouth” feeling
associated with some red wines.

Texture –it is the feeling of wine in the mouth, or mouthfeel. Usually
described as silky, velvety, or smooth.

Vanilla –the flavour or scent that is present in wines that are stored
in new oak barrels.

Vineyard –a plantation of grapevines, esp. one producing grapes for
winemaking.

Vintage –the produce of an excellent grape harvest of a good year. The
vintage in the bottles refer to the year the grapes were grown, but for
some, they’re the year the grapes are harvested.

Wine –the fermented juice of grapes used esp. as a beverage, made in
many varieties, as red or white, sweet or dry, and still or sparkling, and
containing no more than 14 percent alcohol.

Wine Tasting- a gathering to evaluate wine, not only in its taste, but
also mouth feel, aroma, and color.

Yeast- a micro-organism present in the skin of grapes that reacts with the
sugar inside and results in the production of ethyl alcohol during
fermentation.

Sources: Random House Webster’s Dictionary and Thesaurus
www.thewinedoctor.com/glossary
www.grapestomper.com/wineglossary.html
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