WINE TERMINOLOGY

INTRODUCTION
There is no doubt that wine can seem to be an overwhelming subject
to the beginner. There are literally thousands of different grape
varieties and wines to be found throughout the world, but the learning
process doesnt have to be intimidating. Our goal is to make you
comfortable with the subject of wine and to begin to remove some of
the intimidation factors associated with it.
Dont expect, however, to become an expert overnight from taking
this course. Learning about wine is a cumulative process, and true
expertise requires a frame of reference which can take years to
develop. Thats the bad news. The good news is that to learn about
wine, one has to taste and drink it not such a bad thing.
And with all the tasting and drinking one really needs the
accompaniment of good food as well which in turn calls for good
company. This is sounding better by the minute!
MODULE OBJECTIVES
In this module you will learn:
Basic wine terms
Terms that are vital to understanding wine
and wine tasting
WHAT IS WINE?
Wine is a beverage made
from the fermented juice
of fruit.
All fine wines are made
from the fermented juice
of certain grapes.

WHAT IS FINE WINE?
Fine wine is made from Vitis Vinifera grapes
grown in certain areas using the best available
winemaking techniques.
Fine wines are balanced, and offer many
different aromas and flavors. Many have the
potential to age if properly cellared.

WHAT ARE
VITIS VINIFERA GRAPES?
There are many species of
grapes around the world but
only ones from the Vitis
Vinifera family are used to
make fine wine.
There are over 1,000 types of
Vitis Vinifera grapes grown around
the world.
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay,
and Cabernet Sauvignon are
examples of Vitis Vinifera grapes.

WHAT IS
FERMENTATION?
Fermentation is the process by
which sugar in the grape juice
("must" is the grape juice, skins
& seeds ) is converted by yeast to
alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat.
The yeast used for fermenting
the must exists naturally on the
grapes or can be supplied by
the winemaker.
Winemakers generally use two
vessels for fermentation: stainless
steel tanks or small oak barrels

STAINLESS STEEL
FERMENTATION
This photo shows wine
fermenting in stainless
steel tanks. These tanks
vary in size and are
usually equipped with
thermal jacketing which
allows the winemaker to
control the temperature
of the fermentation.
BARREL FERMENTATION
This photo shows wine
fermenting in smaller
oak barrels. Barrel
fermentation imparts
yeasty flavors and
lends a creaminess to
the texture of the wine.
WHAT IS YEAST?
Yeasts are the microorganisms that cause
fermentation by secreting various enzymes in
grape juice converting it into wine. A drop of
fermenting must may contain over 5 million
different strains of yeasts. Winemakers make
use of cultured yeasts (those selected for their
specific fermentation characteristics) or so-called
native yeasts which are found in the vineyard
and on the grapes when harvested.
COLOR & SECONDARY COLOR
Color/hue: The color of wine. The color of a
wine is impacted by winemaking, the quality
vintage, storage and age. Generally speaking,
white wines gain color with age while red wines
lose color.
Secondary Color: Colors found in a glass of
wine other than the predominant color. White
wines often display green and unpolished silver
and brass, while young red wines display pink
at the rim of the glass.
WHAT DETERMINES
COLOR IN WINE?
A wines color is determined by the kind of grape
variety used to make the wine and also through
various winemaking processes.
With very few exceptions, the juice of almost every
Vitis Vinifera grape is clear. The color in red wines is
derived from the skins of the grapes. During the red
wine making process, the young wine is left on the
skins for an extended period of time to extract color
and tannins. White wines are made with little or no
skin contact.
Color can also be added through oak aging. As wine
is kept in barrel, it undergoes slight oxidation and
gains color.

WINE TYPES:
SPARKLING & WHITE
Sparkling Wine: Wine containing bubbles of carbon
dioxide trapped in the bottle after fermentation.
Champagne, Cava, and Asti are three well-known
sparkling wines.
White Wine: Wine made from white grape varieties
such as Riesling, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc.
White wines range from a pale, almost watery color,
to deep yellow.
WINE TYPES:
RED & DESSERT
Red Wine: Wine made from red grape varieties
such as Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Red wines range in color from light ruby red to deep,
opaque black purple. Red wines also have varying
amounts of tannin derived from the grape skins,
seeds, stems, and the barrels the wines are often
aged in.
Dessert Wine: Sweet wines made from late-
harvested grapes such as Riesling, Sauvignon
Blanc, and Semillon. Dessert wines derive their
sweetness from the residual sugar left in the wine
after fermentation.

WINE TYPES:
BLUSH & FORTIFIED
Blush Wine: Also called ros or pink wine. Blush wines
are made from red grapes. The pink color is derived from
leaving the must in contact with the grape skins just long
enough to extract the desired color. However, some ros
Champagnes are made by blending white and red wines
together. Blush wines range from dry to slightly sweet
in style.
Fortified Wine: Wines made with the addition of neutral
spirits high proof colorless, odorless, and tasteless
alcohol. Sherry, Port, and Madeira are the three most
well-known fortified wines. Fortified wines range in style
from bone dry to very sweet dessert wines. Some fortified
wines are capable of very long-term aging.

WHAT IS ALCOHOL?
Alcohol: specifically, ethyl alcohol, the colorless
volatile spirit formed during fermentation.
One can find a wide range of alcohol in wine, from as
little as 5.5% in light wines such as Moscato di Asti of
Italy, to as much as 20% in sweet, fortified wines
such as port and sherry.
Alcohol can be sensed as heat in the nose, throat,
and chest, when tasting wine.

WHAT IS ACIDITY?
Acidity: Acidity is one of the most vital components
of wine. Every wine must possess enough acidity to
be balanced and to have any potential to age.
There are four acids in wine: tartaric, malic, lactic,
and citric. Tartaric is the most important acid of the
four. All are measured in terms of grams of total
acidity per liter of wine.

WHAT IS TANNIN?
Tannin: Tannins in wine are derived from the skins,
seeds, and stems of the grape; and also the barrels
in which wine is often aged.
Tannin tastes bitter and feels gritty or aggressive on
the back of your tongue. The best way to think of
tannin is to imagine a cup of overly-brewed tea. That
bitter, astringent taste is tannin.
White wines without oak will have little, if any, tannin.
However, white wines, such as Chardonnay, that are
often aged in new oak, can have as much tannin as
many red wines. Red wines generally have much
more tannin than white wines.

TERMS:
ANATOMY OF A WINE BOTTLE
Lip: the very top of the bottle.
When serving a bottle, cut the
capsule below the lip.
Capsule: the decorative,
plastic or metal, foil covering
the neck of the bottle.
Neck: the narrow part of the top
of the bottle housing the cork.
Shoulder: below the neck
of the bottle.
Label: paper affixed to
the bottle with all pertinent
(and legally required)
information about the wine
and the winery.
Punt: the indentation
on the bottom of the
bottle that not only lends
structural reinforcement
to the bottle, but gathers
the sediment in older
red wines.
SELECTING
PROPER GLASSWARE
Selecting the right kind of
wine glass is not difficult if
one follows some simple
guidelines. However, dont
feel that you need to rush out
and purchase an expensive
set of crystal. That is not
necessary. It is, nevertheless,
very important for you to have
the right kind of glasses for
your tastings.
Foot: the bottom
part of the glass
that rests on the
table (or deck of
the yacht) that
keeps the glass
from toppling
over and spilling
into your lap.
Lip: the edge of the
glass your lips (aha!)
touch when tasting or
drinking the wine.
Bowl: the part
of the glass that
holds the wine.
Stem: the thin stretch
of glass between the
bowl and the foot, or
bottom. This is the
part of the glass that
you hold on to.
GLASSWARE PARTS
Heres the low-down, the top-to-bottom, of the different
parts that make up each and every wine glass:
REVIEW
You should now have a good understanding of:
Basic wine terms
Terms that are vital to understanding wine and
wine tasting