Acidity: Indicates the overall quantity of organic acids that gives the wine a sensation of freshness and liveliness.

 

Acidification: Process through which acids are added to wine.

 

Alcohol (ethyl alcohol): After water, the main substance of wine. It derives from the fermentation of the sugar content, caused by wine yeasts.

 

Aftertaste, finish: The sensation on the nose that is perceived only after the wine has been swallowed.

 

Alcohols (superior): Compounds formed during alcoholic fermentation. The most important, in organoleptic terms, is glycerol.

 

Agreeable (semi-sweet): A wine that is clearly sweet-tasting due to a distinct sugar content.

 

Alcoholic content: The quantity of ethyl alcohol shown on the label and expressed as a percentage of the volume (% Vol.).

 

Ample: An ample wine is rich-tasting and has complex aromas.

 

Aromatic: A wine in which the characteristic fragrances of the grape variety prevail (typical vine varieties that give aromatic wines are Muscat, Malvasia, Traminer, Mùller Thurgau and Sauvignon).

 

Assemblage: The blending of wines from different batches and/or vintages and/or origins and/or varieties to obtain a more harmonic and complex wine.

 

Alcoholic Fermentation: The process through which yeasts transform the sugar in grape juice into ethylic alcohol.

 

Astringency: A gustatory sensation created by tannins.

 

Ageing: a wine maturation process that occurs at the end of fermentation, usually first in the cask and then in the bottle.

 

Acid chart: measurement of the quantity of each organic acid contained in the wine (tartaric, malic, citric, acetic, succinic, lactic).

 

Aphrometry: the measurement of the pressure of sparkling wines using special pressure gauges.

 

Antioxidants: antioxidants are chemical substances (molecules, ions, radicals) or physical agents, that slow down or prevent the oxidation of other substances, such as, for example, ascorbic acid (vitamin C, sulphur dioxide, etc.).

 

 

Balanced: a wine in which all the essential components coexist (acidity and softness for whites; acidity, softness and tannins for reds) in perfect reciprocal balance.

 

Barrique: A small oak cask or barrel with a 225 litre capacity.

 

Botrytis-infected: Wine made from grapes infected by the so-called "noble rot" that causes the grapes to dry and shrivel (thus concentrating the sugar content), thereby creating unique aromas.

Bouquet: the whole of the fragrances that wine acquires during refinement.

 

Bitter: This is one of the four fundamental flavours of the organoleptic analysis. It is pleasant only if well-balanced with the other components of the wine.

 

Body: The structure or texture of the wine, resulting from a rich variety of extracts.

 

Balance: See "harmony".

 

Bottle ageing: An oenological process that is consequent to maturation during which the wine rests in the bottle for a given period of time.

 

Blend: See "assemblage".

Tannins: Polyphenols responsible for the astringent flavour in wine.

 

Blending: The term that indicates the vinification of different grapes together to obtain one wine. This term is commonly used to indicate wines obtained through "assemblages".

 

Brut: designates a sparkling wine that has practically no residual sugar.

 

 

Colour: An element of visual wine analysis. It is the sum of hue and intensity.

 

Complexity: A characteristic typical of fine wines with a vast variety of flavours and fragrances.

 

Cru: A French term that means a small territory or a specific vineyard which, due its unique pedoclimate, grows particularly fine grapes.

 

Cuvee: A French term that refers to the blend of grapes.

 

Cultivar: See "Variety".

 

Citric acid: an acid found in grapes, which is responsible for the sensation of acid freshness reminiscent of lemons. If present in excessive quantities, it increases salivation and lends the wine a tart and sharp taste; used as an adjective it indicates an unbalanced wine which, due to excess acidity, presents very intense fragrances and flavours that are reminiscent of the tartness of lemon

 

Cask: an irregularly-shaped, cylindrical wood container made of curved staves joined by metal rings and bound at the ends by two opposing circles.

 

Capsule: a sort of metal or plastic cap that protects the cork.

 

Chaptalisation: the process of adding sugar to the must or wine; this practice is permitted in Italy only for the production of sparkling wines and is forbidden in the production of regular wines for economic reasons.

 

 

Dry: A wine that is free from residual sugar that leaves a ‘clean' sensation in the mouth.

 

D.O.C.: Denominazione di Origine Controllata. (Appellation with Controlled Origins) This is a geographic reference that appears on the label of wines that fulfil precise quality requirements set forth in the regulations that govern wine production and in national and European Community wine production laws.

 

D.O.C.G.: Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Denomination with controlled and guaranteed origins). In the Italian wine classification, this abbreviation represents the highest quality level.

 

Dry Extract: Refers to a wine's solid components that remain after the evaporation of water and alcohol. The higher the wine's dry extract level, the fuller bodied the wine.

 

Decantation: the process of pouring the wine from the bottle into the decanter to aerate it and separate the limpid wine from the sediments in the bottle.

 

Decanter: a glass or crystal container used to decant aged wines. The wide shape allows the wine to "breathe" better than in a normal carafe.

 

Draining: separation of the must from the marc. Generally, this process is carried out by a machine with a large rotating cylinder with drilled walls.

 

 

Elevage: A term that refers to the process of ageing a wine in wood to improve, or ‘elevate', the quality of the wine.

 

Ethereal: An ethereal wine has an intense and sharp odour that is reminiscent of paint solvents.

 

Evanescent: A wine that lacks intensity or persistence of taste or aroma.

 

Enrichment: Process through which sugar is added to the must to obtain a wine with a higher alcoholic content.

 

Ebullioscope: an instrument used to measure the alcoholic content by means of ebullioscopy, a widely used method based on the different boiling points of water (100 °C) and ethanol (78.30 °C), which combined give a mixture with a boiling point that is in between that of the two substances.
Wine is a mixture of water and alcohol with a boiling point that diminishes as the ethyl alcohol content increases.

 

 

Floral: A wine with prevalently flowery aromas.

 

Fluidity: The fluidity of a wine is the visual measure of its density.

 

Freshness: A vivacious and pleasantly acidic taste sensation.

 

Fruity: A fragrance with prevailing hints of more or less ripe fruit.

 

Feeble: A wine that lacks flavour upon tasting.

 

Fat: A fat wine has a full-bodied structure with a richness stemming from the glycerol.

 

Full-bodied: A wine that when tasted denotes a good body and is harmonious.

 

Fining: An oenological process through which, after fermentation, substances that create turbidity are removed and the wine is rendered limpid.

 

Fining: a process of wine treatment that makes the wine clean and limpid. A coagulating compound opposite to the compound that causes turbidity in the wine is added to the wine. As they are opposites, the two substances (the one in the one and the added substance) attract one another, "flocculate" (unite) and precipitate. The wine is then racked and filtered to eliminate the deposits.

 

Firm: a wine with highly concentrated tannins that is reminiscent of the grape skins from which polyphenols are extracted.

 

Filtration: a fining process that consists in filtering the wine to eliminate suspended solid impurities.

 

Fortified: a wine which, due to its alcohol content, structure and sweetness, resembles a liqueur. The alcohol level must be increased or, at any rate, it must be greater than 15 alcoholmeter degrees.

 

Flabby: a wine low in acidity, boring.

 

 

Green: A green wine is either too young to drink or it is excessively acidic and lacking in harmony.

 

Glycerol: A substance produced by yeasts as a by-product of fermentation, which increases the wine's smoothness and structure.

 

 

Hard: A wine in which there is an excess of acidity and tannin.

 

Herbaceous: A wine with a prevalently herbal aroma (ex. Cabernet frane, Sauvignon).

 

Harmony: When the olfactory and gustatory sensations combine to create a well-balanced and well-rounded overall sensation.

 

Humus: a nauseating odour reminiscent of decomposing vegetation, which signals that the wine is altered.

 

Intensity: A term that expresses the "quantity" of a given sensation, be it visual, to the nose, to the palate or as an aftertaste.

 

I.G.T.: the abbreviation for "Indicazione Geografica Tipica" - this is a indication of the geographical origins that qualify Italian table wines produced in certain geographical regions or areas, according to generic production regulations (authorised by law); in addition to colour indications, these wines may indicate the grape varieties used and the vintage of the grapes on the wine label.

 

 

 

 

Light: A wine with a low alcoholic content.

 

Long: a wine that leaves persistent and prolonged flavours and aromas after it has been swallowed.

 

 

Malolactic Fermentation: The process through which lactic bacteria transform malic acid into lactic acid. This process generally occurs after alcoholic fermentation and is a fundamental step in the production of all red wines and of some white wines, to balance the acidity and obtain a rounder and softer taste.

 

Must: The juice obtained from crushed grapes that is destined to alcoholic fermentation.

 

Maturation: Process through which wine matures in wood barrels or casks or in the bottle, thus acquiring harmony and complexity.

 

Maderized: an evidently oxidised wine; sometimes this is not a flaw, but rather a characteristic of typicity.

 

Mellow: a wine in which the sweet flavour is marked but does not prevail over other nuances.

 

Malic Acid: an acid found in grapes, which gives a fragrant sensation that strengthens the wine's fruitiness. If present in excess amounts, it makes the wine bitter and gives it a sensation of immaturity.

 

Meniscus: the thin rim at the edge where the wine meets the glass.

 

Marc: the residue after pressing fresh fermented grapes. These are often used in distilleries to produce alcohol.

 

 

New wine: A particular type of red wine that is light and fruity, is sold starting from the month of November immediately after harvesting and should be consumed immediately.

 

Nuance: A French term that means a shade, that is, the barely perceptible presence of an aroma.

 

Neutral: a wine that lacks characters, almost always due to low overall acidity. A wine with inconspicuous organoleptic characteristics and diluted, not very intense aromas and flavours. This flaw is often tied to the poor extractive consistency of the wine.

 

 

Organoleptic: designates the qualities or traits relative to a wine that may be perceived and evaluated by sensory organs during wine tasting, such as for example, the colour, aroma, and taste of the sample being examined; synonymous of sensorial.

 

Oxidised: a wine that has been ruined by an excessive contact with air.

 

Oxidation: a natural, gradual, degenerative process of the aromatic and taste properties of the substances that make up the wine.

 

 

Pairing: The search for a balance between the various sensations associated to food and wine.

 

Pettilant (pearl wine): A wine with a small quantity of carbon dioxide.

 

Perlage: A French term that indicates the effervescence of sparkling and pearl wines.

 

Persistence: A term that indicates the amount of time that the flavour, aroma or aftertaste lingers.

 

Polyphenols: A vast family of compounds present in grapes and wines that provide colour, body and astringency.

 

Penetrating: a wine with a uniquely continuous aroma, intense and sharp.

 

PH: measures the perceived or actual acidity. A pH of 3-3.5 in a wine indicates a moderate organoleptic acidity and therefore a well-balanced taste.

 

 

Qualities: the whole of the good quality characteristics of a wine.

 

 

Raisin wine: A wine obtained from dried grapes.

 

Residual sugar: This term indicates the sugar that remains in the wine after fermentation because it has not been converted into alcohol.

 

Recombining: this process consists in transferring some of the must from the lower part of the vat to the upper part using a pump. This oenological process generates greater extraction of substances from the skins. If the must is recombined excessively, the wine may lack in harmony due to an excess of tannic substances.

 

Robust: A vigorous and full-bodied wine with a significant alcoholic content.

 

Round: a wine that is simultaneously full and smooth due to its moderate acidity and well-balanced sugar content.

 

Racking: process that separates the wine from the marc.

 

 

Sweet: A wine in which the presence of residual sugar is clearly distinguished and prevails over all other flavours.

 

Semi-dry: A wine with a slightly sweet flavour.

 

Suppleness / Softness: A taste sensation deriving from the presence of sugar, alcohol and glycerol.

 

Saltiness: A taste stemming from mineral salts and organic acids present in the wine.

 

Sapidity: See "saltiness".

 

Sec: See "dry".

 

Sub-area: See "cru".

 

Sour: An unpleasant gustatory sensation due to an excess of acidity.

 

Spicy: An aroma with spice overtones (pepper, cinnamon, coffee, cocoa, etc.).

 

Sparkling wine: A wine with a discrete amount of carbon dioxide, sold in bottles that are sealed with a mushroom cork with a wire cage.

 

Stabilisation: The oenological process that precedes bottling and serves to eliminate every possible cause of chemical and physical and/or biological alteration of the wine.

 

Structure: See "body".

 

Still wine: A wine that has no effervescence.

 

Sugar: An important component of wine, indispensable to soften the acid component and, like alcohol and glycerol, an element of softness, essential to the parameters of harmony.

 

Straw Yellow: a white wine that is pale yellow in colour.

 

Short: A wine that lacks a persistent taste.

 

Sulphites: sulphites are substances that are always present in wine as they are natural by-products of alcoholic fermentation.
Sulphites are added mostly as SO2 (sulphur dioxide) to preserve the wine during the various stages of the wine making process. Generally speaking, white wines contain more sulphites than red wines; the wines that contain the most sulphites of all are sweet, white wines.

 

Sulphury: an odour or flavour that represents a serious and irreversible wine flaw and that increases in intensity after bottling.

 

 

Tart: A wine with an excessively acid sensation.

 

Taste: The result of the sensations perceived by the tongue (bitter, sour, salty and sweet).

 

Thin: A wine that lacks body.

 

Terroir: The French term that indicates the interaction between the vine and the microclimate. The effect of this relationship on the grapes and, therefore, on the wine, determine the humidity of the "cru".

 

Typicity: A characteristic that renders a wine distinguishable with reference to the grape variety or territory of origin of the grapes

 

Typology: A unit of wine classification in European Community and Italian regulations (ex. New Wine, Pearl Wine, Sparkling Wine, Still Wine, Raisin Wine, Fortified Wine, etc.)

 

Tonality: An element of visual analysis which, together with intensity, defines the colour of a wine.

 

 

 

Variety: A type of vine obtained through genetic selection, which yields grapes with well-defined and distinguishable characteristics.

 

Velvety: A wine that has a pleasant roundness flavour on the palate. This quality may be due to a high level of glycerol and the types of tannins present in the wine.

 

V.Q.P.R.D.: Vino di Qualità Prodotto in Regioni Determinate, (Quality wine produced in specific regions) An abbreviation used in European Community regulations to indicate all D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. wines

 

Vinification: vinification is the biochemical process of transforming grapes into wine and its maturation.
The grape skins contain yeasts that convert the sugar contained in the grapes into alcohol; this process is called alcoholic fermentation.
There are various types of vinification:
• In white (using white or red grapes),
• In red (by means of maceration),
• With carbonic maceration,
• With heat (or thermovinification),
• Continuous vinification
• Reductive vinification,
• Of rosé wines.

 

Vinous: a characteristic of young wines with a good structure and alcoholic content with the typical aroma of newly fermented must.

 

Variety: variety of vine cultivated in the territory.

 

 

Weak: A wine lacking in some components.

 

Wine tasting: A reasoned tasting of the wine during the course of which the visual characteristics, the characteristics on the nose and palate and the aftertaste of the wine are evaluated.

 

Warm: A wine in which the high alcohol content creates a warm sensation in the mouth.

 

Wire Cage: a wire device used to contain the mushroom cork of sparkling wines.

 

 

Yeasty: A wine with a taste or smell that is typically that of "yeasts", derived from prolonged exposure to the lees.

 

Yeast: A single-cell micro-organism responsible for alcoholic fermentation