Glossary Flashcards
Alluvium
river deposits
Alpine Climate:
a climate characterized by cold winters, late springs and brief growing seasons
Ambré
label nomenclature for white vin doux naturel; refers to the amber color indicative of controlled oxidation
Anaerobic
without oxygen
Aquitaine
a French region whose Latin root means “well-watered place”
Bioherm
reef-like mound of earth composed of dead sea creatures such as corals, starfish and mollusks
Chalk
a type of porous limestone
Climat
a small and distinctive parcel of land
Colluvium
slope wash
Continental Climate
a climate characterized by significant diurnal and seasonal temperature changes; wine regions with
continental climates experience all four seasons
Coombe
a short or shallow valley, usually dry, within a limestone escarpment
Côte
translated from the French, “slope”
Crau
a stony plain located in Provence, often referred to as the Desert de la Crau because it is so arid
Crayères
in Champagne, underground chalk quarries now used as wine cellars
Crémant
a French sparkling wine produced outside the Champagne region made in the Méthode
Traditionelle
Diurnal
daily
Dosage
process of adding a mixture of sugar and still reserve wine, called Liqueur de Dosage or Liqueur d’Expedition, after
disgorging a sparkling wine; determines a sparkling wine’s final sweetness level
Eau de Vie
In France, a brandy or distilled spirit; literally translates as “water of life”
Échelle des crus
a vineyard ranking in Champagne based on a scale of 80-100%. In truth, it is the wine village that is ranked;
all surrounding vineyards are awarded the points that the village receives. Villages of 80-89% do not carry any special rank, but
are allowed to produce champagne. Villages rated 90-99% are considered premiers crus; villages rated at 100% are grand
crus
Escarpment
a cliff-like ridge of land formed by faulting
Ethanol
the primary alcohol produced during alcoholic fermentation
Foudre
large, inert oak barrel
Galet
large, round stones found in the Rhône region
Garrigue
an arid, stony earth that can only support lavender, herbs, dwarf oak trees and the vine
Glycerol
a sweet-tasting alcohol produced in small quantities during the fermentation process
Graben
topographically speaking, a large trench flanked by two uplifts [ U ]
Graves
translated from the French, “gravel”
Guyot Training System
a training system that shapes the vines into one long cane (carrying eight to ten buds) and a short, twobud
renewal spur
Hybrids (Franco-American)
hybrids vines were created by crossing two different vine or vitis species, in this case Vitis vinifera
(the European vine stock) with Vitis Labrusca or Vitis Riparia (American vine stocks); this was done to try to create new vine
types that captured the European grapes’ flavor profiles and the American vine’s natural immunity to phylloxera
INAO
Institut National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO), founded in 1935, is the governing body responsible for French wine
law. It polices and protects its 400 wine and spirit AOCs from wrongful marketing or misleading labeling, both internally and
externally
Limestone
a sedimentary soil composed of compacted and fossilized marine life
Liqueur de Tirage
in méthode champenoise, a sugar/yeast solution added to the base wine to initiate a second fermentation
Liquoreux
Liquoreux wines are sweet wines made from late-harvest grapes that are always affected by noble rot. They are
noticeably sweeter than the moelleux or semi-sweet category
Loess
fine wind-blown soil deposits usually comprised of silt and sand
Macroclimate
the climate of a particular region, see mesoclimate
Mano-proteins
molecules consisting of protein and sugar; released as yeasts decompose during sur lies aging. Mano-proteins
add a creamy, round mouth feel to the finished wine
Maritime Climate
a climate characterized by cloudy skies and ample rainfall in the form of squalls or storms. Large bodies of
water, like the sea, prevent frosts and deep freezes and keep the weather temperate
Marl
a soil type consisting of clay and limestone in various proportions
Mediterranean Climate
a climate characterized by hot summers, mild winters and a long and fruitful growing season; there is
minimal rainfall during the summer months
Meritage
a category of upper-end, prestige bottlings in the USA that was modeled after the classic Bordeaux blend
Merle
French for “blackbird”; Merlot is named after the blackbirds that feast upon it at harvest
Mesoclimate
the climate of a particular vineyard or growing area
Méthode champenoise
(also referred to as méthode traditionelle in sparkling wine regions other than Champagne): a distinct
method of sparkling wine production that involves two separate and distinct fermentations. The first fermentation changes
grape juice into wine; the second fermentation, transforms the still wine into a sparkling wine and occurs in the same bottle
from which it is later served
Méthode Rurale [Rural method of sparkling wine production]
process of sparkling winemaking comprising one single alcoholic
fermentation that is bottled mid-ferment in order to trap the carbon dioxide gas in solution; also known as Méthode Ancestrale
(ancestral method) of sparkling wine production
Méthode traditionnelle
a term used to describe the méthode champenoise when utilized outside the Champagne region
Microclimate
the climate within the vine canopy itself
Moelleux
translates as “mellow”; Moelleux wines are semi-sweet wines made from late-harvested grapes which may or may
not be affected by noble rot
Monopole
a vineyard under single ownership
Mousseux
translates as “frothy or bubbly”; a general term that refers to sparkling wines
Mutage
(a French term) the process of stopping a partially-complete alcoholic fermentation through the addition of spirits in
order to keep some residual sugar in the finished (fortified) wine; this process is used for VDN winemaking
Napoleonic Code
A mandate issued by Napoleon Bonaparte (1804) that decreed that all inheritable property be divided
equally among siblings
Oeil de perdrix
a French term that translates as “eye of the partridge”, a descriptor used to describe a deep salmon pink
Pelliculaire
French for “on the skins”, usually seen as macération pelliculaire (skin contact)
Pétillant
translates as “fizzy”
Petit Château
any unclassified or unranked property; this term is not used in France
Pourriture noble
French term for noble rot
Prise de Mousse
translates literally as “the seizing of the foam”; the second alcoholic fermentation which converts the dry
base wine into a sparkling wine
Rainshadow
an area of earth that receives little precipitation due to a large landmass such as a mountain range or
escarpment that blocks the moisture-laden clouds
Riddling
in French “remuage; the process of collecting dead yeast cells into the neck of the champagne bottle in preparation
for disgorging. See disgorging
Remuage
Riddling
Rosé de Presse
a method of making rosé; maceration occurs only as the grapes are pressed. This extremely short amount of
skin contact results in a lighter style rosé with less color, tannin and structure than those made through saignée
Saignée
a French term that translates as “bleeding”; used to describe the process of pulling pink juice off of the skins with
which it is macerating in order to make rosé
Sandstone
a type of soil composed of quartz sand particles that become cemented together over time
Schist
a type of soil formed from clay that has been compressed within the earth’s crust
Semi-Carbonic Maceration
a vinification technique whereby there is both carbonic or whole-berry fermentation taking place at
the top of the tank and a traditional yeast-driven alcoholic fermentation taking place in the juice at the bottom of the tank
Structure
an interplay of sugar, acid, tannin and alcohol, each of which are bona fide tastes, i.e. perceived by our taste buds
Tête de Cuvée
in Champagne, a prestige bottling; the best product a Champagne house produces; this term can also refer to
the very first juice to escape the wine press
Tokay
a former synonym for Pinot Gris in Alsace; outlawed in 2007
Tuffeau
a type of porous limestone found in the Middle Loire
VDQS
Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure is an interim phase as wines transition from Vin de Pays to AOC status
Vin de Médecine
a euphemism for Rhône wines sold in the Middle Age to Burgundy to add pigment, tannin and fruit to a weak
vintage
Vin de Paille
a sweet wine of the Jura made from grapes air-dried on straw mats
Vin Doux Naturel (VDN)
fortified dessert wine
Vin Jaune
a wine of the Jura that matures under the influence of film yeasts and controlled oxidation
