Terminology

Question 1

Assemblage

Answer 1

The blending or assembling of still wines before the secondary fermentation, which creates the bubbles.

Question 2

Baumé

Answer 2

The scale used in France and much of the rest of Europe for measuring sugar in grapes and hence, their ripeness.

Question 3

Chai

Answer 3

Above-ground facilities that are used to store wine.

Question 4

Cuverie

Answer 4

The building that houses fermentation tanks or vats. The place where wine ferments.

Question 5

De Primeur

Answer 5

wines that are sold and drunk very young. The most famous = Beaujolais Nouveau.

Question 6

Dosage

Answer 6

The degree of sweetness of the Liqueur d’Expedition, which is used to top up Champagne before its final corking. The dosage is what determines whether a Champagne will be Brut, Extra Dry, Demi-Sec et cetera.

Question 7

Eau-de-Vie

Answer 7

Literally, water of life. Clear brandies that have been made by distilling wine or pomace.

Question 8

En Coteaux

Answer 8

Vines planted on slopes, usually making superior wine.

Question 9

En primeur

Answer 9

A method of buying, wherein the wine is bought before its released. Also known as buying futures.

Question 10

Gout de terroir

Answer 10

The distinctive taste imparted by the combination of a given grape variety grown in a specific terroir

Question 11

Grande Marque

Answer 11

A member of a particular association of about thirty of the longest-established Champagne houses. The syndicat de Grand Marques is devoted to upholding a written charter of high standards in the production of Champagne.

Question 12

Liqueur de Tirage

Answer 12

The mixture of wine and sugar added along with yeasts to the blend of still wines in a Champagne bottle in order to induce the second, bubble-forming fermentation.

Question 13

Liqueur d’Expedition

Answer 13

The wine added to the Champagne bottle after disgorging to top it up and, usually, to add some sweetness. The liqueur d’expedition is often made up of wines reserved from previous years.

Question 14

Mas

Answer 14

The southern French term for a domaine, sometimes translated as farm.

Question 15

Millesime

Answer 15

A vintage Champagne

Question 16

Mousse

Answer 16

The French term for the actual effervescence, froth, foam, or sparkle of Champagne or sparkling wines.

Question 17

Oeil de Perdrix

Answer 17

Literally “partridge eye”, a pale rose

Question 18

Remuage

Answer 18

The riddling (rotating and tilting) of Champagne bottles to concentrate yeast sediments in their necks. Done by hand in A-shape frames called pupitres, or by a computerized machine called a gyropalette.

Question 19

Saignee

Answer 19

A process used to make rose by drawing pink-colored juice off fermenting red grapes. This process also results in concentrating the remaining red juice since the ration of skins to juice in the tank is increased when some juice is drawn off.

Question 20

Vin de Garde

Answer 20

a wine to save

Question 21

Vin Liquoreux

Answer 21

A very sweet, syrupy wine, generally made from grapes affected by Botrytis Cinerea.

Question 22

Pigeage

Answer 22

Traditional stomping of grapes…maceration.

Question 23

Debourbage

Answer 23

Refers to a process in which the must of a white wine is allowed to settle before racking off the wine, this process reduces the need for filtration or fining.

Question 24

Degorgement tardive

Answer 24

French term for a Champagne that has been aged sur lie for an exceptionally long time (far beyond the usually 5-10 years of vintage Champagne) before going through degorgement.

Question 25

Egrappage

Answer 25

The French term for destemming. Destemming is removing stems prior to pressing and fermenting the grapes and their juice. Stems have a significant amount of coarse and often green tannin undesirable in the finished wine.

Question 26

Elevage

Answer 26

French term for the historical role that negociants play in the winemaking process-roughly translating as “bringing up” or “raising” the wine. Traditionally negociants would buy ready made wines after fermentation, blend and then store the wine before bringing them to the market.

Question 27

Habillage

Answer 27

French term for the foil and wire cork cage that are used to dress a bottle of sparkling wine

Question 28

Metayage

Answer 28

sharecropping

Question 29

fermage

Answer 29

leasing arrangements