Vocab Flashcards
Define “Fruitfulness”
Number of grape clusters per vine and number/size of berries on each cluster
What does it mean when a wine is “flabby”
Sweetness is out of balance with acidity
Define “Maritime”
Climate with close proximity to a large body of water
What is Phylloxera?
A grape louse (aphid) that destroyed many of the worlds vines in the mid to late 1800s, can destroy the entire plant
Define “Mesoclimate”
Refers to the climate of a single vineyard site
Define “Green Harvesting”
Crop thinning method of cutting unripe finches off before harvest so that the vine can focus on fewer, yet higher quality bunches
Define “Carbonic Maceration”
Intracellular fermentation of whole berries, in which sugars inside the grapes are converted to alcohol without yeast
Define “Rootstocks”
Grapevines that are grafted on to one of a handful of different rootstocks bred to be tolerant of specific pests or soil conditions
Define “Vigor”
Rate of growth
Define “Verasion”
When grapes change color during ripening
List the 6 things true about TANNIN
1.) naturally occurring found in grape skins, seeds, and stems
2.) has a preservative effect
3.) softens over time (falling out of solution in to sediment)
4.) always in reds, in whites if barrel aged
5.) counterbalanced by protein
6.) different varieties have different levels
Define “Terroir”
Combination of soil, slope, sunlight, orientation, elevation, temperatures, rain, wind, etc.
Define “Must”
the crushed grapes, juices, skins, pulp, seeds and stems
Define “Primary (alcoholic) Fermentation”
(Sugar + yeast) -> (ethyl alcohol +CO2 + sulfite compounds + heat)
Define “Secondary (malolactic) Fermentation”
Bacterial conversation of malic acid (green apple level) to lactic acid (dairy level) - more common in red wines; done to chardonnays to give a buttery taste
Define “Yield”
The amount of grapes (weight) compared to the land area (tons/acres); the lower the yield the better the grapes (quality v. quantity)
Define “Chaptalization”
Adding sugar to boost potential alcohol levels, common in cooler regions
Define “Racking”
Pumping from one barrel to another after settling
Define “Clones”
Cuttings/shoots from a “mother” vine, helps to reduce natural evolution; propagated from vine cuttings, not seeds
What is botrytis cinerea? Name the conditions it is found in
Aka “noble rot;” a dehydrating mold that forms on grapes
Found in places with high humidity and lack of wind, often near bodies of water
Define “Vinification”
The production of wine, the decisions that are made in a winery, the process of turning grapes in to wine
Define “batonage”
Lees stirring
Define “Volatile Acidity”
Result of bacterial change, typically considered a flaw, “vinegary”
What is brettanomyces?
Aka “Brett;” a yeast strain that imparts a funky barnyard aroma to wine
