WSG Sherry Vocabulary

Question 1

Albariza

Answer 1

White soil w/ high chalk content (up to 80%), whose characteristics make it the best type for growing grapes for use in sherry-making

Question 2

Almacenista

Answer 2

According to the regulations, a firm registered as an aging and storing winery of the DO. A winery that keep inventories of wine undergoing the aging process but whose sacas (extractions of wine) are used exclusively for supplementing stocks of aging wines in other wineries and not destined directly for consumption

Question 3

Amontillado

Answer 3

Type of sherry wine in the fortified category which, having undergone a phase of biological aging followed by an oxidative phase, develops complex characteristics: amber to mahogany color, slightly pungent hazelnut aromas and typically full flavor

Question 4

Añada

Answer 4

Vintage. Wine derived entirely from grapes from one single harvest

Question 5

Andana

Answer 5

Arrangement of a row of butts placed contiguously, one-deep, and with their long axis horizontal, with other superimposed rows whose butts rest in the angles between the butts in the layer below

Question 6

Arena

Answer 6

Type of sandy soil with low lime content in which vines are planted, common to coastal parts of the Jerez region

Question 7

Arroba

Answer 7

Measure of wine volume, in Jerez equivalent to 16.66L

Question 8

Arrumbador

Answer 8

Winery workman who carries out the operations of moving and storing butts, as well as drawing off wine and other procedures involved in crianza

Question 9

Barro

Answer 9

Type of soil in which vines are planted, with a lower chalk content than albariza (max 30%), generally alluvial and therefore contains more organic material, darker-colored and more fertile

Question 10

Bota

Answer 10

Butt. Wooden container in which sherry wine is aged, of various capacities and known by different names according

Question 11

Cabecear (cabeceo)

Answer 11

To blend (blending). The operation of blending musts or wines, or of blending these w/ grape alcohol

Question 12

Cabezuelas

Answer 12

Lees in musts

Question 13

Capataz

Answer 13

Winery or vineyard foreman in charge of other workers. Known by different names according to his duties

Question 14

Castra (castrar)

Answer 14

Pruning (to prune) green growth to get rid of superfluous knobs and rectify previous pruning if necessary

Question 15

Corrida de escalas

Answer 15

Running the scales. Operation of decanting wine from each sequence of butts containing similar wine of the same age to another older one

Question 16

Criadera

Answer 16

Nursery. Each of the scales in a criadera and solara system, made up of a collection of butts containing wine of a homogeneous level of maturation

Question 17

Deslío

Answer 17

Racking. Operation of separating must from lees

Question 18

En Rama

Answer 18

Sherry wines that have been bottled w/ a subtle, light filtration

Question 19

Encabezado

Answer 19

Fortification, or addition of wine alcohol, to young wine (up to this point still referred to as must in the sherry region) with the aim of modifying its alcoholic content

Question 20

Escala

Answer 20

Scale. Each sequence of butts, containing similar wine of the same age, that forms part of a criadera and solar system

Question 21

Fino

Answer 21

Sherry wine aged under a layer of flor yeast

Question 22

Levante

Answer 22

One of the 2 prevailing winds of the region. It comes from the SE and is hot and dry (w/ humidity levels of around 30%)

Question 23

Manzanilla

Answer 23

Wine obtained through biological aging in wineries located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda

Question 24

Manzanilla Pasada

Answer 24

Wine obtained through biological aging in wineries located in Sanlúcar de Barrameda for an extended time

Question 25

Moscatel

Answer 25

One of the varieties permitted by the Denomination of Origin’s Regulations, commonly used for making sweet wine of the same name

Question 26

Oloroso

Answer 26

Powerfully aromatic, mahogany colored sherry wine in the fortified category, aged to an alcoholic strength that arrests the development of flor

Question 27

Pago

Answer 27

A generally large area of cultivated ground encompassing a few vines which share same soil and microclimatic characteristics

Question 28

Palo Cortado

Answer 28

One of the fortified groups of Sherry wines, aged without a film of “Flor”, but which along w/ characteristics typical of Olorosos (deep palate and intense color) develops a typical aroma so that it resembles an Amontillado

Question 29

Palomino

Answer 29

The main grape variety of those authorized for making Sherry

Question 30

Pata de Gallina

Answer 30

A type of Oloroso, especially smooth and glycerin on the palate

Question 31

Pedro Ximénez

Answer 31

One of the grape varieties permitted by the Denomination of Origin’s regulations, commonly used for making the sweet wine of the same name

Question 32

Poniente

Answer 32

One of the 2 prevailing winds of the region. It comes from the W and is cool and humid (humidity levels can reach 95%

Question 33

Raya

Answer 33

Symbol used to ID 1st class base wines that will be eventually aged as biological wine (under a layer of flor yeasts)

Question 34

Rocío

Answer 34

Refreshing. An essential operation of the crianza process: a portion of wine of the same type, but younger than that which they contain, is added to a criadera or solara. //Acad. A brief shower of rain

Question 35

Sacas

Answer 35

Quantities of wine extracted from each of the escalas (levels) within the same solera system.

Question 36

Serpia (aserpia)

Answer 36

Digging holes and/or banking up soil between the rows of vines to form “reservoirs” to catch and retain rainwater

Question 37

Sobretables

Answer 37

Term applied to must that has just been fortified for various purposes, and which from then on is referred to as wine

Question 38

Soleo

Answer 38

Sunning. Exposing grapes to the sun so that they become raisined

Question 39

Solera

Answer 39

First, floor-level, scale in a criadera and solera system, from which wine ready for consumption is extracted

Question 40

Yema

Answer 40

Must of the best quality, obtained by treading