Generic:
Cheap jug or box wines available bearing the names Burgundy, Chablis,
Merlot among others.
Glucose:
One of the two primary sugars, along with fructose, found in wine
grapes.
Glycerine,
Glycerol: Two words for the same substance, a chemical
that forms in wine during fermentation. It is colorless, viscous and
slightly sweet, but is present in such small amounts in wine that
its effects are largely imperceptible.
Grafting:
An almost universal viticultural practice whereby shoots of various
grape varieties are attached to rootstock, particularly to the rootstock
of American vines resistant to damaging pests and diseases.
Grape
concentrate: Grape juice that has been intensified
in flavour and sweetness through the removal of much of the water.
It is used in home wine-making and to make wine in places where freshly
picked grapes are unavailable.
Growth:
Is the English word for cru which speaks of quality, usually
a high quality; has nothing to do with the "growth" of grapes
otherwise.
Wine Glossary- Dallas Bartenders
H
Half-bottle:
Bottle equivalent in capacity to one-half a standard
bottle (375 ml., 12.75 US fl. oz., 13.28 UK fl. oz.).
Hard:
A stubborn flavor that will soften with time or if
it fails will become harsh with age.
Herbaceous:
A grassy or leafy quality present in some wines. An excess of it is
a fault and may come from using underripe grapes in making the wine.
Hollow:
Used to describe a wine that may have character in its aroma but lacks
depth on the palate.
Honest:
Describes wine that is true in character to its variety and geography.
Horizontal
tasting: A type of structured winetasting involving
wines of various wine producers from a single vintage.
Hot:
Describes a wine with an excess of alcohol, sometimes due to a very
hot harvest.
Hybrid:
Sometimes used to mean a grape crossing. Different vine varieties
can be bred to create new varieties with specific qualities.
Wine Terminology- Dallas Bartenders
I
Ice
wine: Dessert wine produced from ripe grapes that
have been left on the vine and allowed to freeze in the winter cold.
The grapes are pressed in such a way that the frozen water remains
in the press leaving juice that is highly concentrated in sweetness
and acidity.
Inky:
Describes a red wine that is dark in colour and nearly opaque.
Isinglass:
A traditional fining agent; a protein found in the bladders of sturgeon
and certain other fish.
Isoamyl
alcohol: One of a number of organic chemicals that
occur in trace amounts in wine, it can impart an unpleasant aroma
if a wine contains too much of it.
Wine Glossary- Dallas Bartenders
J
Jammy:
Describes a wine with rich, ripe and concentrated
fruit.
Jéroboam:
Large bottle used in France equivalent to 6 standard bottles (4.5
litres, 1.19 US gal., .99 UK gal.) in Bordeaux and 4 standard bottles
(3 litres, 102 US fl. oz., 106.2 UK fl. oz.) in Champagne and Burgundy.
K
Kosher
wine: Wine that is produced in adherence to a strict
set of guidelines laid out by rabbinical law in order to make it acceptible
for consumption; usually sweet red wines although other types are
allowed.
Wine Terminology- Dallas Bartenders
L
Lactic
acid: One of the acids that occur naturally in wine.
Some winemakers employ a malolactic fermentation which converts strong-tasting
malic acid into this milder lactic acid.
Late
harvest: Refers to wine, usually dessert wine, made
from grapes left on the vines until late in the fall or into the winter
when the grapes become overripe and their sugars more concentrated.
Lees:
The residue that forms in wine during fermentation. Made up of dead
yeast cells, grape seeds, skins and tartrates, it is usually separated
from the wine, typically by means of racking as soon as possible.
Some wines are deliberately left in contact with the lees to gain
complexity and/or to encourage malolactic fermentation.
Legs:
These are the streaky, viscous traces that, with certain wines, will
cling to the sides of a glass. Frequently mistaken as a sign of high
sugar content, they are more an indication of a higher level of alcohol.
Length:
The persistance of a wine's finish.
Light
wine: Wine that is lower in calories, alcohol and
often lower in quality.
Lively:
Describes a wine, usually white, that is youthful and fresh, usually
with good acidity and possibly with a small amount of carbon dioxide.
