Salmanazar:
Large bottle used in Champagne and Burgundy equivalent to 12 standard
bottles (9 litres, 2.38 US gal, 1.98 UK gal).
Secondary
fermentation: A fermentation that takes place after
the normal initial fermentation. Most often associated with sparkling
wines produced by means of the méthode champenoise, secondary
fermentation is sometimes induced for other reasons, as in the case
of malolactic fermentation.
Sediment:
Solid matter that has settled in the bottom of a container of wine,
whether it be bottle, fermentation tank or storage vessel. When it
occurs in bottles of fine, aged red wine, sediment is not a result
of poor filtration but is a natural part of the maturation process
as phenolic compounds like tannins polymerize to the point where they
can no longer remain suspended in the wine. Mature vintage port is
an example of a wine that will invariably contain sediment, and like
all such wines should be handled carefully and decanted prior to serving.
Wine Terminology- Dallas Bartenders
Sherry:
A fortified wine from Spain's Jerez de la Frontera region, or, more
loosely, a wine of this style. The word is an anglicization of "Jerez".
Wine has been produced in the region for 3000 years. Of the various
fortified wines, sherry has the potential to be among the driest because
it is fortified after fermentation is complete. The two primary types
of sherry, pale-coloured fino and dark Oloroso are both dry wines.
Sweeter variations are made in a number of ways, from simply adding
coloring and sweetening agents, to blending with specially-made very
sweet wines.
Short:
In winetasting it refers to a lack of persistence in a wine's finish;
opposite term is "long", a hallmark of a good wine.
Soft:
A pleasing and harmonious wine.
Wine Glossary- Dallas Bartenders
Specific
gravity: A system for measuring the density of a substance
compared to the density of an equivalent volume of water- a specific
gravity of 1. Sugars, tannins and other substances in wine raise its
specific gravity, while alcohol less dense than water, lowers it.
Wine densities are frequently measured according to the Brix, Baumé
or Oechsle scales.
Spicy:
A term given to young wines such as young German wines that are provocative
and pleasant.
Spitting:
When wine is tasted solely to be analyzed and evaluated it is often
preferred not to swallow. Swallowing adds nothing to the flavor of
the wine and if many wines are judged would it only serve to impair
the taster's senses. Most organized tastings will have spittoons or
containers to dispose of the tasted wine.
Stalky:
Describes the bitter flavor that sometimes appears in wine that has
spent too much time in contact with grape stems during maceration.
Still
wine: Any wine that is not sparkling wine; wine without
effervescence.
Wine Terminology- Dallas Bartenders
Structure:
In winetasting, refers to the way the essential flavour components
of sugar, alcohol, tannins, acidity and possibly fruit and extract
relate and balance. A poorly structured wine will be lacking in one
or more of these areas.
Stuck
fermentation: A fermentation that stops prematurely
before the desired amount of sugar has been converted to alcohol,
usually the result of excessive heat, but also can be caused by excessive
sugar or insufficient nitrogen. A stuck fermentation is frequently
difficult or impossible to restart but modern winemaking techniques
help avert the problem.
Sugar:
Occurs naturally in wine grapes, primarily in the forms of glucose
and fructose (which are the chemical components of sucrose, common
table sugar). Sugar is a vital ingredient in the making of wine, being
processed by yeast during fermentation into alcohol and carbon dioxide.
Sulphites,
sulfites: The salts or esters of sulphurous acid including
sulphur dioxide. The term "contains sulfites" is required
on U.S. wine labels for wine with more than 10 parts per million of
sulphur dioxide or other sulphites.
Wine Glossary- Dallas Bartenders
Sulphur
dioxide, sulfur dioxide: A chemical compound with
a long history in the making of wine. Its purposes range from inhibiting
bacteria and wild strains of yeast and helping prevent oxidation to
brightening the color of red wines; its use dates back to Roman times.
In recent years there has been some concern about the health risks
associated with it, particularly for asthmatics, and the U.S. and
Australia now require warning labels on wines containing sulfur dioxide.
The U.S. label must read "contains sulfites" if the wine
has more than 10 parts per million of sulphur dioxide or other sulphites;
the Australian label must mention the presence of either sulphur dioxide
or Preservative 220.
Super
second: A term used among fanciers of top level red
Bordeaux referring to those deuxième cru châteaux, according
to the 1855 classification, that consistently rate as high as some
premiers crus. Château Ducru-Beaucaillou and Château Cos
d'Estournel are two that are frequently included in this group.
Supple:
A nebulous tasting term most often associated with young, potentially
long-lived reds, that implies pleasing texture and good structure
with tannins that are not overbearing.
Sweet
reserve: Grape juice or grape concentrate that is
held in reserve to add to fully-fermented wine.
Wine Terminology- Dallas Bartenders
T
Table
wine: A term used to differentiate standard wine from
stronger fortified wine or sparkling wine. In some countries it is
meant to designate the lowest quality level of wine produced. Table
wine for: France- vin de table, Spain- vino da mesa, Portugal- vinho
de mesa, Germany- Tafelwein and Italy- vino da tavola where many of
the country's finest wines illogically appear under that heading.
European Union guidelines dictate that all wine produced must fall
into one of two categories: table wine or the superior quality wine.
Tank
method: Another name for the Charmat method for making
sparkling wine.
Tannic:
Describes a wine with a strongly astringent flavour due to the presence
of tannins.
Tannin:
An element to a particular wine that is stringent and makes one pucker;
the red wines that age well all have tannin.
Wine Glossary- Dallas Bartenders
Tart:
A particular feature of a wine, a pleasant acidity, that is one of
its main features.
Tartaric
acid: The most plentiful acid found in grapes. This
chemical is relatively rare in other fruits and is one of the keys
to the suitability of grapes in winemaking. Tartaric acid is a large
component of the flavor of a wine and helps to maintain its color;
potassium tartrate (or cream of tartar) can leave a deposit of crystals
in wine.
Tartrates,
tartrate crystals: Harmless crystals that are a by-product
of tartaric acid and could be alarming to consumers who may mistake
them for shards of glass; winemakers often try to control them through
a stabilization process.
Tawny:
Style of port.
Tears:
Also known as "legs". The streaky, viscous traces with certain
wines that cling to the sides of a glass. They are more an indication
of a higher alcohol content and frequently mistaken as a sign of high
sugar content.
Thin:
Describes a wine lacking body, alcohol or acidity.
U
Ullage:
The air space or head space in a wine cask or bottle
by the act of evaporation of the wine. Wooden barrels have to be topped
up to prevent oxidation.
Wine Terminology- Dallas Bartenders
V
Vertical
tasting: A type of structured winetasting usually
involving a number of vintages of a single wine.
Vintage
Wines: Wines that are harvested from a given year.
Vitis
Labrusca: Grapes indigenous to North America.
Vitis
Vinifera: Grapes indigenous to Europe but used in
California wine making.
