Wine Making Terms

Appellation– The place where grapes were grown. Each appellation characterizes a particular area with unique characteristics that are found in that area such as soil, geology, climate and topography and may also have a reputation for a specific wine style or grape variety.

Blended – The combination of two or more wines to produce a wine of high standard and uniform quality.

Fermentation– The conversion of grape juice into wine through the action of certain yeasts that turn sugar into alcohol.

Filtration– wine is pumped through a filter bed under pressure to remove any remaining suspended particles, clarifying the wine.

Hybrid Grape– Those grape varieties which are the product of a crossing between two or more different Vitis species. Examples include Vidal Blanc and Baco Noir.

Lees– Solid residue that remains in the cask after the wine has been drawn off or racked.

Must – Unfermented grape juice.

Oxidation– The exposure of wine to oxygen. A slow exposure helps to mature a wine. Too much oxygen too soon will produce a flawed or oxidized wine that has a flat, stale off-taste.

Racking– The process whereby wine is drawn off its lees and sediment and transferred from one storage container to another. A process of clarification.

Resveratrol– The natural component in wine that inhibits the development of bad cholesterol (LDL), giving wine its antioxidative power.

Terroir – A special set of conditions that contribute to the character of a wine. Individual terrior of a vineyard or a larger region is defined by the type of soil, bedrock, weather and growing conditions, topography, type of grapes planted and wine making influences. These factors combine to give each wine its own personality and often a recognizable connection to the local terroir.

Varietal– A wine made principally from one grape variety and carrying the name of that grape on the label.

Vintage – Can mean the physical process of picking grapes and making wines at harvest; or the year or growing season that produced a particular wine.

Vitis Vinifera– A species of grape originating in Europe and with a long history of winemaking. Examples include Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet, Pinot Noir, Pinot Grigio, Shiraz, Merlot, Gamay and hundreds of others.

[Wine Council www.winesofontario.org and VQA www.vqaontario.com ]