Acidity is an important part of a wine’s structure that prevents a wine from being “flabby”. It’s what gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue and makes you salivate. You could describe a high-acidity wine as “crisp”, “zesty” or “refreshing”. In extreme cases even as “tart” or “sour”.
Acidity occurs naturally in the grape, but it’s also something that can be modified during the winemaking process.
High-acidity wines are great for pairing with food because acidity provides balance and also cleanses the palate. Since high-acidity wines prime the salivary glands, they are often served as an apéritif before a meal.
Wines with high acidity: Riesling, Chablis (chardonnay from Bourgogne/Burgundy), sauvignon blanc, bubbly, Chianti, pinot noir, baco noir
Effervescence is not the same as acidity but produces similar sensations on the palate.
“controlled designation of origin” — a certification granted to certain French wines (as well as other agricultural products) to indicate their place of origin, quality, style, as well as adherence to strict production rules.
A wine’s body refers to its weight on the palate. It’s generally directly correlated to alcohol content. Lighter bodied wines are generally lower alcohol, and heavier wines are higher in alcohol.
Whites are generally light-to-medium bodied, except for some viogniers or oaked chardonnay, which will be heavier on the palate.
Reds can range from light (pinot noir) to full-bodied (cabernet sauvignon, syrah).
Sometimes you can think of weight as the difference between skim milk on the light end, and 2% on the full end.
A method of making sparkling wine like prosecco. Primary fermentation happens in a large vat, then the wine is pumped into a pressurized tank where it undergoes secondary fermentation.
This method produces more wine in less time than the traditional method; therefore, the wines it yields tend to be less expensive.
Also known as cuve close.
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Spanish designation of origin mainly used for wines but also certain cheeses (e.g. manchego), honey, olive oil, vinegar, and ham (jamòn ibérico).
Each designated region has specific permitted varietals, maximum yields, limits of alcoholic strength and other quality standards or production limitations.
Abbreviation: DO
The process by which yeasts convert the natural sugars in grapes to alcohol, thereby producing wine!
Fining is a stage of the winemaking process that clarifies the wine by removing suspended particles.
Common fining agents include albumen (egg whites), isinglass (dried fish parts), casein (a milk protein) and gelatin.
The finish is a descriptor of how long a wine’s flavour sticks around after it leaves your mouth. You often hear wine descriptions saying short, medium, or long/lingering finish, and it’s often combined with the main lingering flavour.
Dead yeast cells! No seriously. After yeast has fermented a wine’s natural sugars, it forms a sediment called the lees. Sometimes winemakers will leave the wine on its lees (“sur lie“) for longer to give wines a more complex flavour. Champagne is an excellent example of wine that sits on its lees.
The total amount of sugar that remains in a wine once fermentation is complete (generally expressed as grams per litre).
Often abbreviated as RS.
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