Archives: Glossary Terms (Page 2 of 4)

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.

Grape must is a product from the crushed grapes that includes juice, stems, skins and seeds. It is then fermented to make wine! It’s also the primary ingredient in balsamic vinegar.

Français : le moux (de raisin)

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.