VINTNER’S GLOSSARY

Press, 21 July 1976, Page 11

VINTNER’S GLOSSARY

Amoroso: medium dry type of sherry. Aperitif: appetiser. Blume: bouquet, aroma. Burgundy: a full-bodied dry red wine made from the Pinot Noir grape. Though used to describe darker and stronger dry red wines, it was first applied to the red and white sparkling wines produced in Burgundy. Chablis: a dry white wine originally made from Pinot Chardonnay grapes grown from any of the vineyards at Chabilis, France. Chateau, chateaubottled: wine bottled at the chateau, estate or vineyard where grapes from which it was made are grown. Claret: a clear red table wine of delicate bouquet and flavour made from Cabernet grapes. First used for the red wines of Bordeaux. Demi-see: half dry — term used to describe a fairly sweet type of champagne. Doux: sweet. Dry: a term used to denote the opposite of sweet; literally, it means lack of sugar, lacking in sugar. Extra sec: extra dry — term used to denote a type of dry champagne. Fermentation: the chemical process whereby sugars are broken down into alcohol, carbonic acid gas, and other byproducts. Fino: the term applied tq the driest type of sherries. Flor: a minute yeast organism which forms on the surface during wine making; it gives a delicacy to Fino sherry. Frappe: iced, term applied to serving of liqueur with finely cracked ice. Fruity: a frank taste of grape found in good wines.

Hock: a dry white table wine usually made with Riesling grapes, in which, as with other white wines, the fermentation takes place after the skins have been separated. This preserves the delicate flavour which is a characteristic of the wine. Hock was originally produced at Hochhiem, Germany. Moselle: a dry white wine with aromatic flavour. The name given to wines from the Moselle region in Germany. Muscat(el): a rich spicy fortified wine made from the muscat or similar grape. . Palomino (or palamino): a white grape with a thick yellowish-golden skin. It is the traditional sherry grape of Spain and other countries. Riesling: A dry white table wine of light body and pale colour. Also used to refer to grape varieties w h i c b have small greenish-yellow berries and are used in the production of dry and sweet wine of low acidity. Rose: Pink wine: a very pale red wine obtained by removing the grape skins as soon as the required amount of colour has been attained by the wine. Sauterne(s): A medium to sweet white light table wine. First produced at Sauternes in the Gironde, France. Sec: French term for dry, also term used to denote a medium sweet champagne. Vin Mosseux. Sparkling wine. Vin nature: Natural, unsweetened wine. Vin ordinaire: Ordinarycheap wine for general consumption. Vintage wines: In most wine regions the product of exceptional years only is dated. A vintage wine is presumed to be one of outstanding merit. Viticulture: The cultivation of the grape vine.