Wine Term Glossary

Talking about wine, like talking about music and other distinctly physical experiences, is hard! Gaining a working vocabulary to talk about what you’re feeling and why you’re feeling it is a noble pursuit. One we want to help you in. As we plan to do a lot of writing on the wines, places, and producers we love most, we wanted to have a glossary available for those that might not be familiar with a term or turn of phrase we use.

This is going to be a living document, updated with new terms as we feel it’s appropriate.

Anyways here’s our list of some common (and some uncommon) terms and definitions, arranged in alphabetical order:

200RS Banger - A slang term brought to the wine nerd lexicon by @Senpai.wine. These are dippy and luscious dessert wines with at least 200 grams of sugar per Liter, think Trockenbeerenauslese, Pedro Ximenez, Sauternes.

Acid/Acidity - A bright, zesty, or tart sensation that makes your mouth water. Acidity is one of the building blocks of a balanced wine - loosing tannin’s grip, repelling sweetness’ cloy, lifting a weighty body - and helps to make wine age with grace and pair well with food.

Biodynamic - similar in philosophy to organics with some additional attention to the solar cycle and some ‘witchy’ stuff. Much noice can be made of their adherence to moon cycles and buried dung-filled cattle horns, but at its core those who champion biodynamics view the entire farm’s ecosystem as sustainable and regenerative.

Brettanomyces - commonly known as ‘brett’ this is a yeast that can impact a developing wine, imbuing it with earthy flavors. In large amount, Brett will come across as a fault, but in small quantities the aromas of ‘barnyard’, ‘horse blanket’, ’sweat’, and ‘band aid’ can add magical depth to a wine.

Body - the weight that a wine has. Primarily influenced by alcohol content, sugar content, varietal, and aging, body can range from fresh and light to opulent and full. 

Carbonic maceration - a winemaking technique that involves the fermentation of whole grapes in a carbon-rich environment. Most commonly seen in Villages-level Beaujolais, Carbonic Maceration yields wines that are fresh, fruity, and light in tannin.

Cask - another name for a barrel. There are many variables at stake when thinking about wood barrels - volume, type of wood, origin of wood, toast level (if any), seasoning, shape, and more.

Cépage - the composition of grapes in a given bottling. ex: Barolo will always been 100% Nebbiolo; a Southern Rhône Red will be primarily Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvédre with some additional grapes likely blended in.

Chaptalization - the addition of sugar to grape juice to help a fermentation get to completion. Most commonly seen in cold regions where grapes might struggle to get fully ripe across a season.

Charmat/Martinotti/Tank Method - a more modern method of imparting carbonation to a wine in a large sealed tank. Like the Traditional Method, there is the addition of yeast and sugar to start a second fermentation. However, the ratio of juice to yeast is much higher, meaning there is significantly less impact from the lees. These wines are significantly faster and cheaper to produce, are more consistent from bottle to bottle. Most Prosecco is produced via Tank Method

Classic/Traditional/Champagne Method/Metodo Classico - The process of imbuing a wine with carbonation as was first developed and refined in Champagne centuries ago. A sealed secondary fermentation takes place in each bottle of sparkling wine, followed by a period of aging on the lees. This gives the wine more body, a distinct flavor, and helps temper acidity.

Cold Soak - a maceration that takes place at a very cold temperature - usually just above freezing, to hold off fermentation - for a short period of time. This will allow a wine to pull some  flavors from the skins without pulling color.

Crémant - Sparkling wine from France that is imbued with bubbles using the same technique as Champagne, but not from Champagne. Often can offer a great quality to price ratio alongside the fun of seeing how a wide variety of grapes interact with carbonation.

Cru - derived from the French word for ‘Growth’, ‘Cru’ denotes a vineyard or plot of land that is of particular note. In many cases a specific cru’s fame and quality may outshine the winemaker or estate who make the wine.

Cuvée - A French word used to denote a particular bottling or blend. May be used to differentiate between quality levels (village level vs. Grand Cru Burgundy) or simply add some branding to a blend.

Dosage - A small amount of sugar added to sparkling wines to help fill out the body and bring balance to zippy acidity. 

Dry - A wine with little to no perceivable sweetness, meaning all (well, most) of the grape’s sugars have been fermented into alcohol. Most table wines are dry.

Extraction - The process of pulling color, tannins, and flavors from grape skins during winemaking. Too much can make a wine feel heavy, while too little might leave it thin and light.

Fermentation - The process through which yeast converts grape sugars into ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide, and heat.

Filtration - is a process of stabilizing and clarifying a wine prior to bottling that involves passing the wine through a barrier (think coffee filter, tea strainer). Filtration can round the edges of a wine and add polish along with visible clarity. It isn’t necessary to wine production and there are vocal proponents and detractors of using filtration.

Fining - a process used to stabilize and clarify wine before bottling, removing the fine lees and other sediment that may remain in cask. Similar to making a consommé, typically a protein is used to help grab onto solids but many vegetarian and vegan alternatives now exist. Fining is a style choice and is not required.

Fortification - the addition of a distilled spirit to a wine to create a specialized product (port, Rivesaltes). Adding halting the fermentatio

Indigenous Yeast - ambient yeast cells that grapes cultivate in the vineyard or accrue in a winery. These highly local, distinct strains of yeast can result in varied, specific flavors. Indigenous yeast are an important and frequently overlooked aspect of terroir.

Inoculation - the addition of yeast to help start or stabilize a fermentation. Some wineries isolate proprietary yeast strains, others may used a purchased yeast.

Jammy - A term for wines that taste like cooked or overripe fruit, often with a rich, almost syrupy feel. Think big, bold Zinfandels or warm-climate Syrahs.

Maceration - the resting of pressed grape juice with the skins, seeds, and other solids of the grape. Allowing a wine to macerate with those solids gives a wine its color (red, orange, etc), specific aromatics, and tannin.

Malolactic Fermentation (MLF) - A secondary fermentation that softens a wine’s acidity by turning sharp malic acid (think tart apple or lime) into creamy lactic acid (think yogurt). That buttery note in Chardonnay? That’s MLF at work.

Natural Wine - a term we don’t use around Lutine, because it has no real definition. Some people might be talking about farming practices, others the branding, others the flavor, others the vibe. The wines we like most come from real people that use traditional production methods, but still have polish. Some people would call them ‘natural’ but others wouldn’t.

New World - Wine from Oceania, the Americas, Africa, etc. that don’t have thousands of years of winemaking history. Traditionally, these regions have been known for making riper, fuller bodied, more fruit forward, and technologically innovative wines. As winemaking technology becomes globalized and the worldwide market is dictating taste, more refined wines are beginning to emerge, making it more difficult to distinguish between New World and ‘Old World’.

Noble rot - less formal name for Botrytis Cinerea. A type of fungus that attacks grape vines, drying out grapes in the Autumn months. Noble Rot is a critical part of the growing cycle for dessert wines like Sauternes that rely on the fungus’ development for its classic texture and flavors of ginger and spice.

Oak - the type of wood most commonly used for the production of wine barrels. Oak of different origin will give the wine different flavors and textures - French is known for elegant vanilla spice, American for boldness and coconut and dill, Slavonian will add warming spices and a finer texture.

Off Dry - A wine with some perceivable sweetness, meaning that not all of the grape’s sugars have been fermented into alcohol. Today this is most commonly found in the cool regions of Europe where acidity would seem too high without balance from some sugar - Riesling from the Mosel, some Chenin Blanc from Vouvray, etc.

Old World - Wine from Europe and its classical growing regions (Burgundy, Alsace, Tuscany, Mosel, Kamptal, et. al). Traditionally these wines were earthier, more elegant, and more about acidity. However, climate change and the globalization of winemaking technology is making it harder and harder to differentiate between Old World and ‘New World’.

Organic - A method of farming that eschews modern herbicides, pesticides, and fertilizers, instead focusing on natural vineyard health. Many believe that this minimally interventionist approach yields wines that are more indicative of them grapes themselves, as they are allows to naturally develop through the growing season.

Oxidation - The process of exposing a wine to oxygen through production technique, aging, or by accident. As a wine becomes oxidized, its color will dull, a nuttiness will emerge, and the wine’s fruit quality will develop. In dry wines, a little bit of oxidation can be a lovely style choice, in Sherry and much of the Jura oxidation is embraced fully, but many try to avoid it at all costs.

Pétillant Naturel - often referred to simply as ‘pet-nat’. This is an ancient and rustic method of infusing carbonation into sparkling wine. It differs from more refined techniques in a few notable ways - pet-nat involves one long, interrupted fermentation not multiple and the wines are not disgorged. This process yields a wine that is typically fruiter, has less forceful carbonation, will have some cheesy/yeasty flavors due to the lees still existing in the bottle, and a more rustic texture.

Phylloxera - a louse native to North America that attacks the roots of vitis vinifera, the family of vines that is most renowned for the production of wine. The introduction of American vitis labrusca vines to Europe in the mid-1800s brought along the pest, which decimated the Continental wine industry within a matter of years. It was discovered that Phylloxera could be avoided by grafting vinifera vines onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock (including vitis labrusca) which is how most grape varietals are cultivated today). Some parts of the world haven’t had phylloxera due to isolation - notably Chile, West Australia - and are  home to some of the world’s oldest vinifera vines.

Pied de Cuve - A small batch of fermenting grape juice used to kickstart fermentation in a bigger batch. Think of it like making a sourdough starter but for wine.

Qvevri/Amphora - large clay vessels used for the aging and fermentation of wine originally came from Georgia/Spain. This ancient tool is gaining popularity in niche natural winemaking circles. The semi-pourus nature of clay allows for a higher rate of oxygen interaction without adding flavor (like wood might).

Racking - a process that clarifies and stabilizes wine with minimal intervention. Once a vat of wine is stable, solids will naturally settle to the bottom of the tank. Racking involves the gentle transfer of the solid-free liquid at the top of the tank to another container, leaving the solids behind.

Saignée - from the French ‘to bleed’, this is one of the several techniques that can be used to add body to make rosé. To make a saignée, winemakers allow some juice ‘to bleed’ from the maceration tank after a short period of time, which typically results in a deeply pigmented and flavorful rosé. The remaining juice will also have a higher percentage of skins left in the maceration tank, which results in a deeper, more extracted red wine.

Spontaneous Fermentation - allowing a wine yeasts to begin the conversion of grape sugar to alcohol without inoculation or commercial yeast. Results can be inconsistent, but having a proprietary strain of yeast can yield great beauty in its variance.

Sulfite - a natural preservative that occurs during the process of fermentation. Frequently a small amount of additional sulfites will be added just before bottling to help stabilize the wine in transit and ensure elegant aging. Bulk wineries and large brand-first producers will typically add a higher quantity, compared to traditionally-minded vigneron who may add little to none.

Sur Lie - literally ‘on the lees’ is a technique used to influence the flavor and texture of wine, notably the wines of Champagne and Muscadet. Lees are spent yeast cells that remain in tank or bottle once fermentation has completed. Allowing the wine to continue infusing with the lees can give the wine distinctive flavors - cheesy (Parmesan rind), bread (toast, biscuit), or nutty (almond, hazelnut) are common - help to diminish the perception of acidity, and give the wine a weightier texture. While done to red wines, too, Sur Lie aging is most recognizable in sparkling and white wines.

Tannin - bitter compounds that create a tactile feeling of dryness in the mouth (like your teeth have socks on). Though it can be an acquired taste in large amounts, tannin provides balance against mouthwatering acidic and rich, opulent wines. Tannin comes from the grape seeds, stems, and oak barrels. That being the case, tannin is predominantly found in red and orange wines, which spend time macerating on their skins. Certain grapes naturally have higher or lower tannin (i.e Cabernet Sauvignon = high, Pinot Noir = low to medium).

Terroir - doesn’t have a literal translation to English, but we think of it as “the sense of place.” More specifically, the unique combination of soil, climate, weather, topography, and human expertise that gives a wine its distinct character. Terroir goes beyond just the physical environment; it includes centuries of winemaking tradition and the meticulous care of the vineyards. 

Texture - A tactile sensation that’s related to a wine’s body, acidity, fining, tannin, and overall mouthfeel. In addition to the body being water-light or viscous, a wine can feel grippy, oily, creamy, velvety, rugged, et. al…..

Varietal - a word used to denote a specific grape or group of grapes. Examples of grape varietals: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Nebbiolo, Pinot Noir.

Zippy - A wine with high, lively acidity that wakes up your taste buds. Think of a bright, citrusy Sauvignon Blanc or a crisp Albariño.