The great variety in one shelf

Secret wine language

Here we have compiled a small glossary for you, with the most common wine terms. These should help you to understand the special wine

Destemming  manual plucking of berries from stems before fermentation.
Finish  Aftertaste of a wine that is retained on the tongue after swallowing.
Settling natural process in which suspended and undesirable substances in the wine settle to the bottom of the bottle
Racking is the process of removing sediment from clarified wine by pumping it into another container.
Astringent Furry feeling on the tongue, especially in wines with high tannin content.
Affinage Extra aging in the bottle before the wine is sold
Enrichment Addition of sugar to increase the alcohol content, happens before fermentation
Aroma typical aroma and fragrance of a wine
Spiking High-percentage alcohol is added to must to stop fermentation and increase the alcohol content, e.g. in port wine, Madeira, sherry
Ageing All the work in the wine cellar from fermentation to bottling is referred to as ageing.
Bag in Box (BIB) A "sack", in a carton, into which wine is filled and from which it is drawn off again by tap
Barrique small oak barrel with a capacity of 225l, it is used for the aging of red wine or also white wines
Biological acid reduction / molactic fermentation Process in which the natural pungent malic acid of young wine is converted into milder lactic acid by bacterial cultures. This process is also referred to as secondary fermentation because it usually follows the first alcoholic fermentation, although it is not a fermentation in the strict sense. This malolactic acid conversion serves to add flavor complexity and mitigate excess acidity in the wine.
Blend also called cuvée, usually associated with Bordeaux blends of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Blind tasting Wine tasting with covered bottles
Sediment / deposit Deposit of tannins and colorant in the bottle, can be prevented by decanting, that it ends up in the glass
Botrytis Cinerea Noble rot that infects grapes and causes a typical odor and taste
Brut Designation for dry sparkling wines
Bouquet Scent of a wine
Bulk Designation for barrel goods
Cuvée Blending of high quality wines
Disgorgement Removal of the yeast from the wine
Degustation Wine tasting
Decanting Careful decanting from the bottle into a carafe to oxygenate the wine
Fermented through all the sugar has been converted into alcohol, no residual sweetness
De-stemming Removal of stems
Yield Harvest
Extra Brut driest variant of sparkling wine
Filtration Technique by which solids are separated from wine by means of filters
Firn age flavor
Bottle fermentation Method of sparkling wine production, takes place in the bottle
Bottle maturity Time at which a wine is matured
Fermentation Process in winemaking by which sugar is converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide, and must becomes wine
Gewächs Synonym for wines
Yeast Microorganisms, some of which have the ability to cause grape juice to ferment.
Vintage Designation for the year in which the grapes for a wine were grown
Jeroboam Bottle of 4,5l
Pressing Pressing the grape juice before fermentation
Cork defect Degradation of the wine, due to a defective cork (the cork has a disease)
Magnum bottle with 1,5l
Mash Mash of grape skins, pips and styles Red wines are fermented on the mash
Mash heating Before fermentation, the mash is heated to about 70°C to release colorants from the skins; rarely used for high quality wines
Must unfermented grape juice
Nose general olfactory impression
Oenology term for wine science
Oxidation chemical reaction in which the wine has been in contact with too much oxygen; the wine loses freshness and color
Reduction Opposite of oxidation, chemical reaction that takes place under airtight conditions and produces particularly fresh and aromatic wines
Residual sugar Sugar that remains after fermentation gives the natural residual sweetness
Rüttelpult used in sparkling wine production in the traditional bottle fermentation process (e.g.Bei Champagner) wooden rack in which the bottles are rotated by hand at regular intervals so that the sediment moves from the bottom to the neck of the bottle, which is then removed during disgorging ( remove the yeast by immersing the neck of the bottle in ice)
Acidity gives longevity and liveliness to the wine
Sulfur is widely used in viticulture, to protect the vines, to sterilize the barrels, to preserve the wine
Stabilization State reached when the wine has been freed from all unwanted particles and turbidity
Tannin Tannins in wine with astringent effect, important for the aging of wine, degrades over time.
Pomace solid grape residue, in white wine after pressing, in red wine after fermentation
Pomace layer of grape skins and other solids floating on the surface of the container during rape wine fermentation; it must be repeatedly submerged and mixed with the must
Typicity typical expression of a wine, especially for a terroir, its site on which it grows
Pumping over is used in the fermentation of red wines to keep the pomace in the must
Vegetal Designation for wines, with unripe, green, vegetal notes
Blending Blending grapes or wines of different varieties to bring out the positive characteristics of each individual blend partner
Fortification enriching with alcohol to stop fermentation and increase the alcohol content of the wines
Vinification wine production from the moment the grapes are delivered until they are bottled
Tartar Crystals that settle on the bottom of a wine bottle are caused by the decomposition of acid in the wine; not a cause for complaint, as it does not diminish the quality of the wine