wset – a study guide

                                                                                                      only for oenologists........

                                             BASIC   TERMINOLOGY 

1. Wine:A fermented grape juice

 2. Acidity:A naturally occurring component of every wine; the level of perceived sharpness; a key element to a wine's longevity; a leading determinant of balance.

 3. Body:The impression of weight on one's palate; light, medium, and full are common body qualifiers. 

4. Bouquet:The sum of a wine's aromas; how a wine smells as a whole; a key determinant of quality.

 5. Color:A key determinant of a wine's age and quality; white wines grow darker in color as they age while red wines turn brownish orange.

 6. Cap:Grape solids like pits, skins, and stems that rise to the top of a tank during fermentation; what gives red wines color, tannins and weight.

 7. Corked:A wine with musty, mush roomy aromas and flavors resulting from a cork tainted by TCA (trichloroanisol).   8. Fermentation:The process by which sugar is transformed into alcohol; how grape juice interacts with yeast to become wine.                                 

9. Oenology:The science of wine production; an enologist is a professional winemaker; an enophile is someone who enjoys wine. 

10. Aging: Holding wine in barrels, tanks, and bottles to advance them to a more desirable state. 

11. Appellation:  A delineated wine producing region particular to France

 12. Barrel:
            The oak container used for fermenting and aging wine.
 13. Barrique: A 225-litre oak barrel used originally for storing and aging wines, originating in Bordeaux. 14. Bitter:
A taste sensation that is sensed on the back of the tongue and caused by tannins   15. Botrytis:
  a beneficial mold that pierces the skin of grapes and causes dehydration, resulting in natural grape juice exceptionally high in sugar.  Botrytis is largely responsible for the world’s finest dessert wines.  (See “noble rot”) 16. Brilliant:
 A tasting note for wines that appear sparkling clear 17 .Brut:  French term denoting dry champagnes or sparkling wines

 18. Chaptalization:
 Adding sugar to wine before or during fermentation to increase alcohol levels.  Chaptalization is illegal in some parts of the world, and highly controlled in others.
 

19. Citric acid: One of the three predominate acids in wine

 20. Chemical formula for citric acid?   C6 H8 O7 

 21. Chemical formula for sugar?C₁₂  H₂₂ O₁₁
  

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22. Fining:The addition of egg whites or gelatin (among other things) to clear the wine of unwanted particles 23. Legs: These noticeable traces of oil eft running down the inside of yourWine glass after its ben tipped indicate the amounts of alcohol andSugar. 24. Aerate: Exposing a wine to oxygen (allowing it o “breathe”) helps it o mellow and develop its full flavors, especially red wines. 25. Vintage: The year the wine was harvested. A wine’s vintage is found onAll wine labels. 26. Tannin:
Found naturally in the skins, seeds and stems of grapes. TanninsAre usually found in red wines and give that dry, lip puckering sensation. 27. Chemical formula for Tannins? C76 H52 O46 28. Flavors: Odors perceived in the mouth
 29. Fruity:
A tasting term for wines that exhibit strong smells and flavors of fresh fruit 30. Full-bodied: A wine high in alcohol and flavors, often described as “big”. 31. Lees:
 Sediment consisting of dead yeast cells, grape pulp, seed, and other grape matter that accumulates during fermentation.
 32. Length: The amount of time that flavors persist in the mouth after swallowing wine; a lingering sensation.
 33. Malic acid: One of the three predominate acids in grapes.  Tart-tasting malic acid occurs naturally in a number of fruits, including, apples, cherries, plums, and tomatoes. 

34. Chemical formula for Malic acid? C4 H6 O5 

35. Noble Rot : The layman’s term for botrytis
 

36. Structure: An ambiguous tasting term that implies harmony of fruit, alcohol, acidity, and tannins
 37. Tartaric acid: The principal acid in grapes, tartaric acid promotes flavor and aging in wine 

38. Chemical formula for tartaric acid?    C4 H6 O6. 

39. Yeast:
 A microorganism endemic to vineyards and produced commercially that converts grape sugars into alcohol.
 

40. Vinification:
The process of making wine. 

41. Chewy:
Mostly used to describe wines that are full bodied and full of tannins.  It feels like you could literally chew the wine instead of drinking it. 

42. Decanting:
A process by which wine is poured into a decanter to allow it to breathe before drinking.  It also removes any of the lees or sediments that might remain.   43. Intensity:
Relative to the appearance of aroma of the wine.  A wine’s intensity is usually in cahoots with the wine’s color, aroma and flavor. 44. Soft: Describes a wine with very low acidity to it or with very few tannins. 45. Round: Used to define a glass of wine that has a very smooth texture to it. 46. Phenolic compounds:
 Natural compounds present in grape skins and seeds.
 47. Vitis Vinifera:
 The species of wine that comprises over 99% of the world’s wine.
 48. Young: An immature wine that is usually bottled and sold within a year of its vintage.  Wines meant to be drunk “young” are noted for their fresh and crisp flavors.
 

49. Yield :
 The productivity of a vineyard.
 
 50. Malolactic fermentation: A secondary fermentation in which the tartness of malic acid in wine is changed into a smooth, lactic sensation.  Wines described as “buttery” or “creamy” have gone through “malo”.