Stravecchio

Very old, a term more frequently applied to spirits than wine.

Sulfur

A natural chemical compund that has been used as a wine preservative since antiquity. Sulfur in all its forms is harmless to people except for the tiny number of individuals who are severely allergic to… Continue reading

Superiore

Generally indicates a wine of higher quality, often because it has more alcohol than the minimum required and/or it has been aged longer than regulations stipulate. Valpolicella Superiore, for example, is a Valpolicella with at… Continue reading

Sur Lie

Sur lie is French for “on the lees,” and lees for their part are expired yeast cells. After yeasts consume grape sugars and turn them into alcohol, the expired yeast cells begin to break down,… Continue reading

Süssreserve

Grape juice that has been held back from the harvest and unfermented so that it has all of its natural sweetness. In Germany, small amounts of süssreserve may be added to some high ACID wines… Continue reading

Száraz

Dry. The term is usually applied to Szamorodni, the type of wine made in the Tokay region from vineyards where the grapes are not sufficiently affected by BOTRYTIS CINEREA to make Tokay Aszú.

Stemmer

A machine that separates the stems from the grapes. When combined with a crusher, it is called a stemmer-crusher.

Stemmy

A descriptive term for a wine with the green odor or flavor of stems or, sometimes, wet grain.

Stickies

The affectionate name Australians give to their sweet wines. Though sticklers (so to speak) reserve the term specifically for late harvest wines and wines affected by the noble rot known as botrytis, other Aussies include… Continue reading

Still Wines

All wines that are not SPARKLING.

Strausswirtschaft

German wine pubs, often attached to growers’ homes, where they can sell their own wines and light foods for a total of only four months of the year, so as not to take business away… Continue reading