The process that occurs each spring (May in the Northern Hemisphere) when grapevine shoots lengthen, bud and blossom into tiny white flowers. Flowering is critical, for only those flowers that become pollinated and “set” on the cluster become individual grape berries. As crucial as it is, set is an extremely fragile phenomenon. Even under favorable climatic conditions, up to 85 percent of a vine’s flowers never set at all and are destined to die as “shatter.”
Scale used in Germany to indicate the ripeness of grapes. Developed in the nineteenth century by the physicist Ferdinand Oechsle, Oechsle (ERKS-la) measures the weight of the grape juice or must. Since the contents of the must are primarily sugar and acids, the must weight is an indication of ripeness. According to traditional German law, ripeness categories are based on Oechsle levels that are specified for each grape variety and wine region (meaning they can change region to region). For example, for a riesling wine in the Mosel to be considered a spätlese, it must have 76 degrees Oechsle; in the Rheingau, a riesling must have 85 degrees Oechsle to be a spätlese. These adjustable levels reflect the fact that in some very cold regions like the Mosel, ripeness is harder to achieve.
Viscosity is the character some wines possess of being somewhat syrupy and slow to move around in the mouth. Honey, for example, is more viscous than water, and alcohol, by its nature, is viscous. Thus, both sweet wines and wines with high alcohol are more viscous than dry wines and wines low in alcohol.
Lightstrike is a phenomenon occurring when wine, especially wine bottled in clear or lightly-colored glass, undergoes chemical changes due to prolonged exposure to ultraviolet light, resulting in off-putting odors. While it is tempting to bottle a rosé in a clear glass bottle to show its lovely color, using dark glass safeguards the wine from damage.
The thin edge of wine that forms the ring where the top of the wine touches the inside of a wineglass. By tilting the glass at 45-degree angle and looking down at the meniscus, you can get an idea of the wine’s age. The lighter the meniscus, the older the wine. In young Cabernet, for example, a deep garnet COLOR will extend from the core of the wine all the way through the meniscus to the inside wall of the glass. If the wine is significantly older, however, the core will usually be deeper in color than the meniscus.
In the making of Champagne, disgorging is the process whereby yeasty sediment is removed from each bottle after the second fermentation has taken place and after the wine has rested on its lees for many years. If Champagnes were not disgorged, the wine would be cloudy with the spent yeast cells that performed the second fermentation. The process itself involves freezing the neck of bottle where, as a result of riddling each bottle, the yeasty sediment has collected. The temporary crown cap on each bottle can then be popped off allowing the frozen plug of yeast to shoot out. With the yeast removed, the bottle can then be topped up with reserve wine and possibly a small amount of sugar (the dosage). Finally, the bottle will be quickly corked, and fitted with a wire muzzle that helps hold the cork snugly in place.
A vineyard owned entirely by one domaine or estate. The term is used in Burgundy (where monopoles are rare) and to a lesser extent in Champagne.
The term used when herbicides, insecticides or other chemicals applied to one plot of ground migrate and unwantedly affect another plot of ground. An example can be found in the Willamette Valley of Oregon where vineyards—many of them ORGANIC and/or BIODYNAMIC—are planted in very close proximity to hazelnut and fruit orchards. In the latter, farmers use chemicals extensively in order to insure bare brown ground, completely devoid of weeds, to make harvesting their crops easier. The chemicals used in the orchards then often infiltrate surrounding vineyards.
A French word for an above-ground facility used to store wine. It’s pronounced “SHAY” not “ch-I” like the milky spiced tea.
Bouchon is the French name of a special stopper with clamps that is used on an opened bottle of Champagne or sparkling wine to preserve the bubbles. Capped with a bouchon, a bottle of sparkling will last about a week in the refrigerator. A bouchon is also a type of bistro in Lyon, France, known for its friendly atmosphere and for serving traditional, unfussy Lyonnaise dishes.
Autolysis is the name for the process whereby spent yeast cells decompose. When a wine is left sur lie, or “on the lees,” it remains in contact with the yeasts (now dead) that performed the fermentation. As the yeasts’ cell walls collapse, enzymes start to break down the cells themselves, releasing polysaccharides, amino acids, and other compounds into the wine. These impart an extra dimension of yeasty, biscuity flavor, plus a creamy texture, the perception of a fuller body, and greater complexity. The effects of autolysis are very apparent in Champagnes and sparkling wines that have been left on their lees, sometimes for many years, after a second fermentation in the bottle and before the wine is disgorged, removing the spent yeasts.
French term for a large wooden cask of indefinite size. Popular in France’s Rhône Valley, foudres are significantly larger than small oak barrels (barriques or pieces). Foudres often have the capacity to hold 528 to 3,170 gallons of wine.
