Magnum

A 1.5-liter bottle, which contains the equivalent of two normal (750 milliliter) bottles. Magnum means “large” in Latin.

On the island of Sicily, what is a contrada?

A. A wine grown in gravel soils

B. The name of single vineyard sites on Mt. Etna

C. The name of the agreement for selling wine grapes

D. A vintner who makes wine for personal use only

The term contrada, which is used throughout Sicily, means vineyard parcel. Each contrada is determined by a number of elements including altitude, soil, exposition, and microclimate. On Mt. Etna, the fingers of lava flow on which vines grow are known as contrade; often the name of the contrada will be listed on a wine’s label. There are more than 130 contrade on Mt. Etna alone. Not (yet) legal appellations, the contrade are more like historical hamlets, and each is made up of several tiny vineyard parcels. (“Roads” connecting the contrade are often so small they can only be traversed by foot or motorbike.)

Autolysis

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… Continue reading

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