Glossary

A light-bodied wine that lacks extract and alcohol.

A colloquial, jovial word for becoming ‘merry’.

A tasting description, the wine is past its best and is showing age, has lost its freshness and the acidity has decreased.

The same meaning as chambrer, the French term that describes preparing the wine to the correct temperature. (Chambre = room).

Prior to serving, the wine is poured into a carafe or decanter, to remove the wine from its sediment. Should the wine not have any sediment or dregs, and only requires agitation to allow the aromas to evolve, then we call this process aeration.

The addition of alcohol used in the production of fortified wines, by adding brandy to arrest the fermenting grape must.

The wine-making operation of removing the must from the solid grape material or grape pomace.

Wine-making operation of removing the clear wine from the settled sediment or lees.

Must or wine is removed from one tank or barrel, and either by means of gravity or pumping, is transferred into another. Therefore, the wine is removed from its sediment, or is deliberately exposed to atmospheric oxygen (especially with red wine vinification).