WINE GLOSSARIES (S-T)

SACCHAROMETER A laboratory device used for measuring the sugar content of grape juice, based on specific gravity. SAIGNÉE (Fr.) The process of drawing off surplus liquid from the fermenting vat in order to produce a rosé wine from the free-run juice. In cooler wine regions, this process may be used to produce a darker wine than would normally be possible from the remaining mass of grape pulp because the greater ratio of solids to liquid provides more coloring pigment. SASSY Should be a less cringing version of the cheeky, audacious character found in a wine with bold, brash but not necessarily big flavor. SEC (Fr.) Dry. When applied to wine, this means without any sweetness, but it does not mean there is no fruit. Dry wines with plenty of very ripe fruit can sometimes seem so rich they may appear to have some sweetness. SECOND or SECONDARY FERMENTATION The fermentation that occurs in bottle during the Méthode Champenoise. The term is sometimes also used, mistakenly, to refer to malolactic fermentation. SEKT (Ger.) Sparkling wine. SELECTION DE GRAINS NOBLES (Fr.) In Alsace, a rare, intensely sweet, botrytized wine. SEMICARBONIC MACERATION An adaption of the traditional macération carbonique method of fermentation, in which whole bunches of grapes are placed in a vat that is then sealed while its air is displaced with CO2. SHARP This term applies to acidity, whereas bitterness applies to tannin and, sometimes, other natural solids. Immature wines may be sharp. However, if used by professional tasters, the term is usually a derogatory one. The opposite to sharp acidity is usually described as ripe acidity, which can make the fruit refreshingly tangy. SHEET FILTRATION Synonymous with pad filtration. SHERRYLIKE This term refers to the odor of a wine in an advanced state of oxidation, which is undesirable in low-strength or unfortified wines. It is caused by excessive acetaldehyde. SHORT Refers to a wine that may have a good nose and initial flavor, but falls short on the finish, its taste quickly disappearing after the wine has been swallowed. SKIN-CONTACT The maceration of grape skins in must or fermenting wine can extract varying amounts of coloring pigments, tannin, and aromatic compounds. SMOKINESS, SMOKY, SMOKY COMPLEXITY, SMOKY-OAK Some grapes have an inherent smoky character (particularly Syrah and Sauvignon Blanc). This charcter can also come from well-toasted oak casks, but may also indicate an unfiltered wine. Some talented winemakers do not rack their wines and sometimes do not filter them in a passionate bid to retain maximum character and create an individual and expressive wine. SMOOTH The opposite of aggressive and more extreme than round. SO2 A commonly used chemical formula for sulfur dioxide, an antioxidant with aseptic (antibacterial) qualities that is used in the production of wine. It should not be noticeable in the finished product, but sometimes a whiff may be detected on recently bottled wine. A good swirl in the glass or a vigorous decanting should remove this trace and after a few months in bottle it ought to disappear altogether of its own accord. The acrid odor of sulfur in a wine should, if detected, be akin to the smell of a recently extinguished match. If it has a rotten egg aroma, the sulfur has been reduced to hydrogen sulfide and the wine may well have formed mercaptans that you will not be able to remove. SOFT Interchangeable with smooth, although it usually refers to the fruit on the palate, whereas smooth is more often applied to the finish. Softness is a very desirable quality, but “extremely soft” may be derogatory, inferring a weak and flabby wine. SOLERA (Sp.) A system of continually refreshing an established blend with a small amount of new wine (equivalent in proportion to the amount of the blend that has been extracted from the solera) to effect a wine of consistent quality and character. Some existing soleras were laid down in the 19th century, and whereas it would be true to say that every bottle of that solera sold today contains a little of that first vintage, it would not even be a teaspoon. You would have to measure it in molecules, but there would be infinitesimal amounts of each and every vintage from the date of its inception to the year before bottling. SOLID This term is interchangeable with firm. SOLUMOLOGICAL The science of soil and, in the context of wine, the relationship between specific soil types and vine varieties. SORBIC ACID A yeast-inhibiting compound found in the berries of mountain ash, sorbic acid is sometimes added to sweet wines to prevent refermentation, but it can give a powerful geranium odor if the wine subsequently undergoes malolactic fermentation. SOUPED-UP, SOUPY Implies a wine has been blended with something richer or more robust. A wine may well be legitimately souped-up, or use of the term could mean that the wine has been played around with. The wine might not be correct, but it could still be very enjoyable. SOUS MARQUE (Fr.) A marque under which wines, usually second-rate wines, are offloaded. SOUTHERN-STYLE This term describes the obvious characteristics of a wine from the sunny south of France. For reds, it may be complimentary at an honest basic level, indicating a full-bodied, fullflavored wine with a peppery character. For whites, it will probably be derogatory, implying a flabby wine with too much alcohol and too little acidity and freshness. SOUTIRAGE (Fr.) Synonymous with racking. SPARGING A process in which carbonic gas is introduced into a wine before bottling, often simply achieved through a valve in the pipe between the vat and the bottling line. SPÄTLESE (Ger.) A QmP wine that is one step above Kabinett, but one below Auslese. It is fairly sweet and made from late-picked grapes. SPICY 1. A varietal characteristic of some grapes, such as Gewürztraminer. 2. An aspect of a complex bouquet or palate, probably derived from bottle-age after time spent in wood. SPICY-OAK A subjective term describing complex aromas derived from fermentation or maturation in oak that can give the impression of various spices—usually “creamy” ones such as cinnamon or nutmeg—and that are enhanced by bottle-age. SPRITZ, SPRITZIG (Ger.) Synonymous with pétillant. SPUMANTE (It.) Fully sparkling. STABILIZATION The process by which a heaving broth of biochemical activity becomes firmly fixed and not easily changed. Most wines are stablized by tartrate precipitation, filtration, fining, and the addition of SO2 (sulfur dioxide). TERPENE Any one of a class of unsaturated hydrocarbons that are found in the essential oils of many plants. Terpenes and terpene alcohols are responsible for some of the most aromatic characteristics in wine; these range from the floral aromas of Muscat to the gasoline or kerosene character of a wonderfully mature Riesling. In sparkling wine, a terpene character may indicate Riesling in the blend, but is more likely to be due to part or all of the base wine being kept unduly long in tank prior to the second fermentation. TERROIR (Fr.) This literally means “soil,” but in a viticultural sense terroir refers in a more general way to a vineyard’s whole growing environment, which also includes altitude, aspect, climate, and any other significant factors that may affect the life of a vine, and thereby the quality of the grapes it produces. TÉTE DE CUVÉE (Fr.) The first flow of juice during the pressing of the grapes, and the cream of the cuvée. It is the easiest juice to extract and the highest in quality, with the best balance of acids, sugars, and minerals. THIN A term used to describe a wine that is lacking in body, fruit, and other properties. TIGHT A firm wine of good extract and possibly significant tannin that seems to be under tension, like a wound spring waiting to be released. Its potential is far more obvious than that of reticent or closed wines. TOAST 1. A slow-developing, bottle-induced aroma commonly associated with Chardonnay, but that can develop in wines made from other grapes (including red wines). Toasty bottle aromas are initially noticeable on the aftertaste, often with no indication on the nose. 2. A fast-developing oakinduced aroma. 3. Barrels are toasted during their construction to one of three grades: light or low, medium, and heavy or high.

STAGE A period of practical experience. It has long been traditional for vineyard owners to send their sons on a stage to a great château in Bordeaux. Now the Bordelais send their sons on similar stages to California and Australia. STALKY 1. The herbaceous-tannic varietal characteristic of Cabernet grapes. 2. Applies literally to wines made from grapes which were pressed with their stalks. 3. Could be indicative of a corked wine. STERILIZATION The ultimate sterilization of a very cheap, commercial wine may be pasteurization or flash pasteurization. STICKIES Common parlance for very sweet wines, usually fortified or botrytized. STRETCHED This term describes a wine that has been diluted or cut with water (or a significantly inferior wine), which is usually illegal in an official appellation. It can also refer to wine that has been produced from vines that have been “stretched” to yield a high volume of attenuated fruit. STRUCTURE The structure of a wine is literally composed of its solids (tannin, acidity, sugar, and extract or density of fruit flavor) in balance with the alcohol, and how positively they form and feel in the mouth. STÜCK (Ger.) A large oval cask with a capacity of 1,200 liters (317 gallons). STUCK FERMENTATION A stuck, literally halted, fermentation is always difficult to rekindle and, even when done successfully, the resultant wine can taste strangely bitter. The most common causes for a stuck fermentation are: 1. temperatures of 95°F (35°C) or above; 2. nutrient deficiency, which can cause yeast cells to die; 3. high sugar content, which results in high osmotic pressure, which can cause yeast cells to die. STYLISH Describes wines possessing all the subjective qualities of charm, elegance, and finesse. A wine might have the “style” of a certain region or type, but this does not mean it is stylish. A wine is either stylish or it is not—it defies definition. SUBTLE Although this description should mean a significant yet understated characteristic, it is often employed by wine snobs and frauds who taste a wine with a famous label and know that it should be special, but cannot detect anything exceptional. They need an ambiguous word to get out of the hole they have dug for themselves. SUMMER PRUNING Synonymous with green pruning. SUPERPREMIUM A marketing term for a quality category; SUPER-SECOND A term that evolved when Second- Growth (Deuxième Cru) châteaux, such as Palmer and Cos d’Estournel, started making wines that came close to First-Growth (Premier Cru) quality at a time when certain First Growths were not always performing well. The first super-second was Palmer 1961, although the term did not evolve until some time during the early 1980s. SUPER-TUSCAN This term was coined in Italy in the 1980s for the Cabernet-boosted vini da tavola blends that were infinitely better and far more expensive than Tuscany’s traditional Sangiovesebased wines. SUPPLE Describes a wine that is easy to drink, not necessarily soft, but the term suggests more ease than round does. With age, the tannin in wine is said to become supple. SUPPLE TANNIN Tannins are generally perceived to be harsh and mouth-puckering, but the tannins in a ripe grape are supple, whereas those in an unripe grape are not. SUR LIE (Fr.) Describes wines, usually Muscadet, that have been kept on their lees and have not been racked or filtered prior to bottling. Although this practice increases the possibility of bacterial infection, the risk is worth taking for those wines made from neutral grape varieties. In the wines of Muscadet, for example, this practice enhances the fruit of the normally bland Melon de Bourgogne grape and adds a yeasty dimension of depth that can give the flavor of a modest white Burgundy. It also avoids aeration and retains more of the carbonic gas created during fermentation, thereby imparting a certain liveliness and freshness. SÜSSRESERVE (Ger.) Unfermented, fresh grape juice commonly used to sweeten German wines up to and including Spätlese level. It is also added to cheaper Auslesen. Use of Süssreserve is far superior to the traditional French method of sweetening wines, which utilizes grape concentrate instead of grape juice. Süssreserve provides a fresh and grapey character that is desirable in inexpensive medium-sweet wines. TABLE WINE A term that often implies a wine is modest, even poor-quality, because it is the literal translation of vin de table, the lowest level of French wine. Yet it is not necessarily a derogatory term as it may also be used to distinguish between a light (unfortified) and a fortified wine. TAFELWEIN (Ger.) Table wine or vin de table. TALENTO (It.) Since March 1996, producers of Italian Méthode Champenoise wines may use the new term “Talento,” which has been registered as a trademark by the Instituto Talento Metodo Classico—established in 1975 and formerly called the Instituto Spumante Classico Italiano. Talento is almost synonymous with the Spanish term Cava, although to be fully compatible it would have to assume the mantle of a DOC and to achieve that would require the mapping of all the areas of production. However, it will take all the talento they can muster to turn most Italian Spumante brut into an international class of sparkling wine. TANNIC,TANNIN Tannins are various phenolic substances found naturally in wine that come from the skin, seeds, and stalks of grapes. They can also be picked up from oak casks, particularly new ones. Grape tannins can be divided into “ripe” and “unripe,” the former being most desirable. In a proper balance, however, both types are essential to the structure of red wines, in order to knit the many flavors together. Unripe tannins are not water-soluble and will remain harsh no matter how old the wine is, whereas ripe tannins are water-soluble, have a suppleness or, at most, a grippy feel from an early age, and will drop out as the wine matures. Ripe grape tannin softens with age, is vital to the structure of a serious red wine, and is useful in wines chosen to accompany food. TART Refers to a noticeable acidity somewhere between sharp and piquant. TARTARIC ACID The ripe acid of grapes that increases slightly when the grapes increase in sugar during the véraison. TARTRATES,TARTRATE CRYSTALS Deposits of tartaric acid look very much like sugar crystals at the bottom of a bottle and may be precipitated when a wine experiences low temperatures. Tartrates are also deposited simply through the process of time, although seldom in a still or sparkling wine that has spent several months in contact with its lees, as this produces a mannoprotein called MP32, which prevents the precipitation of tartrates. A fine deposit of glittering crystals can also be deposited on the base of a cork if it has been soaked in a sterilizing solution of metabisulphite prior to bottling. All are harmless. TASTEVIN (Fr.) A shallow, dimpled, silver cup used for tasting, primarily in Burgundy. TbA (Ger.) A commonly used abbreviation of Trockenbeerenauslese, this category is for wines produced from individually picked, botrytized grapes that have been left on the vine to shrivel. The wine is golden-amber to amber in color, intensely sweet, viscous, very complex and as different from Beerenauslese as that wine is from Kabinett. TCA Short for trichloroanisole, the prime (but by no means only) culprit responsible for corked wines. TCA is found in oak staves as well as in cork. TEINTURIER A grape variety with colored (red), as opposed to clear, juice. TOBACCO A subjective bouquet/tasting term often applied to oak-matured wines, usually Bordeaux. TOTAL ACIDITY The total amount of acidity in a wine is usually measured in grams per liter and, because each acid is of a different strength, expressed either in terms of sulfuric or tartaric acid. TRANSFER METHOD Synonym of transvasage. TRANSVASAGE (Fr.) In what is also known as the transfer method, non-Méthode Champenoise sparkling wines undergo a second fermentation in bottle, and are then decanted, filtered, and rebottled under pressure to maintain the mousse. TRIE (Fr.) This term usually refers to the harvesting of selected overripe or botrytized grapes by numerous sweeps (tries) through the vineyard. TYPICAL Overused, less-than-honest form of honest. TYPICITY A wine that shows good typicity is one that accurately reflects its grape variety and soil type.