WINE GLOSSARIES (H-I-J-K-L)

HALBFÜDER (Ger.) An oval cask with a capacity of 500 liters (132 gallons), more prevalent in Mosel areas than in those of the Rhine. HALBSTÜCK (Ger.) An oval cask with a capacity of 600 liters (159 gallons). HARD Indicates a certain severity, often due to excess tannin and acidity. HARSH A more derogatory term than coarse. HEALTH BENEFITS OF WINE Wine consumed in moderation flushes out the cholesterol and fatty substances that can build up inside the body’s artery walls. It does this through the powerful antioxidant properties of various chemical compounds found naturally in wine (through contact with grapeskins), the most important of which are polyphenols such as procyanidins and rytoalexins such as reservatol. Most chloresterol in the body is carried around the body on LDLs (low density lipoproteins), which clog up the arteries. By contrast, HDLs (high density lipoproteins) do not clog the arteries, but take the cholesterol straight to the liver, where it is processed out of the system. The antioxidants convert LDL into HDL, literally flushing away the cholesterol and other fatty substances. Together with alcohol itself, these antioxidants also act as an anticoagulant on the blood, diminishing its clotting ability, which reduces the chances of a stroke by 50 percent in contrast with nondrinkers. (However, I would be equally as dishonest as the neoprohibitionists who make phoney health-danger claims if I did not point out the one true health danger of moderate drinking that has recently come to light. In 2002, the British Journal of Cancer published a study demonstrating that a woman’s risk of contracting breast cancer increases by 6 percent if she consumes just one drink per day, and this rises to 32 percent if she has three or four drinks per day. The report concludes that 4 percent of all breast cancers are attributable to alcohol. It is, however, not cut-and-dried. In a summary of this report, Dr. Isabel dos Santos Silva of the International Agency for Research on Cancer wrote “Alcohol intake… is likely to account, at present, for a small proportion of breast cancer cases in developed countries, but for women who drink moderately, its lifetime cardioprotective effects probably outweigh its health hazards.” And as Dr. Philip Norrie pointed out, 10 times the number of women die from vascular disease as from breast cancer.) HEAT SUMMATION A system of measuring the growth potential of vines in a specific area in terms of the environmental temperature, expressed in degree-days. A vine’s vegetative cycle is activated only above a temperature of 50°F (10°C). The time during which these temperatures persist equates to the vine’s growing season. To calculate the number of degree-days, the proportion of the daily mean temperature significant to the vine’s growth—the daily mean minus the inactive 50°F (10°C)—is multiplied by the number of days of the growing season. For example, a growing season of 200 days with a daily mean temperature of 59°F (15°C) gives a heat summation of 1,800 degree-days Fahrenheit (1,000 degree-days Celsius) based on the following calculation: (59 – 50) x 200 = 1,800 HERBACEOUS A green-leaf or white-currant characteristic that is usually associated with too much vigor in the vine’s canopy, which can cause underripeness. A herbaceous quality can also be the result of aggressive extraction techniques employed for red wines fermented in stainless steel. HERBAL, HERBAL-OAK These terms apply to wines matured in cask, but unlike vanilla-oak, creamyoak, smoky-oak, and spicy-oak, their origin is unknown. A herbal character devoid of oak is usually derived from the varietal character of a grape and is common to many varieties. HERBICIDE A weedkiller that is usually, but not necessarily, a highly toxic concoction of chemicals. HIGH-DENSITY VINES Vines planted close together compete with each other to yield higher-quality fruit, but less of it per vine, than vines planted farther apart. Initial planting costs are higher and more labor is required for pruning, but if the vineyard is in balance, the greater number of vines should produce the same overall volume per acre, even though the output per vine is reduced. Quantity can therefore be maintained while significantly raising quality, although there is a threshold density that vineyards must reach before real benefits appear. For example, more than half the vineyards in the New World are planted at less than 800 per acre (2,000 vines per hectare) and 500 to 600 (1,200 to 1,500 per hectare) is very common, whereas in Champagne, 2,666 vines per acre (6,666 per hectare) is the minimum allowed by law, 2,800 to 3,200 the average (7,000 to 8,000), and 4,400 (11,000) possible. In pre-Phylloxera times, it was something like 10,000 vines per acre (25,000 per hectare). Indeed, before California’s vineyards were mechanized, the average density of vines was twice what it is now because every other row has been ripped up to allow for tractors. When Joseph Drouhin planted his vineyard in Oregon, he planted 2,980 vines per acre (7,450 per hectare) and brought over French tractors that straddled the rows of vines, rather than went between them. All of a sudden, high-density vineyards entered the American vocabulary, although Drouhin did not consider them to be high density—merely a matter of course. HIGH-TONE A term used in this book to describe elements of the bouquet that aspire to elegance, but that can become too exaggerated and be slightly reminiscent of vermouth. HOGSHEAD A barrel with a capacity of between 300 and 315 liters (79 and 83 gallons), commonly found in Australia and New Zealand. HOLLOW A wine that lacks any real flavor in the mouth compared to the promise shown on the nose. Usually due to a lack of body, fruit, or acidity. HONEST Applied to any wine, but usually to one of a fairly basic quality, honest implies it is true in character and typical of its type and origin. It also implies that the wine does not give any indication of being souped-up in any unlawful way. The use of the word honest is, however, a way of damning with faint praise, for it does not suggest a wine of any special or truly memorable quality.

ICON A marketing term for a quality category; INDICAÇÃO DE PROVENIÊNCIA REGULAMENTADA (Port.). INKY Can refer either to a wine’s opacity of color or to an inkiness of character indicating a deep flavor with plenty of supple tannin. IPR (Port.) Short for Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada, a Portuguese quality designation that falls between DOC and VR. IRON This is found as a trace element in fresh grapes that have been grown in soils in which relatively substantial ferrous deposits are located. Wines from such sites may naturally contain a tiny amount of iron, which is barely perceptible on the palate. If there is too much iron, the flavor becomes medicinal. Above seven milligrams per liter for white and 10 milligrams per liter for red, there is a danger of the wine going cloudy. But wines of such high iron levels should have been blue-fined prior to bottling. ISINGLASS A gelatinous fining agent obtained from the swim-bladder of freshwater fish and used to clear hazy, low-tannin wines. JAMMY Commonly used to describe a fat and eminently drinkable red wine rich in fruit, if perhaps a bit contrived and lacking elegance. JUG WINE California’s mass-produced vin de table, synonymous with carafe wine. KABINETT (Ger.) The first rung of predication in Germany’s QmP range, one below Spätlese, and often drier than a QbA. KIESELGUHR A form of diatomaceous earth. LACTIC ACID The acid that develops in sour milk, and which is also created in wine during the malolactic fermentation. LAGAR (Port.) A rectangular concrete receptacle in which people tread grapes. LAID-BACK A term that has come into use since the arrival of California wines on the international scene in the early 1980s. It usually implies that a wine is very relaxed, easy to drink, and confident of its own quality. LANDWEIN (Ger.) German equivalent of vin de pays. LATE DISGORGED. LD A sparkling-wine term that stands for “late disgorged” and, paradoxically, means the same as “recently disgorged.” The use of LD implies that the wine in question is of a mature vintage that has been kept on its yeast deposit for an extended period. LEACHING A term that may be used to refer to the deliberate removal of tannin from new oak by steaming—or when discussing certain aspects of soil, such as pH, that can be affected when carbonates are leached (removed) by rainwater. LEES Sediment that accumulates in the bottom of a vat during the fermentation of a wine. LEMONY Many dry and medium-sweet wines have a tangy, fruity acidity that is suggestive of lemons. LENGTH A wine that has length is one whose flavor lingers in the mouth a long time after swallowing. If two wines taste the same, yet you definitely prefer one, but do not understand why, it is probably because the one you prefer has a greater length. LIE (Fr.) The French for lees: sur lie refers to a wine kept in contact with its lees. LIEU-DIT (Fr.) A named site (plural: lieux-dits). This term is commonly used for wines of specific growths that do not have Grand Cru status. LIGHT VINTAGE A light vintage or year produces relatively light wines. Not a great vintage, but not necessarily a bad one either. HONEYED Many wines develop a honeyed character through bottle-age, particularly sweet wines and more especially those with some botrytis character. However, some dry wines can also become honeyed, a mature Riesling being the classic example. HORIZONTAL TASTING A tasting of different wines of the same style or vintage, as opposed to a vertical tasting (different vintages of the same wine). HOT Synonym for baked. HOUSE CLARET An unpretentious, and not too expensive, everyday-drinking red Bordeaux. HYBRID A cross between two or more grape varieties from more than one species. HYDROGEN SULFIDE When hydrogen combines with sulfur dioxide (SO2), the result is a smell of bad eggs. If this occurs prior to bottling and is dealt with immediately, it can be rectified. If allowed to progress, the hydrogen sulfide can develop into mercaptans and ruin the wine. LIME This is the classic character shared by both the Sémillon and Riesling grape varieties when grown in many areas of Australia, which explains why Sémillon from the Hunter Valley used to be sold as Hunter Riesling. LINALOOL A compound found in some grapes, particularly the Muscat and Riesling varieties. It contributes to the peachy-flowery fragrance that is characteristic of Muscat wines. LINGERING Normally applied to the finish of a wine—an aftertaste that literally lingers. LIQUEUR DE TIRAGE (Fr.) Bottling liqueur: the mix of wine, yeast, and sugar added to still Champagne to induce the mousse. LIQUOREUX (Fr.) Literally “liqueurlike,” this term is often applied to dessert wines of an unctuous quality. (Sometimes also “liquorous.”) LIQUORICE A quality often detected in Monbazillac, but may be found in any rich sweet wine. The term refers to the concentration of flavors from heat-shriveled, rather than botrytized, grapes. LIVELINESS A term that usually implies a certain youthful freshness of fruit due to good acidity and a touch of carbonic gas. LONGEVITY Potentially long-lived wines may owe their longevity to a significant content of tannin, acidity, alcohol, and/or sugar. LUSCIOUS, LUSCIOUSNESS Almost synonymous with voluptuous, although more frequently used to describe an unctuous, sweet white wine than a succulently rich red.

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WINE GLOSSARIES (F-G)

FALL BRIGHT A liquid that becomes limpid after cloudy matter falls as sediment to the bottom of the vessel is said to fall bright. FALL OVER A wine that goes past its peak and starts to decline at a relatively young age, and at a faster than normal rate, is said to fall over. FARMYARDY A term used by many people to describe a wine, quite often Chardonnay or Pinot, that has matured beyond its initial freshness of fruit, past the desired stage of roundness and the pleasing phase when it acquires certain vegetal undertones. The wine is still healthy and drinkable, and for some it is at the very peak of perfection. FAT A wine full in body and extract. It is good for any wine to have some fat, but fat in an unqualified sense can be derogatory and no wine should be too fat, as it will be flabby or too blowzy. FATTY ACIDS A term sometimes used for volatile acids. FEMININE A subjective term used to describe a wine with a preponderance of delicately attractive qualities, rather than weight or strength. Descibes a wine of striking beauty, grace, and finesse, with a silky texture and exquisite style. FERMENTATION The biochemical process by which enzymes secreted by yeast cells convert sugar molecules into almost equal parts of alcohol and carbonic gas. FERTILIZER A chemical product used to enrich the soil with one or more of the three basic requirements for all plant life: potassium (for fruit development and general plant metabolism), phosphorus (for root development), and nitrogen (for leaf development). Technically the term also refers to manure, compost, and other natural means of soil enrichment. FEUILLETTE (Fr.) A small Burgundian barrel with a capacity of 114 liters (30 gallons); in Chablis this is 132 liters (35 gallons). FIELD BLEND, FIELD MIX The best description I have seen for this is “a wine recipe planted in the ground.” It is not a homogenous vineyard planted to a single grape variety (of which there may be several different clones), but a vineyard planted with a collection of grape varieties that reflect traditional Old World practices of several generations ago. The advantage is that if a disease or disorder affected one variety, the others would probably pull through unscathed. The disadvantage, however, is that the different varieties do not ripen at the same time; this was not a problem in the old days, however, since it was common practice to make several tries or sweeps through the vineyards, picking only the ripe grapes and cutting out any rotten ones. FILTER, FILTRATION The removal of suspended matter. There are four basic methods of filtration: depth filtration (also known as earth filtration); pad filtration (also known as sheet filtration), membrane filtration (also known as microporous filtration), and crossflow filtration. There is also centrifugal filtration, which is not filtration in the pure sense but achieves the same objective of removing unwanted particles suspended in wine or grape juice. FINESSE That elusive, indescribable quality that separates a fine wine from those of lesser quality. FINE WINES Quality wines, representing only a small percentage of all wines produced. FINING The clarification of fresh grape juice or wine is often sped up by the use of various fining agents that operate by an electrolytic reaction to fine out oppositely charged matter. FINISH The quality, and a person’s enjoyment, of a wine’s aftertaste FIRM Refers to a certain amount of grip. A firm wine is a wine of good constitution, held up with a certain amount of tannin and acidity. FIRST PRESSING The first pressing yields the sweetest, cleanest, clearest juice. FIXED ACIDITY This is the total acidity less the volatile acidity. FIXED SULFUR The principal reason why SO2 (sulfur dioxide) is added to grape juice and wine is to prevent oxidation, but only free sulfur can do this. Upon contact with wine, some SO2 immediately combines with oxygen and other elements, such as sugars and acids, and is known as fixed or bound sulfur. What remains is free sulfur, capable of combining with molecules of oxygen at some future date. FLABBY The opposite of crisp, referring to a wine lacking in acidity and consequently dull, weak, and short. FLASH PASTEURIZATION A sterilization technique that should not be confused with full pasteurization. It involves subjecting the wine to a temperature of about 176°F (80°C) for between 30 and 60 seconds. FLAT 1. A sparkling wine that has lost all of its mousse. 2. A term that is interchangeable with flabby, especially when referring to a lack of acidity on the finish. FLESHY This term refers to a wine with plenty of fruit and extract and implies an underlying firmness. FLOR (Sp.) A scumlike yeast film that naturally occurs and floats on the surface of some sherries as they mature in part-filled wooden casks. It is the flor that gives Fino Sherry its inimitable character. FLURBEREINIGUNG (Ger.) A modern viticultural method of growing vines in rows that run vertically up and down slopes, rather than across in terraces. GARRIGUE (Fr.) A type of moorland found in Languedoc-Roussillon. GASOLINE, GASOLINE-LIKE With some bottle-age, the finest Rieslings have a vivid bouquet that some call gasoline-like. This character has an affinity with various zesty and citrussy odors, but many lemony, citrussy, zesty smells are totally different from one another and the Riesling’s gasoline character is both singular and unmistakable. As great Riesling matures, so it also develops a honeyed character, bringing a classic, honeyed-gasoline richness to the wine. GELATINE A positively charged fining agent used for removing negatively charged suspended matter in wines, especially an excess of tannin. GENERIC Describes a wine, usually blended, of a general appellation. GENEROUS A generous wine gives its fruit freely on the palate, while an ungenerous wine is likely to have little or no fruit and, probably, an excess of tannin. All wines should have some degree of generosity. GENUS The botanical family Ampelidaceae has 10 genera, one of which, Vitis, through the subgenus Euvites, contains the species Vitis vinifera, to which all the famous wine-making grape varieties belong. GEOSMIN A chemical compound sometimes found in wine; responsible for the characteristic earthiness of beets and the earthy taste of some potatoes. GLUGGY Easy to guzzle. GOOD GRIP A healthy structure of tannin supporting the fruit in a wine. GOUT DE TERROIR (Fr.) Literally “taste of earth,” a term that denotes a particular flavor imparted by certain soils—although not necessarily the taste of the soil itself—in a wine. GRANDE MARQUE (Fr.) Literally a great or famous brand. In the world of wine, the term Grande Marque is specific to Champagne and applies to members of the Syndicat de Grandes Marques, which include, of course, all the famous names.

FLYING WINEMAKER The concept of the flying winemaker was born in Australia, where due to the size of the country and the staggered picking dates, highly sought-after consultants Brian Croser (now Petaluma) and Tony Jordan (now Green Point) would hop by plane from harvest to harvest. Riding on the success of Australian wines in the UK market, other Australian wine wizards began to stretch their wings, flying in and out of everywhere from Southern Italy to Slovakia, usually at the behest of British supermarkets. Like the spread of Chardonnay and Cabernet, the flying winemakers were at first welcomed by wine writers, then turned upon for standardizing wine wherever they went. The truth is that before the arrival of international grapes and international winemakers, the peasant cooperatives in these countries had no idea that they could even produce wines to compete on the international market. Now that they have established a certain standard with known grape varieties and modern technology, they are beginning to turn to their roots to see what indigenous varieties might have the potential to produce more expressive wines. Few winemakers do more flying than Moët & Chandon’s Richard Geoffroy, but the term is usually attributed to the mercenaries of the trade, who work for a supermarket, a supplier to a supermarket, or more than one company. Well-known flying winemakers include Peter Bright, Nick Butler, Steve Donnelly, Michael Goundrey, Lynette Hudson, Jacques and François Lurton, Geoff Merril, Kym Milne, Martin Shaw, Brenden Smith, Adrian Wing, and John Worontschak. The late, famous Bordeaux professor Peynaud avoided the flying-winemaker tag, as has Ribereau-Gayon, despite the fact that they have each consulted for more companies in more countries over more years than the entire flock of flying winemakers listed above, perhaps because today’s mercenaries have a more hands-on approach to their job than was traditional for consultants in the past. FOLIAR FEEDS Plant nutrients that are sprayed directly onto, and are absorbed by, the foliage. FORTIFIED Fortification with pure alcohol (usually very strong grape spirit of 77 to 98 percent) can take place either before fermentation (as in Ratafia de Champagne and Pineau des Charentes), during fermentation (as in port and Muscat de Beaumes de Venise), or after fermentation (as in sherry). FOUDRE (Fr.) A large wooden cask or vat. FOXY The very distinctive, highly perfumed character of certain indigenous American grape varieties that can be sickly sweet and cloying to unconditioned palates. FREE SULFUR The active element of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in wine, produced by free sulfur combining with intruding molecules of oxygen. FREMANTLE DOCTOR Also known as the “Freo Doctor,” this afternoon sea breeze brings a cooling relief to better parts of the Swan Valley in Western Australia. Canberra Doctor. FRENCH PARADOX In 1991, Morley Safer, host of the CBS show 60 Minutes, screened a program about the so-called “French Paradox.” This described how the high-cholesterol-consuming, high-alcoholdrinking, low-exercising French have a very low mortality rate from heart disease compared to healthconscious Americans, who have low-cholesterol diets, exercise frequently, and drink relatively little alcohol. Part of the explanation was attributed to the Mediterranean diet, in which milk plays a negligible role and wine—particularly red wine—a very important one. Although it is a complete food for the young, milk is unnatural for adults, who cannot digest it properly. The more milk an adult drinks (and Americans are particularly high consumers of milk), the greater the risk of cardiovascular disease, while three glasses of wine a day has a proven protective effect against cardiovascular disease. FRESH Describes wines that are clean and still vital with youth. FRIABLE Term used to describe a soil structure that is crumbly or easily broken up. FRIZZANTE (It.) Semi-sparkling. FRIZZANTINO (It.) Very lightly sparkling, between still and semi-sparkling (i.e., perlant). FRUIT Wine is made from grapes and must therefore be 100 percent fruit, yet a fruity flavor depends on the grapes used having the correct combination of ripeness and acidity. FRUITCAKE This is a subjective term for a wine that tastes, smells, or has the complexity of the mixed dried-fruit richness and spices found in fruitcake. FUDER (Ger.) A large oval cask with a capacity of 1,000 liters (265 gallons), more prevalent in Mosel areas than in those of the Rhine. FULL This term usually refers to body, as in “fullbodied.” However, a wine can be light in body yet full in flavor. FULLY FERMENTED A wine that is allowed to complete its natural course of fermentation and so yield a totally dry wine. FÛT (Fr.) A wooden cask, usually made of oak, in which wines are aged, or fermented and aged. GRASSY Often used to describe certain Gewürztraminer, Scheurebe, and Sauvignon wines portraying a grassy type of fruitiness. GREEN Young and tart, as in Vinho Verde. It can be either a derogatory term or simply a description of a youthful wine that might well improve. GREEN PRUNING Pruning is a bit of a misnomer, as this is really a method of reducing yields by thinning out the potential crop when the grapes are green (unripe) by cutting off a certain percentage of the bunches, so that what remains achieves a quicker, greater, and more even ripening. Also called summer pruning. GRIP This term applies to a firm wine with a positive finish. A wine showing grip on the finish indicates a certain bite of acidity in white wines and of tannin in red wines. GRIPPY Good grippy tannins imply ripe tannins that have a nice tactile effect without seeming in the least firm, harsh, or austere. GROSSLAGE (Ger.) A wine area in Germany that is part of a larger district or Bereich. GROWTH. GUTSY A wine full in body, fruit, extract, and— usually—alcohol. The term is normally applied to wines of fairly ordinary quality. GUZZLY This term is synonymous with gluggy. GRAFT The joint between the rootstock and the scion of the producer vine. GRAND CRU (Fr.) Literally “great growth.” In regions such as Burgundy, where the term’s use is strictly controlled, it has real meaning (in other words, the wine should be great relative to the quality of the year), but in other winemaking areas where there are no controls, it will mean little. GRAND VIN (Fr.) Normally used in Bordeaux, this term applies to the main wine sold under the château’s famous name and it will have been produced from only the finest barrels. Wines excluded during this process go into second, third, and sometimes fourth wines that are sold under different labels. GRAPEY This term may be applied to an aroma or flavor that is reminiscent of grapes rather than wine, and is a particular characteristic of German wines and wines made from various Muscat or Muscat-like grapes.

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