Wine Glossary A-B
A term for a medium-sweet and full-bodied Italian wine. Please see our sweetness guide for more detail.
Alcohol by volume, the accepted measure of alcoholic strength in wine. Within the EU, wines above 15% require special derogation in order to enter the market.
This volatile acid (CH3COOH) is present in small quantities in all wines. However, it is more commonly known as the acidic component of vinegar. Moreover, the alcohol in the wine can oxidise into acetic acid, which is, in essence, the process by which wine becomes vinegar.
Detectable as a sharpness in the mouth, acidity is an essential constituent in all wines, where it provides the necessary balance in red wines and a zingy freshness in white wines. This is, ironically, perhaps, most important in desert wines. Too much acidity and the wine becomes undrinkable, whilst insufficient acidity makes it dull and flabby. There are a plethora of acids in a wine, but the major ones are:
- Acetic
- Malic
- Tartric
- Lactic
- Citric
- Carbonic
Whilst there are many different alcohols, in the wine industry this refers to ethanol (C2H5OH). A by-product of fermentation, the alcoholic strength of a wine is the measurement of its concentration of ethanol (generally around 12%). You cannot normally taste alcohol, in higher strength wines it can give a warming sensation towards the back of the mouth and throat. The role of alcohol in a wine is to provide balance and round off the flavours of a wine; thus, as a general principle, it should be in harmony with structure of the wine; a full-flavoured Australian Shiraz will support a higher alcoholic content than a delicate Riesling.
Aeration or "letting the wine breathe" softens the tannins and opens up the wine aiding, the release of the bouquet and flavours. This is done either by swirling the wine in the glass or by decanting the bottle. Young, red wines benefit most from aeration.
Alsace
Please see our comprehensive section on the Alsace region.
Angel's Share (La Part des Anges)
When aging in barrel, this is the poetic term for the wine that is lost to evaporation. If the humidity is low, then this loss will be primarily water, whilst a higher humidity will result in more alcohol than water evaporating, thereby reducing the alcoholic strength of the wine.
A.O.C
A.P. Number
Appellation
This is the French administrative unit at the village level, akin to the British parish. Appellations are based on communes, so that Puligny-Montrachet for example comprises the village-level appellation for its normal wines (AC Puligny-Montrachet) together with its Premier Cru and Grand Cru vineyards.
Aroma
Auctions
Auction Houses are the traditional route to disposing of mature fine wines. Anonimity of the seller is assured and the Houses will have access to a wide and appropriate market, particularly necessary for niche brands. The expanding Fine Wine market has seen the emergence of on-line traders with a global reach. Auctioneers charge both a commission (to the vendor) and a premium (to the buyer) on each sale.
The 'building' of a Bordeaux wine through selective blending of different components. Most Châteaux grow more than one grape variety and often will have plots of superior and inferior vines. These elements give a number of options and one of the most important quality decisions in the vintage calendar is determining the correct proportion for the Grand Vin (qv) and other cuvées (qv). The winemaker will often call in consultants to advise on the process, which may be iterated over several days to ensure the best possible result.
Balance
Barrique
Beerenauslese
In recent years we have seen a growing move towards biodynamic viticulture. What does this mean exactly?Broadly speaking, biodynamism aims to ensure the healthy balance between plant life, the soil and the environment and to reduce the detrimental effect which monoculture may have on the soil. A ‘moon or astro calendar’ is used to divide the month into days best suited for work on the leaves, flower, root or fruit and much effort goes into the production of organic treatments to strengthen the vine’s resistance to parasites. Click here for an in-depth article on Biodynamics in pratice by Prue Henschke
Blanc de Blanc
A still or sparkling wine made exclusively from the juice of white grapes. For most wines the term is something of a truism, however it carries importance in the sparkling wine sector where many white wines are in fact blended from the (white) juice of both white and red grapes.
A white wine, usually sparkling, made from the white juice of red grapes (for the most part the red colour in red wines is imparted from the grape skins).
Bodega
Bonded Warehouse
A commercial warehouse for storing wine on which duty has yet to be paid. See Cellarage, Duty and Under Bond.
Body
Botrytis
Botrytis Cinerea is an airborne fungus which affects many fruits causing degradation in the form of rot. In special circumstances, where a number of conditions are met simultaneously (e.g. morning mist, afternoon sun, fully ripe grapes) botrytis can transform the grape in a highly desireable way, concentrating the sweetness of the juice and imparting complex aromas and flavours. This conversion is referred to as Noble Rot, and is a feature of many of the world's great dessert wines such as sauternes, sélection des grains nobles (qv), tokaji and trockenbeerenauslesen. For further details please see our sweetness guide.
Broking
The practice by merchants of selling fine wines belonging to private individuals who would find it difficult to sell the wines directly. Merchants draw on their customer bases to match buyer to seller and earn a commission on the transaction. To view Lay & Wheeler's broking list click here.