 |
Still Wine
The term given to a table wine which contains no residual carbon dioxide after fermentation. The CO2 is allowed to escape during the wine making process and as a result no bubbles are trapped in the same way as champagne and other sparkling wines. Still wine accounts for the majority of wines sold on the market and covers red, white and rosé.
|
 |
Fortified Wine
Wine to which fortified grape spirit (brandy) is added either during or after fermentation. This adds alcoholic strength and stabilises the wine. Initially employed by sailors to keep wine for extended periods whilst at sea, fortified wines quickly became popular as regular drinks. The earlier the grape spirit is added in the fermentation process, the sweeter the end style will be, as the addition of alcohol stops fermentation by killing the yeasts. Styles include Sherry, Port, Madeira, Vermouth and liqueur styles such as Australian muscats and tokay.
|
 |
Sparkling
Wine which has bubbles dissolved in it and fizzes when poured into a glass. A very popular style of wine which encompasses not only champagne but also all sparkling wines made throughout the world. Some of the most popular varieties include Cava, Prosecco and Moscato d’Asti. Sparkling wine can be made in several different methods depending on the quality of the wine required for the end result. The finest sparkling wines are made by the Traditional Method, or method Champenois, which involves a second fermentation in bottle to dissolve the CO2 produced into the wine. This process can take up to 6 weeks. Other methods include the much quicker and cheaper tank method, where 2nd fermentation occurs in a large stainless steel tank and is bottled under pressure. The third and cheapest process is to pump CO2 gas directly in to the base wine. Creating large, short lived bubbles.
|
 |
Frizzante/Pétillant/Spritzig
All three terms, from Italian, French and German consecutively, apply to a wine which is lightly sparkling. The wines have a slight petillance or prickle on the palate. Generally the bubbles are owed to a secondary partial fermentation, which creates enough bubbles to gently fizz but enough enough to create a full, sparkling wine.
|
