GLOSSARY

T
Tannin: A substance found in many plants, including in grape skins, seeds and stalks. Tannins are harsh, bitter in nature and impart an astringent quality to the wine. When present in excessive amounts, they make the wine almost unpleasant to drink giving it a dry, puckery character. They act as preservatives in the wine and with time, they bind together and fall out of solution. Hence, highly tannic wines tend to age well – particularly if they are balanced with acids and fruit. Tannins contribute to the wine’s body, giving it firmness. Tannin content in wine may be increased by enhancing extraction (through prolonged cuvaison), fermenting the wine in oak barrels and aging the wine in oak (new barrels impart the most tannins).
Tannic: (tasting term). Describes a wine with high concentration of tannins, which results in a dry and astringent character. Tannic wines are typically young and not ready to drink. With time, tannins dissipate from the wine.
Tartaric acid: One of the acids naturally found in grapes. These include acetic, malic, lactic, citric and carbonic acid and together contribute to the acidity of the wine. Tartaric acid may sometimes form tartrate crystals (which are harmless) – especially if the wine was not cold stabilized.
Tartrate crystals: Small, clear or white crystals composed of potassium hydrogen tartrate which forms during fermentation. They are harmless and tend to form in cold conditions. Thus, the process of cold stabilization, is employed to remove tartates from the wine prior to bottling.
TCA: Trichloranisole. The substance responsible for the unpleasant smells and flavors of corked wine. Produced by the molds that infecting the cork but can also be found contaminating other wood elements of the winery. The range of effects of this substance can be as subtle as simply the loss of fruit expression, or a foul, musty, mushroomy aroma and a flavor reminiscent of wet cardboard or old rags. The smell is rather distinct but can be subtle. Experienced tasters can detect it at concentrations of just a few parts per billion.
Tears: (tasting term). The viscous, tear-like tracks that run down the inside of a glass after it has been swirled in the glass. Thought to be related to alcohol content (as well as some technical things like surface tension and boiling temperatures of water and alcohol). Some place emphasis on this finding as an indication of the wine’s quality – presumably an indication of body – while others dismiss it as irrelevant. Also called: ‘legs’.
Terroir: (French). A term unique to the French language and French wine making. It refers to the all the external influences on grape growing. It includes the interplay of soil, bedrock, sun and wind exposure, water table, climate, farming methods etc coming together in a unique expression in the wine. The belief is, though that the same clone of a grape variety planted in different terroirs will result in a different wines. This concept is the subject of much discussion and at times, heated debate.
Terroiriste: (derived from the French: "terroir", above). A person who espouse the concept of terroir.
Texture: (tasting term). Describes the way a wine feels in the mouth. Often qualified as ‘silky’, ‘velvety’, ‘smooth’ or ‘rounded’. It is similar to ‘mouthfeel’ and is used more specifically than ‘body’, which describes the general sense of the weight and impact of the wine.
The Movie: (local jargon). Used by people in Santa Barbara wine country to refer to the motion picture "Sideways". Depicts two men reaching middle age with little success and nothing but flaws and neurotic obsessions. Set and Filmed in Central Coast wine country. The appearance of several wineries and their tasting rooms in the film is both milked to painful excess by some and shrugged off by others - depending on winery. Also see: Sideways
Tight: (tasting term). Used in reference to a wine’s structure, concentration and body when they are not fully expressed due to young age. A tight wine has many positive elements but these are not showing their full potential. A very complex wine with a high concentration of fruit and good structure which gives only a small indication of its future greatness, is called "tightly wound". Similar to ‘closed’.
Tinny: (tasting term). Describes a metallic taste. A flaw.
Titratable Acid: (wine making term). A measurement of the total acids present in grape juice or wine must available for chemical interaction. Abbreviated as: TA. This refers to the total amount or concentration of acid and not its strength (which is indicated by pH). The major grape acids are tartaric and malic, with citric being found in smaller amounts.
Toasty: (tasting term). Indicates a smell or taste reminiscent of toast. More specifically, it refers to the toasty character imparted by oak barrels which have been 'toasted' on the inside. This is accomplished by placing the barrels around a fire (either during or just after their manufacture). The flames and heat toast the surface of the wood. The changes in the physical and chemical composition of the surface of the wood will have an effect on the flavor of the wine as the tannins and other components seep into the wine.
Tobacco: (tasting term). A smell and flavor of fresh tobacco found in some red wines. Depending on the type of wine and stylistic intent of the wine maker, it is present in varying amounts. It is typically considered a desirable characteristic.
Troncais oak: A type of oak from the forest of Troncais, in central France. A popular choice of coopers and wine makers because the wood is ideal for barrels and it imparts a desirable flavor profile to wine. Although there is some variation in character between wood from different forests as well as individual trees, the forests in Alliers, Limousin, Nevers, Troncais and Vosges are the most common sources of oak for wine barrels.
Truffle: An aromatic underground fungus. Round and wrinkled, they are very pungent. Their aromatic compositions may be very complex and have been described as mushroomy, cheesy, or herbal.
U
UC Davis: The University of California at Davis. One of the University’s 10 campuses, it is the alma mater of many prominent California wine makers. Its department of Viticulture and Enology is prominent and influential in the world of wine. UC Davis has been instrumental in California wine making through research and academics and has guided many developments in California’s Central Coast. Most significant, is the 1963 designation of Santa Barbara County as a Region I and II (the coolest rating for a wine growing region on the UC Davis Scale) by University Enologists Maynard Amerine and Albert Winkler. The department maintains a nursery of vines and its climate region rating scale (based on climate, soil and water) is used widely.
Ullage: (French wine making term). The pocket of air between the top of the wine and the cork. Since most wines are bottled for immediate consumption, the ullage is typically small. The size of the ullage indicates the amount of wine lost during bottle aging. It may also be an indicator of the quality of the wine, as wines with a lot of ullage (a large ullage) may be oxidized or have lost a portion of wine due to a faulty cork.
V
Vanilla: (wine tasting term). Vanillins are aromatic compounds found in many plants. They are found in wood of barrels made from American oak. Aging wine in these barrels imparts to it the smells and flavors of vanilla.
Varietal: A wine made from, and named after, a specific variety of grape. The laws governing wine production require that at least 75% of the blend must be composed of the grape variety after which it is named. The practice began in the United States in the 1950’s, and is gaining acceptance worldwide.
Vat: A large container for fermenting, ageing or storing wine. May be made of steel or oak.
Vegetal: (tasting term). Describes wines with aromas and flavors reminiscent of plants and vegetables. This is usually the result using unripe grapes to make wine. While in some wines, this characteristic, in small amounts, is pleasant and adds complexity, it is a major flaw in most wines.
Velvety: (tasting term). Describes a wine with a rich, silky or sumptuous texture. May be used to describe the quality of tannins.
Vendange tardive: A French term for ‘late harvest’. This term indicates that the grapes were harvested later than normal. The fruit is typically more concentrated and contains more sugar as a result of ripening and some dehydration. The finished wine is typically sweet but some wine makers may elect to ferment the wine to a more dry style with a higher alcohol level.
Veraison: (from French: Vêraison). The phase in grape development when the fruit becomes changes color after a period of growth. Alternately: 'verasion' (although this may be a misspelling).
Vieilles vignes: French term for ‘old vines’. A label designation indicating that the wine was made from grape vines that are (usually) over 30 years old. This is based on the belief that, as vines age, they are thought to produce fewer grapes which tend to be of a better quality than fruit from younger vines. This does not clearly seem to be a proven fact, but is nevertheless and increasingly popular annotation to labels.
Vin de pays: French term for ‘country wine'. It is the third-highest wine-quality level in France's official quality control system. The two categories above vin de pays are: appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC) and vin délimité de qualité supérieure (VDQS). Below vin de pays, is the vin de table level. The regulations for vin de pays differ from the AOC only by allowing higher yields and lower minimum alcohol levels. This term is not to be confused with vin du pays, which means 'local wine' and is not a regulated designation.
Vinegar: A dilute solution of acetic acid. The common belief is that vinegar is the natural evolution of wine when exposed to air. This is an erroneous belief. Wine may oxidize and spoil, but it does not ‘turn’ into vinegar. Vinegar is made with the help of bacteria which convert sugar directly into acetic acid as part of their metabolic processes. This process bypasses the production of alcohol.
Vinification: All-encompassing term for winemaking.
Vintage: The year during which grapes are grown, harvested and vinified. By extension, a non-vintage or multi-vintage wine is a wine made from grapes grown during several different years.
Viscous: (tasting term). Describes wines with a thick and concentrated texture. The most extreme example of this are the sweet wines made from grapes affected by Botrytis cinerea resulting in Noble Rot.
Vitis labrusca: An American vine species. While its grapes produce poor wine, it is significant because it is the source of rootstock for grafted Vitis vinifera cuttings sine the latter is sensitive to Phylloxera.
Vitis vinifera: The vinifera species from which the classic wines Cabernet Franc, Chenin Blanc, Mourvèdre, Gewurztraminer, etc. are made.
Volatile acidity: (tasting term). Describes a wine with an unpleasant, acetone or vinegar-like nose resulting from excessive levels of acetic acid. This occurs in the presence of excess acetic bacteria. In small amounts it livens up the nose but is a fault when in excess.
W
Weight: (tasting term). Refers to the sensation of fullness and body of the wine in the mouth. Used interchangeably with ‘body’ by some.
Wine Press: A device (or large machine) for crushing grapes and extracting juice.
Woody: (tasting term). Describes an overly oaky wine. Typically results from excessive oak aging. While oak is a desirable component of the bouquet and flavors of wine, in excess quantities it is a flaw as it overpowers the fruit and other elements of a wine.
X
Y
Yeast: Yeasts are a category of microorganisms which convert the sugar in grape juice to alcohol during alcoholic fermentation. Yeasts are present everywhere in our world. Naturally present on harvested grapes, yeasts will begin to ferment the crushed grapes spontaneously. Adding cultured yeasts to the wine must (inoculation) is a way to ensure more control over the fermentation process.
Yield: The amount of fruit harvested and, ultimately, wine produced. Typically expressed hectoliters per hectare. Yields vary according with the variety grown, terroir, vineyard management practices and winemaker’s preferences. Generally, low yields tend to result in better quality wine, but there are vineyards which break the rules of vineyard yield and produce sensational wines. See our learning module on yield.
Z