Useful Information

Wine Regions of Asia

The Asian Countries of Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgystan and Kazakhtan seem unlikely places to fine wine, yet viticulture goes on here. though it is true that production methods can be primitive. While India and China have extremely long histories of winemaking, both countries have now opted to invest in modern methods, usually started in conjuction with Western investors, to produce an international style and standard. Japan has also been making wine for many centuries. WIne drinking in Asia has recently been given a boost by the news that wine, and in particular red wine, is good for the heart.

Here is a list of some of the top wine books. If you are interested in learning more about wine, these books will make a great addition to your library.

California Wine

Author: James Laube

A comprehensive guide to wineries, wines, vintages, and vineyards, with tasting notes for 5000 wines.

Great Tastes Made Simple

Author: Andrea Immer

Advice on how to taste wine and understand its structure from a Master Sommelier.

Wine Bible

Author: Karen MacNeil

Think of this book as a lively course form an expert teacher, grounded deeply in the fundamentals and enriched with passionate asides, tips, anecdotes, definitions, glossaries, illustrations, maps, wine labels, etc.

The University Wine Course

Author: Marian Baldy, Ph.D.

Basically a textbook but very easy to understand and use. Contains several wine tasting exercises you can do at home.

The Wall Street Journal

Author: John Brecher, Dorothy J. Gaiter

A Guide to wine.

The Oxford Companion to Wine

Author: Jancis Robinson

“The Greatest Wine book ever published” - The Washington Post

Wine for Women

Author: Leslie Sbrocco

A guide to buying, pairing, and sharing wine.

How to choose wine

Author: Vincent Gasnier

Know what you like and get it right every time.

A Taste for Wine

Author: Vincent Gasnier

20 key tastings to unlock your personal wine style.

Essential Winetasting

Author: Michael Schuster

Every stage of tasting is illustrated in this book.

A

Acid

There are four major acids found in wine - tartaric, malic, lactic and citric. Acid is identifiable by the crisp, fresh character it imparts to the palate. Too much can lead to a sharp and sour taste, while too little can leave a wine “flabby” and out of balance.

Acidity

This is the quality of tartness, sourness and sharpness.

Aftertaste

This describes the taste, flavor and sensations felt in the mouth that are noticeable after tasting or swallowing wine. When these characteristics remain for more than 20 seconds, a wine is said to have a rich, long or persistent aftertaste.

Alcohol

Ethyl alcohol (C2H5OH) is produced by the action of natural or added yeast on grape sugars during fermentation.

American hybrid

These are grape varieties that have been cross-bred from American and European vines.

Ampelography

The science of identifying varieties by appearance, using the leaves as the primary identifier.

Appellation

A recognized wine-growing region.

Anthocyanins

Phenolics which strongly influence a wine's color.

Aroma

The smell of wine, which largely originates from the grape varieties used to make the wine. Oak often accompanies the aroma of young reds.

Ascorbic acid

A natural component found in wine that is sometimes added to prevent oxidation from occurring. If ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) has been added, the wine label will show “Antioxidant 300 added”.

Astringent

Describes a harsh, dry, mouth-puckering sensation, usually due to high levels of tannins or acids present in red wines (and some whites).

Austere

Generally meant to indicate a wine that has flavors that are “closed”, i.e., without strong recognizable varietal or oak characters.

B

Balance

A wine that has all its flavor components in harmony, with no single one being too dominant, is said to have good balance.

Barrels

Vessels used for the making or maturing wine. These may be of cement, plastic, stainless steel or oak. Oak barrels allow the wine to mature and breathe while adding natural tannins and flavors such as vanilla or toast.

Baume

A measure of the sugar concentration in the juice or wine.

Bitterness

One of the main taste sensations, usually detected at the back of the tongue after swallowing. Phenolic substances are the main source of bitterness in wine and come from wood (oak) and the grape.

Blanc de Blancs

Meaning “white from white”, this is a sparkling wine made from 85% or more of a white-skinned grape variety, usually Chardonnay.

Blanc de Noir

Meaning “white from black”, this is a white or slightly pink sparkling wine made from 85% or more of a dark-skinned grape variety, usually Pinot Noir.

Bland

Wine-tasting term used to describe a wine that lacks any discernable character, though not necessarily having any particular wine faults.

Blend

Mixing of two or more grape varieties, vintages or locations to increase quality and complexity or to maintain consistency.

Body

A term used to express the weight of a wine. “Full-bodied” describes a wine (generally one that is higher in alcohol) with fullness of flavor in the mouth.

Bottle age

Maturation and ageing in the bottle imparts a mature and mellow character that increases the complexity, quality and overall harmony of wine.

Bottle fermentation

A method of producing sparkling wine where secondary fermentation occurs in bottles. The wine is then transferred to a pressure tank where it is mixed, filtered and then bottled for sale.

Botrytis

A fungus which may cause bunch rot and wine spoilage. In controlled situations, called noble rot, it can lead to concentrated sugars in the berries from which delicious sweet wines can be made.

Bouquet

Describes the complex aromas a wine develops after time spent in the bottle.

Bright

Used to describe fresh, lively young wines that show vivid, intense flavors.

Brilliant

Perfectly clear wine with no suspended particles. Brilliance can be an indicator of wine quality, except in premium red wine, where some crust or sediment can be expected to form after bottle maturation.

Brix

A measure of the sugar concentration in juice or wine.

Brut

A general term used to describe dry sparkling white wine. Some commercial brut styles have a small amount of “liqueur” added to soften the dryness of the palate.

Brut Cremant

A dry sparkling wine that leaves a full, creamy, round feeling in the mouth.

Brut de Brut

A term used to describe sparkling wine that is fermented to absolute dryness containing no residual sugar.

Bulk fermentation

A method of producing sparkling wine in large stainless steel tanks as opposed to in the bottle. This process offers good wines of consistent quality.

C

Canopy

The parts of the vine above ground, especially the shoots and leaves.

Canopy management

A range of viticultural techniques used to manipulate the vine canopy. This is done for vine shape, interception of sunlight and disease control.

Cap

The thick layer of grape skin floating on top of the fermenting red wine.

Carbon dioxide

The gas released during fermentation, which is responsible for the bubbles in sparkling wine.

Carbonic Maceration

When whole bunches of grapes are allowed to ferment to produce an early-maturing wine style such as Beaujolais.

Chaptalization

The addition of sugar to wine. An illegal practice in Australia.

Chewy

Describes rich, tannic wines that seem to be thick and full in the mouth. A positive quality in many red wines.

Clarification

The process of making a wine clear through fining, filtration and refrigeration.

Clone

A grape variety which has undergone some genetic adaptation from the original.

Cloying

An excessively sweet wine that may seem to be out of balance due to low acidity.

Color

In wine, an extremely important indicator of quality and condition. Darker colors in whites usually indicate older wines, while red wines tend to turn a tawny, brick red color with age.

Complexity

A combination of richness, depth of flavor, intensity, balance, harmony and finesse. An essential element in all great wines (and most good ones).

Corked

A wine whose quality is affected by an off-flavor from the cork. It is perceived as a moldy, “rotten wood” or damp cardboard smell with a bitter taste at times. About 3% of all wines worldwide are affected by cork taint.

Cultivar

Another term for grape variety.

D

Delicate

Describes most light to medium-bodied wines with good, clear flavors. Desirable in wines such as Riesling, Semillon or Pinot Noir.

Depth

Describes a wine that shows an excellent concentration of aromas and flavors.

Downy mildew

Fungal vine disease.

Dry/Dryness

A wine that has completed fermentation and has less than 7.5 grams per liter of dissolved sugar remaining is said to have fermented to dryness. The absence of residual sugar (sweetness) in a wine leads to a dry rather than sweet finish.

E

Earthy

A musty or savory flavor found in some wine (often referred to in tasting notes as a “barnyard” characteristic).

Elegant

Describes wines that are graceful, well-balanced and usually light-bodied.

Ethyl alcohol

Ethanol is the primary alcohol in an alcoholic beverage.

F

Fan leaf

A viral vine disease.

Fermentation

The transformation of sugar into alcohol through the action of yeasts.

Filtration

The removal of solid particles from the juice or wine.

Fining

A clarification technique where a fining agent such as egg white or bentonite is used to aid in the flocculation of particulate matter in the wine.

Finish

The end taste of wine after it has been swallowed or spat out. High tannin content might produce a “firm finish”, while lack of flavor and body might yield a “short finish “.

Firm

Term referring to a taste sensation caused by tannins that is usually noticeable at the back of the mouth.

Flabby

Soft, lacking acidity on the palate (when a wine loses acidity, it is referred to as “flat”).

Flinty

Term usually applied to austere, dry and crisp whites.

Flowery

An attractive scent reminiscent of flowers. “Floral” and “fragrant” are similar descriptors often applied to young, fresh white wines.

Flor

A special yeast used to make sherry. This yeast functions in full contact with oxygen and can ferment to higher than 15% alcohol.

Free run

Juice that runs freely from grape bunches without applied mechanical pressure. Usually of the highest quality because it contains less tannin from skin, stalk or seed material.

Fruit set

After flowering, the fertilized flowers are “set” to form berries.

G

Grafting

The insertion of a section or scion of one variety into another. Genetic compatibility is important.

Green

A term describing wines made with unripe fruit.

H

Hectare

An area of land totaling 10,000 square meters or 2.47 acres.

Herbaceous

An aroma related to vegetative or grassy characters. Some reds, notably under-ripe Cabernet Sauvignon (a distinct tomato-leaf smell), and some whites (Sauvignon Blanc’s asparagus and capsicum flavors, for example) are described as “herbaceous”.

Hot

Describes the hot or peppery feeling in the mouth of high alcohol wines (a positive in fortified styles).

Hybrid

Grape variety bred from number of different species.

I

Inert gas

A gas which does not react with the juice or wine. Carbon dioxide or Nitrogen is commonly used to fill the head space in tanks and bottles to avoid oxidation.

L

Lactic acid

A single carboxyl acid produced during malolactic fermentation.

Leaf roll

A viral disease in grape vines.

Lees

Solid waste at the bottom of the ferment, primarily composed of dead yeast cells and grape matter.

Legs

Viscous columns which trickle down the inside surface of a glass after a wine has been swirled. Prominent “legs” indicate high alcohol.

Liqueur d' expedition

Liqueur added to top up disgorged wine.

Luscious

Describes sweet wines such as liqueur Muscat and Tokay that are rich, fruity and high in residual sugar.

M

Malic acid

A double carboxylic acid which adds sharpness to wine. Undesirable in high concentrations, it is often reduced through malolactic fermentation to lactic acid.

Malolactic fermentation

A secondary fermentation that converts malic acid into softer lactic acid. Adds complexity to Chardonnay and smoothness to reds such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Medals

Wine show awards for well-made wines. International and capital city wine shows are the most reliable indicators of quality. Gold medals are awarded to wines attaining 18.5 points or more (out of 20 points), while Silver medals are awarded for 17.0 to 18.4 points and Bronze for 15.5 to 16.9 points.

Mercaptans

Yeast reacting with lees causing a mousy smell.

Mèthode Champenoise

The traditional French method of producing sparkling wines, where the wine goes through secondary fermentation in the bottle in which it is eventually sold.

Must

Grapes, seeds, skins and juice resulting from crushing grapes.

N

Noble rot

Highly prized form of the fungal disease Botrytis. Affected grapes will shrivel, thus concentrating sugars resulting in delicious sweet wines.

O

Oak

Wines fermented and/or stored in oak barrels (from the wood genus quercus) gain extra flavor profiles and complexity. The more intense, sweet vanillin and coconutty flavors of American oak are well-suited to full flavored red wines (particularly the Penfolds range), while the delicate vanilla, cedar and butterscotch characters of French oak integrate well with more elegant wine styles.

Oechsle

The German measure for the sugar concentration in grape juice or wine.

Oenology

The science of winemaking.

Oxidation

Exposure to oxygen causes wine to go brown and flat. Oxidation creates bitterness and destroys flavor.

Oxygen

A gas vital for the growth of yeast cells. A small amount of oxygen is important at the start of fermentation. Too high a concentration of oxygen will lead to oxidation of the wine causing a loss of color, flavor and aroma.

P

pH

A measure of the concentration of acidity. pH ranges from 1 to 14 with the numbers 1 to 6 being acidic. Water is neutral at pH 7 and wines are generally between pH 3 to 4.

Peppery

A not entirely unpleasant characteristic, reminiscent of black pepper, sometimes found in young red wines (especially Shiraz) and Ports.

Phenolics

A large group of compounds found mainly in the skins and seeds of the grape. They include the flavonoids, anthocyanins and tannins. During the ageing process of wines many of these are precipitated out. Evidence suggests that red wine will offer greater protection against heart disease than white wine due to its higher concentration of phenolics.

Phylloxera

An American vine root pest, present in most countries, which can cause complete vineyard loss. American rootstocks are used for their resistance in affected areas or as an insurance against possible outbreaks.