WINE TOURS

VIN ET COMPANY offer a range of tours to suit all tastes and budgets.
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» Haute Vallee Special
» A taste of the Razes
» Dynamic Razes
» Modern and Tradition
» Gastronomic Gems

• Haute Vallee Special
  1/2 day (am or pm) / 45€ per person

  Guided visit and tasting followed by a buffet at the beautifully restored domaine Castel Negre, in the hills between Luc sur Aude and Couiza run by young winemakers Anne et Romain Marchesi who produce a renowned desert wine amongst other excellent products.
  

• A taste of the Razes
  1/2 day (am) / 60€ per person

  Guided visit of the domaine du Cazes, a domaine ‘experimental’ where they test different growing methods, grape varieties and vinifcation processes. The domaine is funded in part by the Razes wine producers. A stroll through their aromatic gardens will set you up for a wine tasting session in their professional ‘salle de dégustation’ followed by lunch overlooking the vineyards of this original domaine.

• Dynamic Razes
  170€ per person - transport, visits, food and wine all included

  Starting with a visit to the experimental Domaine du Cazes, where we will first stroll through the vineyard discovering the aroma garden to awaken our senses. This takes us through to the botanical pathway, with guided explications to the local flora and fauna. We then pass into the experimental winery, where they test different types of grape varieties grown around the domaine in different conditions. Here you will come to understand the importance of the influences of the soil types, pruning techniques and so on.
  Next onto the professional tasting rooms, where you will be initiated into wine tasting techniques (spitting not obligatory!!!)
  After this hard work, you will be taken to eat a wonderful 4 course lunch,on the terrace overlooking the vineyards. The wines you will be drinking at lunch will have been specially selected to go with the dishes and you will be able to put into practice the skills you acquired in the earlier initiation.
  After this unhurried lunch , we will make our way to a local cooperative - one of the largest in the area. Our friend Philippe; who is a local winegrower, and member of the co-op, will give us a tour of the production facilities - here we see large scale wine making at its best.
  To finish off this fantastic, informative day out, we will make a final stop at Domaine du Thuronis, a bio-dynamic vineyard and farm.
  The owner will be happy to show you around his domaine - you can join in on any activities that are taking place at the time - and you will be able to find out more about bio-dynamic systems and what it involves.
  Of course finishing with an ‘aperitif vigneron’; which is tasting the wine along with the farm products.

• Modern and Tradition
  Whole day / 185€ per person

  Starting the day with refreshments overlooking the Haute Vallee, Domaine de Gayda, though new, has a very interesting history and wine making philosophy.
  A visit to the ultra modern facilities, followed by a comprehensive wine tasting, will give you a good idea as to why this stunning domaine is so successful. A top quality lunch in the restaurant will set you up for the rest of the days' activities. A guided visit to the 14th century Abbey of St Hilaire and its cloisters will transport you back in time and you will visit the actual cellars where sparkling wine was first discovered in 1531.
  Next stop is in the family run Domaine Robert, for an exclusive ‘vertical tasting’ of Blanquette and Cremant in the family wine cellars, accompanied by local cheeses, fois gras and saucisson. This day will really give you a feel for the region, its history, traditions but also a way forward for wines of the region.

• Gastronomic Gems
  1/2 day (am) / 150€ per person

  A gentle walk through rolling vineyards brings you out to the Domaine de Baron’Arques. A guided visit to the domaine, with its weather station, top quality distillery and professional approach, followed by a comprehensive tasting of their wine and you will appreciate why the Rothchild family, who own this domaine, is one of the world’s most renowned winemakers. You will then be taken to lunch to one of the best restaurant in Limoux (and the region in our opinion) The Moderne et Pigeon will provide you with a special lunch menu, created to complement the gamme of Rothchild wines.
  A truly gastronomic experience.

• Acidity

  A wine's acidity should be detectable as a sharpness in the mouth, particularly around the front sides of the tongue. It should be neither too obvious nor absent. It provides a refreshing sensation in white wines, and balance in reds. Its absence makes a wine dull and 'flabby' - a defect in any wine, but a disaster in sweet wines which to me become undrinkable without balancing acidity. Too much acidity can make a wine difficult to drink. There are many acids in a wine, but the principle ones are acetic, malic, tartaric, lactic, citric and carbonic acid.

• Aftertaste

  The taste left on the palate after the wine has been swallowed. The persistence of the aftertaste - the length - may be used as an indicator of the quality of the wine.

• Alcohol
  

  There are many different compounds that may be described as 'alcohol'. Here we are referring to ethyl alcohol, the product of alcoholic fermentation of sugar by yeast. It's presence is measured in percent volume (or "proof").

• Alcoholic fermentation

  The action of yeast upon sugar results in its conversion to ethyl alcohol, with carbon dioxide as a by-product. Fermentation will often start naturally with yeasts on the grapes, but cultured yeasts may be added. The process generates much heat, and temperature control during alcoholic fermentation can have a significant effect on the style of wine produced. The process will cease either when all the sugar has been consumed, or more likely when the increasing alcohol content of the fermenting solution kills the yeast, or when the external temperature drops too low. It may also be arrested by adding sulphur or by fortification with spirit.

• Bacchus

  The Roman god of wine. Also a white grape variety, the product of a cross between a Silvaner-Riesling hybrid and Müller-Thurgau.

• Backward

  A tasting term. Wines described as backward are undeveloped and not ready to drink. They are often young and tannic, and may also be described as austere. The opposite, unsurprisingly, of forward!

• Balance

  A tasting term. Wines said to have balance have a harmonious combination of tannin, acidity, texture and flavour. This is a vital attribute.

• Balthazar

  A large format Champagne bottle, equivalent to sixteen standard bottles. See my advisory page on Champagne bottle sizes for more information.

• Barrique (France)

  The barrique is a wooden barrel, the design of which originated in Bordeaux, France. It has a capacity of 225 litres. It can now be found in the cellars of winemakers worldwide, especially those involved in producing Bordeaux-style blends of quality. The longer a wine spends in barrel the more of the oak flavour it will take on. Strong flavours also result when the alcoholic fermentation takes place en barrique. There are dozens of other barrel shapes and sizes - one commonly found in the New World is the hogshead.

• Bâtonnage (France)

  The term for stirring of the lees which is employed to impart body and flavour to the wine.

• Biodynamic vitulture

  An extension of organic viticulture, taking into account the effect of the moon and planets on the health of the vines. Based on the principles of Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner. Read more about biodynamics in my profile of one of it's most ardent exponents Nicolas Joly at Clos de la Coulée de Serrant

• Black rot

  A fungal vine disease common in North America. It results in small, hard berries.

• Blanc (France)

  White.

• Blanc de Blancs (France)

  This describes a white wine made entirely from white grapes. If this sounds like stating the obvious, it is necessary because black grapes can be used to make white wine, as only the skins impart colour - the juice and pulp are clear. This is especially true in Champagne, where two of the three legally permitted varieties are the black grapes Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. A Blanc de Blancs describes a wine made using 100% Chardonnay, the only other legally permitted variety. For more information see my Champagne Guide.

• Blanc de Noirs (France)

  This describes a white wine made entirely from black grapes. It is a term commonly used in Champagne, with reference to wines made from the black grapes Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. For more information see my Champagne Guide.

• Blind tasting

  If you're ever poured a wine without knowing what it is, this is a blind tasting. The advantage of a blind tasting - usually achieved by simply covering the label - is that it removes all prejudices about the wine, and you have to judge it entirely on its merits.

• Bodega (Spain)

  A term meaning winery, although it may also be applied to a wine-making company.

• Body

  A tasting term. A wine with plenty of flavour, alcohol, extract and tannin may be described as full bodied. It is a less specific term than texture. The mass of skins, pips and other solid matter that rises to the surface of the wine during alcoholic fermentation. Pigeage helps to keep the solid matter mixed in with the wine, imparting colour, flavour and tannin. See cuvaison.

• Carbonic maceration

  A method of vinification which produces wines with fruit flavours and colour, but little tannin, and therefore immediately drinkable. Because of this effect it is widely used in Beaujolais. The technique involves fermenting whole bunches of uncrushed grapes.

• Centrifuge

  A centrifuge is a rapidly spinning device for the purpose of separating out mixed materials. It has found in use in the winery as it may be used to clarify the must. It may also be used to separate out fractions of the liquid must, which has led to its use as a dealcoholisation tool. Also known as a spinning cone.

• Cépage (France)

  Grape variety.

• Cépage améliorateur (France)

  An "improving variety", as this translates, is one encouraged for viticulture in order to improve the quality of a region's wines. In the Languedoc the term refers to varieties such as Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache, which are encouraged in place of Carignan, Cinsaut and other lesser grapes. The minimum quantity of "improving varieties" is laid down in appellation regulations.

• Clos (France)

  Traditionally, a walled vineyard, although the term is much abused on wine labels.

• Closed

  A tasting term to describe a wine where there is no, or very little, aroma or flavour. Many wines, after the exuberant flavours they offer in youth, 'close down' in this way before they 'open out' again as they enter a mature phase.

• Cold stabilisation

  This process merely involves chilling wine prior to bottling. This causes tartaric acid to crystallise out, thereby avoiding the formation of tartrate crystals, specifically potassium hydrogen tartrate, when the wine is in the bottle.

• Confected

  A tasting term to describe a sweet aroma/flavour, but more manufactured (like candy) than honey. I generally find it a negative aspect of a wine.

• Co-operative

  A winery run and owned by a group of local winemakers. Quality varies - some can turn out high quality wines, others produce little of interest.

• Corked

  A tasting term used to describe wines contaminated by trichloroanisole (a corked wine is not one with bits of cork floating in it). This chemical compound is the product of mould infection in the cork. Said to affect 5% of bottles (some say more, some less) it is one of the main reasons behind the drive towards the increasing use of screwcaps and synthetic closures. It may result in a wine that simply lacks fruit and can be difficult to spot, or it may be horribly obvious, with cardboardy, musty, mushroomy, dank aromas and flavours, rendering the wine completely undrinkable. See my advice page on faulty wine for more information. I also keep a record of corked wines experienced, mainly because it is so annoying.

• Débourbage (France)

  The process of allowing white wine must to settle prior to racking off the wine, thereby reducing the need for fining or filtration.

• Dégorgement (France)

  Part of the process of making sparkling wine. At this stage the bottle is opened after the neck has been frozen. Out flies a plug of frozen wine, containing the dead yeast from the second fermentation which occurs in bottle. The wine is then topped up - dosage - and resealed. The entire process is explained here: Méthode Champenoise.

• Dosage (France)

  When making a sparkling wine, after dégorgement the wine can be topped up with sugar and wine to reach the desired level of sweetness and flavour. This is dosage. The entire process is documented here: Methode Champenoise.

• Double magnum

  A large format Bordeaux bottle, equivalent to four standard bottles. In Burgundy and Champagne this size is called a Jeroboam. See my advisory page on wine bottle sizes for more information.

• Doux (France)

  Sweet.

• Downy mildew

  A common vine disease favoured by warm, humid conditions. It results in unhealthy leaves and shrivelled fruit. May be controlled with the use of Bordeaux mixture.

• Dry

  A tasting term. Essentially this is the opposite of sweet, although a wine that tastes dry still contains sugar, perhaps just a few grams per litre. The term 'dry' can also be used to describe the tannins or mouthfeel, when it refers to the dry, puckering sensation the wine imparts.

• Élevage (France)

  An umbrella term describing all the winery processes after alcoholic fermentation up to bottling - such as fining, filtration and barrel ageing. It literally describes the 'bringing up' of the wine.

• En primeur

  A method of purchasing wine before it has been bottled. Payment (not including duty or VAT) is made generally a year or so before bottling (the exact time depends on the region. The wines most common offered en primeur are from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhone Valley and Port, although many other regions, including some New World wineries, are following suit. Once the wine enters the UK, it may be stored in bond or, after payment of taxes, be delivered. There is an in-depth exploration of all the aspects of this method for purchasing wine, in five instalments, here: En Primeur.

• Entry

  A tasting term. Describing the wine on 'entry' is to describe your impression of the wine as it lands in your mouth. Followed by midpalate, finish and length.

• Extract

  This refers to the solid compounds in wine, such as tannins. Increasing the level of extract results in more colour and body. It may be increased by leaving the wine in contact with the skins for longer during cuvaison, although too long will result in an unbalanced wine that seems 'over-extracted'.

• Filtration

  A finishing process, performed before bottling. The wine is filtered in order to remove solid impurities, such as dead yeast cells. Although it may help to clarify the wine, it is also accused of stripping wine of flavour and character, and there is a vogue towards very light filtration or even no filtration at all. It differs from fining which removes soluble materials.

• Fining

  A finishing process, performed before bottling. A coagulant such as bentonite, isinglass or egg white is added to the wine to collect proteins and other undesirable compounds. As with filtration, a process which removes solid matter from the wine, there is a vogue away from this practice which has been the focus of some controversy, especially when biological materials such as cow's blood was used.

• Finish

  A tasting term. The finish is how the wine tastes at the point of, and just after, swallowing. After finish comes the length. See also entry and midpalate.

• Flying winemaker

  A term that sprang up in the 1980s to describe a group of winemakers, chiefly Australian, that parachuted (not literally!) into Old World regions to work with local co-operatives or vignerons to improve the quality of the wines. They could work a vintage in the northern hemisphere without interfering with work back home in the southern hemisphere, where the harvest occurs six months earlier.

• Forward

  A tasting term. This denotes a wine which is felt by the taster to be developing quickly, and is ready to drink before it might otherwise be expected. The opposite of backward.

• Free-run wine

  The free-run wine is the juice that runs off the vat without any pressing. The wine released by pressing the cap is known as press wine.

• Grafting

  The process of growing a cutting of Vitis vinifera on American or hybrid, phylloxera-resistant rootstock.

• Grand Cru

  A confusing term. In Burgundy Grand Cru refers to the best vineyard sites, which are on the slopes of the Côte d'Or. In St Emilion, however, the majority of interesting estates are classified as Grand Cru and thus here the term means very little.

• Green harvest

  The practice of removing unripe bunches of grapes in midsummer in order to reduce the yield per plant and increase the quality. Unlike other plants which will abort excess fruit, such as the peach, the vine will try and ripen the whole crop - which if large will increase the likelihood of producing a dilute wine.

• Hectare

  The most commonly used measurement of area in viticulture, the hectare is 10 000 m2, approximately equivalent to 2.5 acres. Yields may be expressed in hectolitres per hectare.

• Hectolitre

  A measure of volume commonly used when expressing yields; a hectolitre is 100 litres.

• Hollow

  A tasting term. This describes a wine which lacks flavour and texture, often through the midpalate, would often be described as hollow.

• Integrated

  A tasting term. When the components of wine, such as tannin, oak and acidity, fade as the wine develops, they are said to have integrated.

• Jeroboam

  A large format bottle, and the most confusing of all, for it means different things to different wines. In Bordeaux it is equivalent to six standard bottles, but in Burgundy and Champagne a Jeroboam contains the equivalent of a mere four bottles (a double magnum in Bordeaux). See my advisory page on wine bottle sizes for more information.

• Lactic acid

  One of the many acids that contribute to the overall acidity of a wine. This acid, which is also found in milk, makes a much softer impression on the palate than many others, such as malic acid. As a consequence many winemakers encourage the conversion of the harsh malic acid to lactic acid by the malolactic fermentation.

• Lees

  A heavy sediment consisting of dead yeast cells and other solid matter such as grape pulp, pips and so on. Keeping the wine on the lees, especially if they are stirred from time to time, may be beneficial to the wine, imparting extra flavour and body. Eventually, however, they must be removed. This may be achieved by racking the wine off the lees. Residual solid matter may be removed by filtration.

• Legs

  A tasting term. It refers to the tear-like tracks that a wine makes down the side of a glass after it has been swirled. It may be related to alcohol or glycerol content - it's a matter of contention. Not really essential for assessing the quality of a wine, although some tasters do still pass comment on the legs

• Length

  A tasting term, describing how long the flavour of the wine persists on the palate after it has been swallowed. A lengthy persistence of flavour may be taken as a sign of quality, but to time it, as some people do, is going too far.

• Magnum

  A large format bottle, equivalent to two standard bottles. See my advisory page on wine bottle sizes for more information.

• Malic acid

  One of the main contributors to the acidity of a wine. Malic acid has a sharp, green taste - rather like the tangy freshness of a green apple. Whereas this may be desirable in some white wines, in others, and in most reds, it is not. Hence winemakers encourage its conversion to lactic acid with the malolactic fermentation. Other important acids include citric, tartaric and acetic.

• Master of Wine

  The top qualification for those in the wine trade, it being the last in a series of examinations devised by the Wine & Spirits Education Trust. Only a few hundred have passed, and the failure rate sits at about 70%, so it isn't to be undertaken lightly.

• Methusaleh

  A large format Burgundy and Champagne bottle, equivalent to eight standard bottles. In Bordeaux this size is known as an Imperiale. See my advisory page on wine bottle sizes for more information.

• Midpalate

  A tasting term. After taking a mouthful, hold it in the mouth, and see what you get from the wine. Does it have enough flavour and texture? What are the tannins and acidity like? When describing how the wine develops in the mouth, you are describing the midpalate. Describing your immediate impression would be to discuss the wine's entry. Then swallow, to judge the finish and length.

• Nebuchadnezzar

  A large format Champagne bottle, equivalent to twenty standard bottles. See my advisory page on Champagne bottle sizes for more information.

• Négociant (France)

  Term to describe a winemaker that buys in grapes or juice (fermented or unfermented) and then completes the winemaking process. The wine will then be bottled under their own label, but may sometimes make reference to the source of the grapes. Many négociants also own some vineyards as another source of grapes. Although the system does not sound as though it will result in great wine, many négociants - who operate extensively in Burgundy - produce benchmark examples and perform a very important role.

• Négociant-Éleveur (France)

  A négociant equipped to perform all the tasks involved in taking an unfinished wine through to the bottling process, including ageing in barrel if desired.

• New World

  Broadly the world of wine is divided into Old World and New. The New World includes North and South America, Australia and New Zealand. The New World countries have seen explosions in quality and quantity of wine within the last few decades, although some have been producing wine for centuries. The dividing line between New and Old, however, is not as clear-cut as you might think. Where, for instance, does South Africa lie - with it's Old World heritage but it's wonderful New World approach? And what about England - Old or New?

• Nose

  A tasting term. The 'nose' of a wine describes how a wine smells.

• Oak

  The oak tree is an important source of wood for barrels. Although other woods, such as cherry, have been (and still are used), oak is the number one choice for wine barrels. See my article on wine and oak for more information.

• Oenology

  The science behind winemaking. Popular locations for studying oenology include the University of Bordeaux and University of California Davis.

• Old World

  In wine-speak the Old World refers to the European nations - France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and so on - with a long history of viticulture. In some instances, particularly in Burgundy and the Mosel, grapes have been grown for the express purpose of making wine for over a thousand years. In many cases we have the local monasteries and noble families to thank for maintaining these great vineyards for centuries, often through difficult times.

• Organic Viticulture

  Like any other branch of agriculture, some winemakers wish to rely less on fertilisers, pesticides and other chemicals. Those that meet certain criteria may be labelled as organic. It is often compared to biodynamic viticulture, although this is much more extreme.

• Oxidation

  The degrading action of oxygen on a wine (or any other substance) is known as oxidation. Hence exposure of the wine to oxygen in the winery is carefully controlled, although not necessarily completely avoided. Exposure to oxygen during racking and ageing in barrel can be of benefit to the wine. Once a bottle of wine has been opened for some time, or if oxygen has seeped past a faulty cork, the oxidised wine will taste off.

• Pétillant (France)

  A term used to describe a lightly sparkling wine. Pétillance may occur in many wines not intended to be sparkling at all, such as top German Rieslings which may often be bottled with a small amount of residual carbon dioxide, hence the sparkle.

• Photosynthesis

  The biological process in which plants, by virtue of chlorophyll and energy derived from the sun, convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen. The result is the accumulation of sugar in the plant, including the fruit. The accumulation of sugar continues until the fruit is eventually considered ripe, although this only refers to sugar ripeness not physiological ripeness

• Physiological ripeness

  This refers to the ripening of substances other than sugar in the grapes, such as tannins. Picking grapes that have sugar ripeness ensures the wine will reach a sufficient alcohol content as the sugar is converted, but if the grapes are not physiologically ripe they will impart a green, harsh character to the wine. The onset of physiological ripeness is signified by the change in colour of the pips from green to yellow.

• Pierce's Disease

  A bacterial disease spread by insects known as sharpshooters or leafhoppers. It has devastated areas of California's vineyards. There is no known treatment, although the problem is subject to considerable research.

• Pigeage (France)

  This is one method of submerging the cap of skins and grape solids, which is kept in contact with the fermenting wine to increase extract during the cuvaison. Pigeage à pied is the process of pushing it down with the foot. The same may be achieved by pumping the fermenting wine over the cap, or be submerging it using boards laid across the top of the vat.

• Press wine

  During the winemaking process the wine must be taken from the grape solids - pips, skins, pulp and stalks. First it may be run off - this is the free-run wine and is of higher quality than the wine obtained by pressing the cap, which is the press wine. Press wine has more tannin. It may be blended back in in varying proportions according to the practice of the winemaker, or it may even be blended into another wine if more than one cuvée is produced, such as at Charles Joguet in Chinon.

• Racking

  The process of racking involves transfer of wine from one container, such as a barrel, to another. Carefully done, the lees may be left behind in the first barrel, resulting in a partial clarification of the wine.

• Rehoboam

  A large format Burgundy and Champagne bottle, equivalent to six standard bottles. In Bordeaux this size is known as a Jeroboam - although in Burgundy and Champagne a Jeroboam contains only four bottles. Confusing! See my advisory page on wine bottle sizes for more information.

• Remuage (France)

  An essential step in the production of Champagne. The remuage or riddling process involves gradual turning and inversion of the bottle, bring the lees into the neck prior to their removal. For more information see my wine guide to Champagne.

• Residual

  Refers to any substance that remains after the fermentation. Typically used in relation to sugar (see below).

• Residual sugar

  The amount of sugar left in the wine after alcoholic fermentation. Residual sugar may be the result of high must weight, or the termination of fermentation before all the sugar has been converted into alcohol with the addition of sulphur or spirit. The vast majority of wines have less than 2 g/l. Sweet wines obviously have more, some reaching amazing levels - up to 480 g/l has been recorded.

• Saignée (France)

  This winemaking process involved bleeding off a portion of red wine after only a short period of contact of the juice with the grape skins. Because the colour of red wine is derived from pigments in the skins, the juice is only pink not red. This process is how rosé wines are made, the only exception being Champagne where rosé may also be made by blending red and white wines, although I think the best wines are made by the saignée method. The process may also be used to improve the quality of red wines, as it increases the ratio of skins to juice in the vat, so a more deeply coloured wine may be obtained.

• Salmanazar

  A large format Champagne bottle, equivalent to twelve standard bottles. See my advisory page on Champagne bottle sizes for more information.

• Screwcaps

  The new alternative to sealing a wine with cork which, in case you hadn't realised, is tree bark. Another alternative is to use a synthetic cork. Why? Because cork, being a biological material, cannot be sterilised, and the fungal infections it harbours result in tainted ('corked') aromas which ruin about (figures vary) 5% of all bottles. One popular brand is the Stelvin. For more information see my information pages on corks and screwcaps and faulty wines. I keep a record of corked wines experienced, mainly because it is so annoying.

• Sec (France)

  This term describes a dry wine.

• Second wine

  The introduction of second wines - primarily in Bordeaux - was an important step in improving quality. The second wine allows the best grapes to be used for the first wine - the grand vin - whereas the lesser grapes, which may, for instance, be from young vines, are used for the second wine. The quality of the grand vin improves as a result, whereas the second wine offers earlier drinking or an option for those on a budget.

• Structure

  A tasting term. When a wine is described as having structure, the taster is referring to the tannin and acidity levels. These elements give the wine a presence in the mouth; without them wine would tend towards a flabby, fruit flavoured drink.

• Sulphur

  This is an important element in winemaking, with a wide variety of uses, often as part of the compound sulphur dioxide. It is widely used in the vineyard as a prophylactic for Oidium, whereas in the winery it may be used as a disinfectant in between vintages, and may be added to must and finished wines as an antibacterial agent to prevent spoilage. It may also be used in winemaking as a method of terminating fermentation. Excessive use may result in an unpleasant mothball or burnt match aroma from the wine. See my advice page on faulty wine for more information.

• Sur lie (France)

  This term describes a wine that has been allowed to lie on its lees for some time before being racked off. The intention is to add extra richness and flavour to the wine.

• Tannin

  Found in grape skins, pips and stalks, tannins are harsh, bitter compounds which if present in large amounts make a wine difficult to drink as they leave a dry, puckered sensation in the mouth - rather like drinking stewed tea, which is also very tannic. The amount of tannin can be increased by enhancing extraction, achieved by prolonging the cuvaison. Tannins may also enter the wine from oak barrels. Tannic wines are generally destined for ageing, the tannins polymerising to form sediment with time.

• Tartaric acid

  One of a number of naturally occurring grape acids which contribute to the acidity of a wine. Other important acids include acetic, malic, lactic, citric and carbonic acid.

• Tartrate crystals

  During fermentation tartaric acid may be converted into potassium hydrogen tartrate, formed through its reaction with potassium. This compound may crystallise, when conditions are cold, to form small crystals in the wine. These are small, clear or white crystals. Some winemakers wish to prevent their formation and thus perform cold stabilisation. The crystals themselves are harmless and natural so the decision is a matter of aesthetics.

• Terroir (France)

  There is much discussion of terroir, a French term which has no simple translation into English. It refers to the external influences on the ripening grapes, including the soils (depth and type), bedrock, exposure to sun and wind, water table and so on. Others include rootstock (really an intrinsic part of the vine, even if it is grafted) and local climate (undoubtedly an influence on the vine, but I feel separate from terroir). For more on terroir read about my visit to Château Pierre- Bise.

• Texture

  The texture of a wine describes how the wine feels in the mouth - is it silky, velvety, rounded, or smooth? It is a more specific term than body, which describes the general impact of the wine.

• Toasty

  A tasting term. Toasty means literally means just that - smelling or tasting of toast. It may reflect 'toasting' of the barrels, when they may be placed around a fire (sometimes as they are made), the flames altering the physical and chemical composition of the surface of the wood, and subsequently this will have a significant effect on the flavour of the wine.

• Ullage

  The small pocket of air in the bottle between the top of the wine and the cork. Most wines are bottled for immediate consumption and the ullage should be small, and of no concern. When purchasing older bottles, however, knowing the ullage can be an indicator of the quality of the wine. It is certainly an indicator of price - wines with a lot of ullage will fetch a much lower price than those with wine up to top-shoulder or into the neck of the bottle. A large ullage may suggest deterioration of the wine through oxidation.

• Vendange (France)

  Harvest.

• Vendange tardive (France)

  Delayed harvest. Wines labelled as such usually have a sweet palate.

• Vieilles vignes (France)

  Old vines. Producers like to put this on the label if possible as old vines give better flavours and texture.

• Vigne (France)

  Vine.

• Vigneron (France)

  Winegrower.

• Vignoble (France)

  Vineyard. Are you seeing a pattern emerge here?

• Vin clair (France)

  The base wine for Champagne, after the primary alcoholic fermentation and malolactic fermentation but before the second fermentation. For more details see my Champagne Guide.

• Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure (France)

  This is a classification for French wine one step above Vin de Pays, and certainly above the lowly Vin de Table. Many regions classified as VDQS are being upgraded to Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, and so it is now infrequently seen.

• Vin de Pays (France)

  Essentially 'country wines', there are many very good wines to be found in this category. The category lies below Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée and the rapidly disappearing Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure, but is distinctly superior to the usually awful Vin de Table.

• Vin de Table (France)

  The lowest category for French wine. By law such wines may not even declare grape varieties or vintage on the label - that is if they ever get as far as being bottled. These are the wines that you still see dispensed by the petrol pump appliances en vrac at lowly co-operatives.

• Vin doux naturel (France)

  A style of wine common in the south, vin doux naturel describes fortified wines where grape spirit has been added before completion of fermentation. This action kills the yeast, and the unfermented sugar causes the wine to be sweet. See my feature on mutage, in my Sweet Wine series, for more detailed information.

• Vin gris (France)

  An old term which seems to have fallen from common usage. It describes 'grey' wines - really very pale rosés.

• Vintage

  A seemingly innocuous term that turns out to mean many different things to different people. The 'vintage' simply refers to the year the grapes were grown. So, for instance, we might describe the year 2000 as a great vintage for Bordeaux as the weather that year was excellent, and many superlative wines were made. When it comes to Champagne, a vintage wine is one that is made from grapes all grown in the year declared on the label, whereas a non-vintage wine is a blend of wines from several years.

• Volatile acidity

  Wine has acidity, which is derived from the presence of a number of different acids including acetic, malic, tartaric, lactic, citric, carbonic and so on. Excessive levels of acetic acid produce an aroma resembling acetone (nail polish remover). In small quantities its presence can help lift the nose, but in excess it is unpleasant and a fault.

• Yeast

  A micro-organism without which we would not have bread, beer or wine - wouldn't life be dull! The yeasts convert the sugar to alcohol in a process known as alcoholic fermentation. Present naturally in the vineyard, harvested grapes will begin to ferment naturally, especially if they are crushed to break the skins and expose the sugar-rich juice inside to the yeasts which reside on the grape skins. Some winemakers prefer to add cultured yeasts rather than rely on the action of wild yeasts. This gives greater control over the fermentation, but some argue it may intrinsically alter the style or quality of the wine, as a single strain might not produce the same flavours as the multiple strains present in the vineyard.

• Yield

  The yield is the amount of wine produced in vineyard or estate, and is usually expressed in hectolitres per hectare. Yields vary according to the type of vine - some are heavy croppers, some yield less - and also with climate and soil. Yields may be influenced by the winemaker, who may perform a green harvest on order to reduce them. Low yields are associated with increased quality.

A » Acidity » Aftertaste » Alcohol » Alcoholic fermentation
B » Bacchus » Backward » Balance » Balthazar » Barrique
» Bâtonnage » Biodynamic vitulture » Black rot » Blanc
» Blanc de Blancs » Blanc de Noirs » Blind tasting » Bodega » Body
C » Carbonic maceration » Centrifuge » Cépage » Cépage améliorateur » Clos » Closed » Cold stabilisation » Confected » Co-operative » Corked D » Débourbage » Dégorgement » Dosage » Double magnum » Doux » Downy mildew » Dry E » Élevage
» En primeur » Entry » Extract F » Filtration » Fining » Finish
» Flying winemaker » Forward » Free-run wine G » Grafting
» Grand Cru » Green harvest H » Hectare » Hectolitre » Hollow
I » Integrated J » Jeroboam L » Lactic acid » Lees » Legs » Length
M » Magnum » Malic acid » Master of Wine » Methusaleh
» Midpalate N » Nebuchadnezzar » Négociant » Négociant-Éleveur
» New World » Nose O » Oak » Oenology » Old World » Organic Viticulture » Oxidation P » Pétillant » Photosynthesis
» Physiological ripeness » Pierce's Disease » Pigeage » Press wine
R » Racking » Rehoboam » Remuage » Residual » Residual sugar
S » Saignée » Salmanazar » Screwcaps » Sec » Second wine » Structure » Sulphur » Sur lie T » Tannin » Tartaric acid » Tartrate crystals> » Terroir » Texture » Toasty U » Ullage V » Vendange
» Vendange tardive » Vieilles vignes> » Vigne » Vigneron
» Vignoble » Vin clair » Vin Délimité » Vin de Pays » Vin de Table
» Vin doux naturel » Vin gris » Vintage » Volatile acidity
Y » Yeast » Yield

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