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Wine Glossary

Baumé

A hydrometric method of measuring specific gravity, or in the case of wine, the sugar concentration of unfermented grape juice.  It is calculated by measuring the density of the grape must and will determine the potential alcohol of the wine.  1° Baumé is roughly equivalent to 1% alcohol when the wine is fully fermented.

 
Organic
Organic farming is a form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control.  It is an ecological farming system that promotes natural chemical and biological cycles that improve soil fertility and maintains a balanced and productive farming environment.  It prohibits the use of synthetic chemicals in crop production and antibiotics or hormones in livestock production.
Lees
The heavy sediment, or dregs, made up of grape solids and residual yeast cells that are left in the bottom of a barrel by fermenting wines.  Keeping some wines 'on lees' can impart distinctive flavours.  This method is used to advantage in the production of Champagne.  Ultimately the lees must be removed which is done through filtration.
 
Malolactic Fermentation
Is the process by which bacteria convert malic acid into carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Malolactic fermentation is used to reduce acid in red wines and some white wines. The more aggressive malolactic acid is replaced by the less aggressive lactic acid producing a smoother wine. The optimum time to initiate the process of malolactic fermentation is by adding malolactic bacterial cultures to the wine when it is about one third the way through its yeast fermentation as the temperatures produced at his stage are ideal for the bacteria.

Meso-climate
A term of climatic scale between Macro-climate and the very small scale Micro-climate.  The usual scale for a meso-climate is in tens or hundreds of metres, such as the size of a particular vineyard.

Saignée
or 'bleeding the vats' is a process which involves 'bleeding' or removing an amount of red wine after it has been in contact with the skins for only a short amount of time.  This helps impart more tannin and colour to a red wine.  Because the ratio of skins to juice is increased the result is a more deeply coloured red.  The juice that is removed can be fermented into Rose.

Tannin
Tannins are a naturally occurring component of the skins, stems and seeds of grapes. They are a family of polyphenolic compounds which are a natural antioxidant and preservative and are found in many plant species where they play a role in protection from predation and growth regulation. The astringent, woody taste of tannin is that experienced if one was to accidently bite into a grape seed, producing a puckering sensation in the mouth.

Tannins are an important component in the production of wine helping to give wine structure and texture. The amount of tannin imparted to the wine is controlled in the juice extraction process. The degree to which grapes are squeezed determines the amount of tannins excreted.  As red wines are kept in contact with their skins for longer the amount of tannin is higher than in white wines. Maturation in oak barrels also infuses tannins into the juice. 

The term 'mouth-feel' is partly associated with the presence of tannin in a wine which due to its chemical attributes produces increased friction between mouth surfaces.  As a general principle red wines with little tannin should be consumed young.  However, a red wine that should age and improve for perhaps three or more years requires a lot of tannin. As the wine ages, the tannin softens and becomes less noticeable but further develops the complexity and finesse of a wine.

 

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