 Wine and Beer Making Glossary |
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Acid Blend: A mixture of fruit acids (tartaric, malic and citric). Add to grape and fruit musts before fermentation to balance the acidity. See Vinacid for more details
Aging: A complex series of slow chemical reactions occur when wine is aging in the carboy and the bottle. These chemical reactions combine components in the wine to combine to produce new flavours, particularly after the wine is bottled. For red wines particularly, long bottle aging will result in fine sediment as the tannins slowly interact with other compounds to form soft flavours.
Airlock and Rubber Stopper: Together they form a one-way valve that seals the carboy at the neck. It prevents oxygen and spoilage organisms from entering while allowing fermentation gases to escape.
Alcohol: The by product of fermentation wherein the yeast metabolizes sugar in roughly equal parts of carbon dioxide and ethanol.
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Barbera: One of the most widely grown grapes in Italy, primarily in the northern regions. Gaining wide acceptance for producing solid, deep coloured red wine with low tannin and higher acidity.
Bardolino: Pronounced "bard-o-lee-no". One of most popular wines of Italy, Bardolino is a blend of Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara grapes grown on the south eastern shores of Lake Garda in the Veneto region of north east Italy. It has a bright, ruby red colour, a delicate, fresh taste, crisp acidity and a harmonious cherry fruit. Bardolino should be consumed quite young.
Barolo: Pronounced "bah-ROLL-o". World famous Barolo is a wine that originates from Piedmont, a highly regarded wine region in northwest Italy, around the city of Turin. Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape. This garnet-coloured, very dry red wine is earthy, full-bodied, powerful and dramatic with a heady perfume, a velvety texture, and deep, exotic flavours of truffles, leather, black cherries and herbs. Firm acidity balances the massive fruit content.
Because Barolo exhibits great structure and complexity, it is in a class with the best Bordeaux, therefore making it one of Italy's highest rated wines. Barolo can be consumed in its youth but has wonderful aging characteristics.
Bentonite: A clearing agent made from natural clay, widely used in commercial wineries because of its low cost and its ability to remove proteins and iron compounds in white wines. High amounts will cause flavour loss in wine. Not recommended for red wines as it will remove colour.
Bergamais*: Pronounced "ber-ga-may".Bergamais?* is medium-red in colour with rich fruit, black currant and cherry undertones and a smooth, savory aftertaste. Bergamais* should be consumed while quite young.
* Trademarks of the Canadian Home Wine Trade Association.
Bottle Sickness: Newly bottled wine contains relatively large amounts of oxygen. The wine needs some time regain its equilibrium and to become palatable. This 'sickness' normally displays as a lacklustre nose, flat taste and generally dull character compared to the wine that was tasted in bulk just before bottling. It usually disappears after a few weeks but may be present for a few months.
Brix: This is the percentage of sugar found in grape juice. For example, 25 Brix is 25% sugar.
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Cabernet Sauvignon: Pronounced "cab-ern-eh sow-vin-yawn". Cabernet Sauvignon is the world's most renowned grape for the production of fine red wine This grape gives distinction to the great wines of France's Bordeaux region. It features a fruit flavour, likened to black currants, and an aroma reminiscent of green bell peppers.
Cabernet Sauvignon is a radiant, dark dry red with deep undertones of black currant and other fruits and featuring a unique peppercorn bouquet. It can be consumed young, but is known for its longevity.
Cabernet Franc: Similar to Cabernet Sauvignon but containing less tannin.
Carmenere: An emerging red grape from Chile, believed to be related to the Merlot grape.
Carboy: A bottle-shaped container made of glass or plastic. Available in various sizes, the most popular being 23 litres (6 US gallons), 19 litres (5 US gallons) and 12 litres (2. US gallons). Glass is preffered in winemaking because it is easy to clean and sanitize and provides a barrier to oxygen which will damage wine. It is vital that the is kept topped up to the neck to eliminate air during the aging process.
Chardonnay: Pronounced "shar-don-nay". Burgundy's great white grape, Chardonnay is the most successful in of classic white grape varieties. It is profoundly adaptable, happily responding to a far wider range of wine-making techniques than most other white varieties. Wine drinkers appreciate the charms of Chardonnay, including flavour compounds also found in, raspberries, vanilla, tropical fruits, peaches, tomatoes, tea and rose petals.
Chardonnay is also a crucial ingredient in most of the world's best sparkling wines and champagnes. These wines may tend to feature caramel, pineapple and tropical tones. Our Chardonnay is a soft, well-balanced wine that the lush richness of the grape character and delivers a smooth, lingering finish. It's perfect for early drinking, but should also age well.
Chianti: Prononounced "key-ant-ee". Tuscany is home to the oldest continuous wine traditions in Italy and possibly in Europe. The region is known worldwide for the red wines of Chianti, made primarily from the Sangiovese grape. A good Chianti should have an evident red berry fruit with cherry and truffle flavours, a fine spine of acidity, slightly bitter on the finish with a tannic bite. It is one of Italy's most popular wines. Our Chianti is a medium dark red classic with a delicious berry flavour. It can be consumed young, but should improve with aging.
Chloriclean: Pink chlorinated detergent that will both clean and sanitize equipment. Make up a fresh solution each time consisting of 3 tablespoons to 4 litres of water. Chloriclean solution should be in contact with equipment for at least 30 seconds for best results. Be sure to rinse with lots of warm water at least 3 times to remove all traces of the solution. Failure to do so will kill wine yeast and will ruin flavour of wine.
Chitosan: This is a naturally charged polysaccharide derived from chitin, extracted from the outer shells of ocean crustaceans. When combined with Kieselsol, Chitosan will clarify wine in a short time and is syphoned away from the clear wine as part of the sediment. Chitosan has no allergenic properties.
Claro KC: This is a two-part liquid fining, originated by Wine Kitz, that is absolutely the most remarkable fining product on the market today. Claro KC will clear most wines in as little as 24 hours to a brilliant finish. Removes only suspended material in the wine and settles to a nice firm sediment that is easy to rack off. Best to let the wine settle for about one week before racking. Available in packs to clear 5 gallons.
Cleaning: Cleaning is the physical action of removing visible residue from equipment.
Colombard/Also known as French Colombard: Grown in large quantities in warmer areas, Colombard has good natural acidity and makes a light fruity wine.
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Fining: Clearing the wine through the addition of products such as Claro KC (kieselsol/chitosan, bentonite, sparkolloid, gelatine, isinglass, egg whites. In winemaking, the cloudy wine is composed of extremely small solids that are negatively charged. Positively charged finings are added and quickly attract the negative solids to form larger clumps that fall to the bottom of the container. It is advisable to wait for at least 10 days to allow the finings to form a compact sediment that can be easily racked.
Floating Thermometer: Use this to take the temperature of the grape juice prior to addition of wine yeast. The optimal temperature range for fermentation is 20 - 24 Celcius (68 - 75 Farenheit).
French Colombard: Pronounced "KAHL-uhm-bahrd". In southwest France, Colombard has traditionally been distilled to make Armagnac and Cognac. It was California's most planted wine grape throughout the 1970s and 1980s because of its ability to grow in hot climates. Colombard (or French Colombard as it's known in North America) is now emerging as a wine grape variety in its own right. At its best, it produces a crisp, moderately dry, spicy wine with floral attributes and good acidity.
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Gamay: Originally grown in France to make the famous Beaujolais red wine, Gamay is gaining renown around the world, particularly in cold climates vineyards where it produces very good dry red wines.
Gelatine: Used mainly for red wine, Gelatine removes roughly its own weight in tannin from the wine, which can be undesirable in certain varieties. Not recommended for white wine. Widely used for clearing beer.
Gewürztraminer: Pronounced "ge-verts-tra-meen-er". In German. "gewurz" means spicy, a clue to the character of this white wine grape. Originally at home in vineyards on both sides of the Rhine in Alsace and Germany, and in northern Italy and Austria, now it's grown in many other places around the world including Australia and California. Wine made from Gewürztraminer is easily recognized by its heady perfume alone.
Gewürztraminer is opulently aromatic and fuller bodied than most white wines, with exotic flavours of ripe grapefruit, lychees, mangoes and heavily scented roses. It has a pronounced fruitiness overlaid by aromatic, spicy notes. They suggest sweetness on the nose, but are occasionally dry. Our Gewürztraminer is a fresh, fruity wine with a distinctivepicy aroma and taste. It's perfect for early consumption but will age surprisingly well for a white wine.
Grande Rouge: Pronounced "grawn rooj". Grande Rouge™* is a hugely rich and flavourful dry red wine with lingering aromas of black currant and spice, accentuated by a smooth, soft oaky finish. This is a very complex red wine and is hugely popular with Wine Kitz customers.
Grenache: This grape makes some of the best blush and rose wines. Widely grown in southern France, Spain and California, also makes an interesting dry red.
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Heating Belt: This is a low wattage device that wraps around the plastic primary to raise the temperature of the fermenting must. If the ambient temperature of the room is above 66 F (19 C), do not use a heat belt as the use may actually heat the fermenting must to a level that will weaken or kill the wine yeast.
Hydrometer: A hydrometer measures specific gravity (S.G.) and is very useful for monitoring the progress of fermentation. You should take a hydrometer reading at each step and record the S.G.. To calculate the alcohol produced, here is a simple equation: Take the starting Specific Gravity before fermentation and subtract the final SG. Divide the difference by 7.2 to find the alcohol by volume. If the SG of the finished wine drops below 1.000, use the 1.000 as the final SG. Example: Starting SG: 1.098 Final SG .996. Total drop in SG is 98. Divide by 7.2 = 13.61% alcohol by volume.
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Isinglass: A gelatin produced from the air bladder of fish. Used to clarify wine.
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Liebfraumilch: Pronounced "leeb-frow-milk". Liebfraumilch isGermany's quintessential mild white wine from the Rhine. It is fresh, flatteringly sweet and designed to convert newcomers from soft drinks to wine. Liebfraumilch is made from the Johannisberg Riesling grape, Germany's one true classic vine, perfectly suited to that countries cool, steep, river-slope vineyards. Medium-bodied, medium-sweet Riesling wines like Liebfraumilchmbalance acidity and sweetness. Their bouquet is floral with a hint of freshness. Notable flavours include honey and apricot. Our Liebfraumilch gives a spicy hint of fruit and a soft, elegant bouquet. It's perfect for early consumption, usually consumedwithin 12 months of vintage.
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Malvasia: White grape of Greek origin, grown in Italy, California and other countries. Makes a very good, aromatic white wine of unique character.
Merlot: One of the great Bordeaux red grapes, Merlot is grown round the world to produce dry red wine. Merlot is noted for its softer tannins and earlier drinking character.
Muscat: Possible the oldest wine grape variety. Powerful fruit aroma and character make this grape sought after for finedessert wines and first class dry wines.
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Pectic Enzyme: Breaks down the naturally occuring pectin in fruit suchas apples, peaches and Labrusca variety grapes. Add to the must prior to fermentation. Pectic Enzyme is heat sensitive and has a normal shelf life of about 1 year (keep in the refrigerator for up to two years) so don't mix it with hot water and don't use old stock. Can also be added to grapes at crushing to increase yield.
Piesporter: Pronounced "peas-porter". The original Piesporter winewas named after Piesport, a tiny village in the Mosel region of Germany. Grape growing conditions here are ideal in a natural amphitheater two miles long and 500 feet high. Piesporter wines areround (the feeling in the mouth of a mature wine with good extract and high alcohol) and gently sweet wines, not with great power but with real fragrance.
Pinot Blanc: Pronounced "pea-no blahnk". Pinot Blanc is anincreasingly popular French white wine variety from the Alsace. Itis not known for its piercing aroma; rather its nose arrives in acloud. It is prized as a base for sparkling wines. Our Pinot Blanc is a delicate, dry white wine with hints of apple and peach aroma. Pinot Blanc is perfect for early consumption and usually not aged beyond a year or two.
Pinot Grigio: Pronounced "pea-no grij-ee-o". Pinot Grigio is thecommon Italian name for the French vine variety Pinot Gris, one of the best-known, yet underrated mutations of the famous red grape Pinot Noir. Pinot Grigio is an increasingly fashionable variety that produces a soft, gently perfumed wine with more substance and colour than most whites. Our Pinot Grigio is a full-bodied, dry white wine with hints of spice and nuts. Like all Pinot Grigio wines it can be partnered with food without the distraction of too much aroma. Pinot Grigio is perfect for early consumption, yet capable of aging.
Pinot Noir: Pronounced "pea-no n'wahr". Pinot Noir is the favoured black grape of the Côte d'Or in France's Burgundy region and arguably the world's best red wine grape. At its best, Pinot Noir grown in that cool climate and limestone soil produces wines whose scent, flavour, body and texture are all profound pleasures. Thereare undertones of raspberries, cherries and strawberries with a gentle sweetness. Pinot can be consumed young, but if aged, may develop more complex and persistent aromas and tastes.
Primary Fermenter: Food-grade plastic container, with a cover. Should be at least 30% larger than your juice volume. For example, 23 litres of juice will require a container of at least 30 litres.
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Racking: Transferring wine from one container to another through gravity using a syphon hose and syphon rod, leaving the sediment behind. Racking helps to clear and age the wine.
Riesling: Pronounced "reez-ling". Riesling is the one great grape variety of Germany and could arguably claim to be the finest white grape variety in the world. This is due to the longevity of its wines and its ability to retain its style regardless of where the grapes are grown. Riesling wine is a versatile moderately dry wine. Its distinctive bouquet is floral with a hint of steely, tart freshness. It features a crisp, clean aftertaste. It's fresh, flatteringly sweet and designed to convert newcomers from soft drinks to wine. Riesling wines balance acidity and sweetness. Notable flavours include lime and grapefruit. Our Riesling is a moderately dry wine with an underlying hint of sweetness, a fruity, floral nose and a crisp, clean aftertaste. It's perfect for early consumption.
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Sanitizing: Disinfecting equipment to prevent spoilage. Sanitizing infers that the equipment is spotlessly clean first. Pink chlorinated detergent (Chloriclean) is recommended for both cleaning and sanitizing.
Sauvignon Blanc: Pronounced "SO-vin-yon BLAHNK". Sauvignon Blanc, sometimes called Fumé (foo-may) Blanc, is the vine variety solely responsible for some of the world's most popular and most distinctive dry, white wines. The most recognizable characteristic of Sauvignon Blanc is its piercing aroma. It is most often described as grassy, herbaceous, pea pods, elderberries, musk, green fruits or nettles. It is dry, crisp and can feature flavours of gooseberry and fig. Sauvignon Blanc drinks best in its youth, but can benefit from short-term cellaring.
Soave: Pronounced "suave". Probably Italy's most famous white wine, Soave hails from that country's north east Veneto region. Itis a fresh, pale, dry white wine with an herbal flavour and a bitter almond finish. Soave features a particularly delicate texture, which makes it such a versatile wine. It's a fresh, vibrant wine with just a hint of fruit, perfect early drinking.
Sparkolloid: Good all-round fining for red and white wines. Sparkolloid must be boiled for at least 3 minutes in water or wine prior to addition. Sediment is quite loose so care must be taken when racking. Allow the wine to clear for 14 days before racking. Filtering is mandatory because this fining agent will probably drop a light precipitation in the bottle if you don't.
Specific Gravity (s.g.): Measurement of the density of your juice in relation to water. Used for tracking the progress of fermentation (as sugar is replaced by alcohhol, the wine becomes less dense, giving a lower reading on the hydrometer). Potential alcohol can be calculated from the starting s.g Spoon: Food-grade plastic, approximately 70 cm (28 in.) long. Avoid wooden spoons as they can contain unwanted micro-organisms.
Syphon Hose and Syphon Rod: 5 ft of food-grade tubing attached to a rigid acrylic rod. Used for transferring wine from one container to another while leaving sediment behind.
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Temperature: The best range for wine fermentation is 68 - 73 F
Traditional Vintage Wine Kit, by Wine Kitz: Traditional kits produce medium-bodied wines of exceptional quality and varietal character. Every Traditional kit is perfectly balanced in pH, acidity and sugar. Starting Specific Gravity 0f 1.095 made to the 23 litre (6 US gallon) recipe will produce approximately 13% alcohol by volume in the finished wine.
To achieve excellent results, Traditional wines should be aged from 1-2 months following the 5 week production period. Traditional white and blush style wines will improve for about nine months to one year. Traditional reds can be aged for a few months longer. With good storage conditions, the wines will be fine for another six months to a year. All Traditional kits make a dry wine. The sweetness can be adjusted to taste at stabilizing/clearing time or before filtering. Chilling whites and decanting reds is recommended. Makes 23 litres (6 US gallons).
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Ultimate Estate Reserve Wine Kit, by Wine Kitz : The Ultimate line is created especially for the wine drinker who is seeking wines of exceptional quality and flavour. This 8-week kit requires 4-8 months of bottle aging to produce rich, flavourful reds and white wines of superb flavour and character. The starting Specific Gravity of 1.100 (this kit can only be made to the 23 litre (6 US gallon) volume will produce approximately 13.8% alcohol by volume in the finished wine. This 17 litre kit is perfectly balanced by the experts at Wine Kitz, guaranteed to produce superb wine.
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Valpolicella: Pronounced "val-paul-i-CHELL-a". One of Italy'sbest-known wines, Valpolicella is a fruity, eminently drinkable light red wine. Valpolicella has a beautiful cherry colour, with a gentle, sweet cherry and banana nose. It bears a fresh, soft, light, dry fruit flavour with a smooth, velvety texture and a slightly bit-ter finish. Valpolicella should be consumed while quite young.
Vinacid: A proprietary blend of fruit acids specifically designed for red or whites wines. Vinacid R is for reductive wines, ie, those wines where oxygen is not desirable in the process. This will include white grape wine and wines made from fruit. Vinacid O is formulated for oxidative wines where some oxygen is desirable during the process. This includes all red grape wine and sherry.
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White Zinfandel: Pronounced "zin-fan-dell". Zinfandel is anexotic black grape that is used to make red wines, and in this case, a pale, dry rosé. White Zinfandel can be a powerhouse on the palate. It is off dry, with intense flavours of raspberry, blackberry, spices or pepper. It makes a wonderful summertime wine. White Zinfandel should be consumed young.
Wine Bottles, Corks and Corker: For every 23 litres of wine you will need thirty, 750 mL bottles, thirty corks and a corker.
Wine Thief: Used for removing samples from the carboy in order to measure specific gravity (S.G.). Lower thief into carboy and allow to fill. Remove thief from carboy, float hydrometer in liquid. Give the hydrometer a spin to dis-lodge any bubbles that may effect the reading.
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Zinfandel Blush: Pronounced "zin-fan-dell". Zinfandel is an exotic black grape that is used to make red wines, and in this case, a pale, dry rosé. Zinfandel Blush can be a powerhouse on the palate. It is off dry, with rich, brambly flavours of raspberry, blackberry, spices or pepper. It makes a wonderful summer-time wine. Zinfandel Blush should be consumed young.
Zinfandel: Pronounced "zin-fan-dell". It is an exotic black grape that is used to make powerhouse red wines as well as blushes and rosés. Zinfandel is a rich, chewy, dark red with intense fruity, brambly characteristics. It bears flavours of blackberry, raspberry, spices and pepper, with a finish of fresh blackberries. It can be complex and very individual. Zinfandel can be consumed young, but also has the potential to be aged to a very high quality.
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