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Wine Terminology

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Glossary terms

Balanced

Tasting term.

Used to indicate a wine in which all the elements (fruit, acidity, tannin, etc.) are in harmony.

Balthazar

Champagne bottle of 12 litres.

Equal to 16 normal (75cl) bottles.

Barrel

Vessel used for ageing, and sometimes fermenting.

There are many different shapes and sizes, but the most popular are the barrique of 225 litres and the hogshead of around 300 litres. Nearly always made of oak. New barrels impart an oaky flavour to the wine whereas old ones simply allow a controlled oxidation.

Barrique (Fr.)

Barrel.

Holds 225 litres.

Baum

Scale used to measure the sugar in grape juice.

Approximates to the potential alcohol, therefore a juice of 12 Baum will yield a wine of around 12% vol. if fermented to dryness.

Beerenauslese (Ger.)

Quality white wine category, meaning 'selected grapes'.

Individual berries, usually botrytis affected, are cut from the bunches. Minimum must weights are laid down according to variety and region. Sweet, luscious wines.

Beery

Tasting term indicating the malty smell or taste of beer,

usually considered a fault in wine.

Bentonite

Clay often used in fining wine, particularly white.

The bentonite removes protein, helping to ensure a perfectly clear wine in bottle.

Bereich (Ger.)

Wine-growing district, comprising a group of sites which produce wines of similar character.

The Bereich may be further subdivided into individual Grosslagen.

Bianco (It.)

White