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Sulfites in wine: friend or foe?What is sulfur dioxide, and why are moves by some to abandon its use so contentious?
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Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Preservative which is added to nearly all wines to protect them from oxidation and microbial infection.
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Cooperage: the art of oak ageingOak ageing is an art. The barrels a winemaker chooses have a marked effect on how the wine will taste, lending flavours that range from sweet to austere, says Margaret Rand.
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Abboccato (It.)Medium sweet.
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Abocado (Sp.)
Medium sweet.
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Acetaldehyde
Chemical substance formed by the partial oxidation of alcohol.
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Acetic
Tasting term.
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Balanced
Tasting term.
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Balthazar
Champagne bottle of 12 litres.
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Barrel
Vessel used for ageing, and sometimes fermenting.
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Barrique (Fr.)
Barrel.
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Baum
Scale used to measure the sugar in grape juice.
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Cantina (It.)
Winemaking cellar.
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Carbon dioxide (CO2)
Gas generated during fermentation. Normally most is allowed to escape into the atmosphere.
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Einzellage (Ger.)
Individual vineyard site, the boundaries and names defined by German wine law.
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Eiswein (Ger.)
Ice wine.
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Fermentation
Complex process in which sugars, naturally present in grape juice, are transformed into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the action of yeasts.
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Fining
Winemaking procedure in which a product is added to wine in order to remove unwanted material.
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Finish
Tasting term used to indicate the final sensation left in the mouth once a wine is swallowed.
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Smoky
Tasting term used to indicate the smell of wood smoke on the nose
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Grape
Fruit of the vine, and the raw material for wine production.
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Grassy
Tasting term indicating a wine with the smell of freshly-cut grass.
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Green
Tasting term indicating a lack of ripeness, particular in red wine.
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Grey rot
Undesirable form
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Hard
Tasting term indicating a wine
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Herbaceous
Tasting term used to indicate the smell
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Hogshead
Barrel, usually of about 300
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Hybrid
Vine variety produced by crossing two parents of different species, normally with a view to achieving earlier ripening or improved disease resistance.
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IGT Indicazione geografica tipica
Italy wine designation, roughly equivalent to French Vin de Pays.
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Jug wine
Ordinary quaffing wine (of the type that might be served in a jug),
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Kabinett (Ger.)
German and Austrian quality wine designation, the base level in the QmP Pradikat system.
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Kir
Drink made by mixing white wine with a little blackcurrant liqueur.
