Home Wine U   Glossary   Regions   Grapes   Wine Tasting   Wine Tasting Tips The Buzz Wine Reviews Calendar Fun Stuff About Us Key Contacts Search FAQ Links		The redwinebuzz.com glossary compiles commonly occurring wine tasting jargon as well as terminology unique to the world of wine. This includes terms relevant to growing and production of wine. Where possible, we also provide a guide to pronouncing these names. See our Pronunciation Guide for an explanation of the notation. Browsing the glossary can be very informative. At redwinebuzz.com we firmly believe that even casual perusing of the material can be an active learning process.     Fighting wine ignorance one person at a time. A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z T Tannin: A substance found in many plants, including in grape skins, seeds and stalks. Tannins are harsh, bitter in nature and impart an astringent quality to the wine. When present in excessive amounts, they make the wine almost unpleasant to drink giving it a dry, puckery character. They act as preservatives in the wine and with time, they bind together and fall out of solution. Hence, highly tannic wines tend to age well – particularly if they are balanced with acids and fruit. Tannins contribute to the wine’s body, giving it firmness. Tannin content in wine may be increased by enhancing extraction (through prolonged cuvaison), fermenting the wine in oak barrels and aging the wine in oak (new barrels impart the most tannins). Tannic: (tasting term). Describes a wine with high concentration of tannins, which results in a dry and astringent character. Tannic wines are typically young and not ready to drink. With time, tannins dissipate from the wine. Tartaric acid: One of the acids naturally found in grapes. These include acetic, malic, lactic, citric and carbonic acid and together contribute to the acidity of the wine. Tartaric acid may sometimes form tartrate crystals (which are harmless) – especially if the wine was not cold stabilized. Tartrate crystals: Small, clear or white crystals composed of potassium hydrogen tartrate which forms during fermentation. They are harmless and tend to form in cold conditions. Tartrate can look like salt or sugar crystals on the inner surface of a cork. Thus, the process of cold stabilization, is employed to remove tartates from the wine prior to bottling.   TBA: Tribromoanisole. A substance nearly identical to TCA, but with a bromine atom in place of a chlorine atom. Because it is a contaminant in winery equipment (bungs, hoses, non-barrel wood and other winery elements), contamination with TBA is also called "Cellar Taint". It produces a characteristic foul, musty odor and flavor similar to TCA (which causes cork taint), but, outside of being unpleasant, it is harmless. It's detection threshold of about 4 ppt (parts per trillion) is slightly higher than the detection threshold for TCA. Understanding of this substance is growing. TCA: Trichloranisole. The substance responsible for the unpleasant smells and flavors of corked wine. Produced by the interaction of mold infecting in the cork and cleaning agents used in production of wine corks. It can also be found contaminating other wood elements of the winery. The result of TCA taint causes a foul, musty, mushroomy aroma and a flavor reminiscent of wet cardboard or old rags. The smell is rather distinct but can be subtle. Detection threshold is at 2 to 3 pppt (parts per trillions). Tears: (tasting term). The viscous, tear-like tracks that run down the inside of a glass after it has been swirled in the glass. Thought to be related to alcohol content (as well as some technical things like surface tension and boiling temperatures of water and alcohol). Some place emphasis on this finding as an indication of the wine’s quality – presumably an indication of body – while others dismiss it as irrelevant. Also called: ‘legs’. Terroir: (French). [ter-WAHR] [?] A term unique to the French language and French wine making. It refers to the all the influences on grape growing. While, traditionally, it refers to some mystical or transcendental spirit of site or provenance, it includes the interplay of farming techniques, soil, bedrock, sun and wind exposure, water table, climate, farming methods etc coming together in a unique expression in the wine. The belief is, though that the same clone of a grape variety planted in different terroirs will result in a different wines. This concept is the subject of much discussion and at times, heated debate. Terroiriste: (derived from the French: "terroir", above). [ter-WAHR-eest] [?] A person who espouse the concept of terroir.   Texture: (tasting term). Describes the way a wine feels in the mouth. Often qualified as ‘silky’, ‘velvety’, ‘smooth’ or ‘rounded’. It is similar to ‘mouthfeel’ and is used more specifically than ‘body’, which describes the general sense of the weight and impact of the wine.   The Movie: (local jargon). Used by people in Santa Barbara wine country to refer to the motion picture "Sideways". Depicts two men reaching middle age with little success and nothing but flaws and neurotic obsessions. Set and Filmed in Central Coast wine country. The appearance of several wineries and their tasting rooms in the film is both milked to painful excess by some and shrugged off by others - depending on winery. Also see: Sideways Tight: (tasting term). Used in reference to a wine’s structure, concentration and body when they are not fully expressed due to young age. A tight wine has many positive elements but these are not showing their full potential. A very complex wine with a high concentration of fruit and good structure which gives only a small indication of its future greatness, is called "tightly wound". Similar to ‘closed’.  Tinny: (tasting term). Describes a metallic taste. A flaw.   Titratable Acid: (wine making term). A measurement of the total acids present in grape juice or wine must available for chemical interaction. Abbreviated as: TA. This refers to the total amount or concentration of acid and not its strength (which is indicated by pH). The major grape acids are tartaric and malic, with citric being found in smaller amounts. Toasty: (tasting term). Indicates a smell or taste reminiscent of toast. More specifically, it refers to the toasty character imparted by oak barrels which have been 'toasted' on the inside. This is accomplished by placing the barrels around a fire (either during or just after their manufacture). The flames and heat toast the surface of the wood. The changes in the physical and chemical composition of the surface of the wood will have an effect on the flavor of the wine as the tannins and other components seep into the wine.  Tobacco: (tasting term). A smell and flavor of fresh tobacco found in some red wines. Depending on the type of wine and stylistic intent of the wine maker, it is present in varying amounts. It is typically considered a desirable characteristic.  Transfer method: (wine making term). A method of producing sparkling wines. It follows the Méthode Champenoise up to the point of completion of second fermentation and aging. The bottles of now sparkling wine are emptied into a large container in a high-pressure environment (to keep the carbon dioxide from leaving the solution) and the wine is is filtered to remove the lees. The filtered wine is then bottled in a high-pressure environment. (more detail about sparkling wines) Troncais oak: A type of oak from the forest of Troncais, in central France. A popular choice of coopers and wine makers because the wood is ideal for barrels and it imparts a desirable flavor profile to wine. Although there is some variation in character between wood from different forests as well as individual trees, the forests in Alliers, Limousin, Nevers, Troncais and Vosges are the most common sources of oak for wine barrels. Truffle: An aromatic underground fungus. Round and wrinkled, they are very pungent. Their aromatic compositions may be very complex and have been described as mushroomy, cheesy, or herbal. Back to top.			Get the buzz: Wine reviews Great stories Interviews Wine education tools New content every month It's FREE! Click here               Back to top.                  A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z                 redwinebuzz gear Home of the original Get yours here!
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