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CHAMPAGNE

Méthode Champenoise is the traditional method by which Champagne is produced. After primary fermentation and bottling, a second alcoholic fermentation occurs in the bottle. This second fermentation is induced by adding several grams of yeast (usually Saccharomyces
cerevisiae, although each brand has its own secret recipe) and several grams of rock sugar.
According to the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée a minimum of 1.5 years is required to completely develop all the flavour. For years where the harvest is exceptional, a millesimé is declared. This means that the Champagne will be very good and has to mature for at least 3 years. During this time the Champagne bottle is sealed with a crown cap similar to that used on beer bottles. After aging, the bottle is manipulated, either manually or mechanically, in a process called remuage, so that the lees settle in the neck of the bottle. After chilling the bottles, the neck is frozen, and the cap removed. The pressure in the bottle forces out the ice containing the lees, and the bottle is quickly corked to maintain the carbon dioxide in solution. Some syrup (le dosage) is added to maintain the level within the bottle.

BRANDY

Brandy (from brandywine, derived from Dutch brandewijn—”burnt wine”) is a spirit produced by distilling wine, the wine having first been produced by fermenting grapes. Brandy generally contains 36%–60% alcohol by volume and is typically taken as an after-dinner drink. While some brandies are aged in wooden casks, most are coloured with caramel colouring to imitate the effect of such aging.

ICE WINE

Ice wine (or icewine, as one word, or in German, Eiswein) is a type of dessert wine produced from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. The sugars and other dissolved solids do not freeze, but the water does, allowing a more concentrated grape “must” to be pressed from the frozen grapes, resulting in a smaller amount of more concentrated, very sweet wine. With ice wines, the freezing happens before the fermentation, not afterwards.
Unlike the grapes from which other dessert wines, such as Sauternes, Tokaji, or Trockenbeerenauslese, are made. This gives ice wine its characteristic refreshing sweetness balanced by high acidity. When the grapes are free of Botrytis, they are said to come in “clean”.

BRIX

The Brix scale is a system used in the U.S. to measure the sugar content of wine grapes.
Modern Brix meters are digital refractometers that calculate the Brix value based on
refractive index.

AGING WINE

The aging of wine, and its ability to potentially improve in quality, distinguishes wine from most other consumable goods. While wine is perishable and capable of deteriorating, complex chemical reactions involving a wine’s sugars, acids and phenolic compounds (such as tannins) can alter the aroma, color, mouthfeel and taste of the wine in a way that may be more
pleasing to the taster. The ability of a wine to age is influenced by many factors including
grape variety, vintage, viticultural practices, wine region and winemaking style The condition that the wine is kept in after bottling can also influence how well a wine ages and may require significant time and financial investment.

BARRELS

During the construction of the wine barrel, a step takes place where the partially assembled barrel is placed over a small wood fire. During this step, the inside of the barrel is charred or ‘toasted’. The amount (depth) of char in the barrel has an effect on the wine that is aged in it. Winemakers can normally order their barrels with Light Toast, Medium Toast or Heavy Toast. The ‘toast’ decision will be made based on the grape variety to be used in the barrel as well
as the style of wine to be produced. Barrels are generally made from two types of oak, French and American, imparting flavors of vanilla, spice and butter. American Oak barrels typically cost less than half the price of French Oak Barrels.

FERMENTATION

The process where the grape juice is joined by other ingredients resulting in a chemical
reaction that produces wine. Sugar, added to yeast yields alcohol and carbon dioxide.
The yeast, added to the grapes converts the natural sugars contained in the grapes (glucose
and fructose) into ethanol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is then released from the wine into the air and the alcohol remains.

DECANTING

Decanting is necessary mostly for an older red wine that has a natural build-up of
sediment in the bottle from years of aging. The wine should be poured carefully, in one uninterrupted movement, into a decanter. Decanting also allows the wine to come into more contact with the air, allowing the wine to “breathe” and prevents the sediment from being poured into the wine glass. About 30 minutes is the time required to properly decant the wine. White wines do not require such treatment. Red Burgundy and Pinot Noir should not be decanted. They should be drunk soon after opening the bottle as the flavors begin to fade when exposed to air.

BOTTLE SHOCK

Bottle-shock or Bottle-sickness is a temporary condition of wine characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are given an additional dose of sulfur (in the form of sulfur dioxide or sulfite solution), and are subject to other forms of handling and transport. After a few weeks, the condition usually disappears.

TANNIN

Tannins in wine can come from many sources and the tactile properties differ depending on the source. Tannins in grape skins and seeds (the latter being especially harsh) tend to be more noticeable in red wines, which are macerated (soaked with skins and seeds) and sometimes fermented while in contact with the skins and seeds to extract the color from the skins. The stems of the grape bunches also contain tannins, and will contribute tannins if the bunches are not de-stemmed before pressing, maceration, and/or fermentation. Tannins extracted from grapes are condensed tannins, which are polymers of proanthocyanidin monomers. Hydrolysable tannins are extracted from the oak wood the wine is aged in.

CORK

The bark of mature cork trees is harvested just once every nine years. Cork trees are not regarded as mature enough for bark harvesting until they are at least 25 years old. The largest cork tree in the world is known as ‘The Whistler Tree’. This tree is located in the Alentejo region of Portugal and averages over 1 ton of raw cork per harvest. Enough to cork 100,000 bottles of wine.

“Here’s to the corkscrew-a useful key to unlock the storehouse of wit, the treasury of laughter, the front door of fellowship, and the gate of pleasant folly.” - W.E.P. French