Click to access introductory wine glossary pages:
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
R S
T U
V W
Y Z
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Saccharomyces cerevisiae is a
major
yeast species, often used to
ferment white wines.
Screwcaps
Screwcaps are an alternative to sealing a wine with a
cork.
The advantage of using screwcaps is that they eliminate wine bottle spoiling because of a
faulty cork. One disadvantage of using screwcaps is that they eliminate the
romantic bottle opening procedure. The jury is still out on their ability to
conserve a fine wine for decades. In the meantime, I don't recall drinking an
Italian wine from a bottle topped with a screwcap.
Sediment
Sediment consists of small, usually colored particles, that settle to the
bottom as the wine ages. While sediment is harmless, it is often removed by
decanting to improve the wine’s appearance.
Seed
Of course you know what a grape seed is. Did you know that a typical grape berry
consists of about 5% seeds by weight
and that grape seeds are a major source of
tannins?
Settling
Settling is the precipitation (sinking to the bottom) of solid matter in wine.
Skin
A grape skin protects the
pulp. It contains
tannins, pigments, and other compounds.
At harvest time, naturally occurring
yeasts
are found on the skins.
Specific gravity
Specific gravity is the density of a substance, such as the
fermenting
must, relative to the density of water.
Stuck fermentation
Stuck fermenation is when
fermentation
stops before all the
sugar has been
converted to
alcohol.
It is often an unfortunate occurrence.
A common reason is when the fermentation overheats, reaching temperatures of 95°F (35°C) or more.
Sugar
Sugar is a group of sweet organic compounds found in many foods including grapes.
In the process known as
fermentation,
yeasts transform
sugar into
alcohol and
carbon dioxide.
Sulfite
A sulfite is a naturally occurring form of
sulfur
produced by
fermentation.
In the United States wine labels must indicate "contains sulfites"
when the wine contains more than 10 parts per million.
Sulfur
Sulfur is a chemical element often used in winemaking, either in its pure
state, or combined with
oxygen in the compound
sulphur dioxide. These two chemicals are widely used to kill
oidium in the
vineyard, in the winery as a disinfectant, and in
the
must and bottled wines to kill bacteria.
They also may be used to terminate
fermentation.
While sulfur and sulfur compounds exist in nature, their use should be limited.
Click to access introductory wine glossary pages:
A B
C D
E F
G H
I J
K L
M N
O P
R S
T U
V W
Y Z