Vinglish Revisited Part 2
Directions
By popular demand, WineDown proudly presents this revised and expanded edition of VINGLISH, your guide to the mystical lingo of wine-lipped oenophiles. Missed part 1? You’ll find it here.
Part 2 – Napa to Zymology
Napa:
Famous viticultural region of California; Person who enjoys a snooze after lunch.
Nervy:
In whites: taut, racy, brightly acidic wines. In reds: anxiously awaiting the announcement of the Jimmy Watson.
Nose:
Everything that sniffing a wine can tell you. Primary (fruit-based); Secondary (relating to fermentation); and Tertiary (relating to bottle or barrel ageing) aromas.
Noble Rot:
Botrytis cinerea. The fungus that shrivels grapes, concentrating sugars, and giving us delectable dessert wines.
Oenophobia:
The fear of wine. Oh don’t be ridiculous.
Off
The preferred state for a wine screw cap. Also, an occasional fault, where a bottle does not deliver correct aromatics and flavours (due to cork seal, incorrect storage, exposure to heat etc)
Opulent
Rich, sensuous, desirable.
Plush:
Opulent, polished, and supple in the mouth. Also, the way Sean Connery adds numbers.
Port:
Luscious, sweet, fortified wine from Oporto, Portugal. In Queensland, a suitcase which may or may not contain Port.
Punt:
Indentation at the bottom of the bottle. Don’t ask why. Why dimples? Why dancing eyes?
Quaffer:
Inexpensive fault-free wine. Also known as Easy-drinker, BBQ wine or Cheap ‘n Cheerful.
Queensland:
Beautiful one day, perfect the next. Home to two recognised wine regions: Granite Belt and South Burnett.
Quesadilla:
Delicious excuse to open a bottle of Riesling.
Racy:
Wines served at Flemington. Also, taut and acidic (whites).
Remuage:
The process of tilting and rotating Champagne bottles so that sediment collects in the neck of the bottle. See also, Riddling.
Riddling:
Why did the winemaker cross the road? Remuage!
Right Bank:
The one that approves your loan.
Sancerre:
Region in the Loire famous for its Sauvignon Blanc.
Sommelier:
Trained wine expert who assists diners with their wine matches; a person who is more Sommeli than another.
Sur Lie:
French term for wine that is aged on its lees. Also, junior retail assistants.
Terroir:
The collective factors (including geography, topography, soil, climate, natural habitat and even farming practices) that give wine a specific character or sense of place.
Trocken:
German term for ‘dry’, as in Trocken martini - shaken, not shtirred. Or, more likely, Trockenbeerenauslese.
Tannin:
Phenolic compounds found in the skins and seeds of grapes, which provide structure and astringency in red wines.
Ullage:
The unfilled space in a wine bottle between the top of the wine and the bottom of the cork.
Unctuous:
Richly textured, viscous mouthfeel; being full of unct.
Ugni Blanc:
One of France’s most widely planted grapes, and the chief ingredient in Cognac.
VA:
Volatile Acidity. The level of acetic acid present in a wine. Desirable at low levels, but unpleasant in high concentrations. Like school children.
Véraison:
In viticulture, the onset of ripening, where skin colour begins to change and sugar levels increase. Berries which fail to ripen are said to have lost their Véraison d’être.
Vertical:
Short for Vertical Tasting: the process of tasting wine while standing upright (recommended). And, a tasting that compares multiple vintages of the same wine. Also recommended.
Whole Bunch Vinification:
A red winemaking technique where whole bunches (including stems) are placed into the fermenter.
Wine Lake:
A little-known ballet in which star-crossed lovers take their own lives by throwing themselves into a large puddle of Merlot. Also, a wine glut.
Woody:
Oak-dominant. If oak characters (smoke, toast etc) overpower fruit, then the wine is out of balance. Tom Hanks’ finest work.
Xarello:
Distinctive Catalonian grape (white) that produces “wines which can smell of burnt rubber and boiled cabbage”. You couldn’t make stuff that up.
Xylem:
Vascular tissue inside the vine that transports water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. The discovery was credited to Charles Darwin, even though he wasn’t actively seeking a xylem. Nope, not sorry.
Xynomavro:
Highly tannic and acidic red variety from Náoussa, Greece.
Yeast:
The organism that triggers fermentation, converting sugar to alcohol. The bug that makes wine fun.
Yield:
The measure of grapes harvested in a particular year; low yields are often equated with high quality.
Yarra Valley:
God’s gift to Melburnians. A lush and rustic food and wine paradise barely an hour’s drive from work!
Zero Alcohol Wine:
The holy grail for mindful wine consumers. Disparaged by some as a why-bother beverage, de-alcoholised wine is one of the fastest growing drinks categories in the country.
Zibibbo:
An aromatic white varietal known elsewhere as Muscat of Alexandria, but called Zibibbo in Sicily. May be vinified light and dry; as an intense and sweet dessert wine, or as a fresh, fruit-driven sparkling.
Zymology:
The study of Zymurgy – the area of applied science relating to fermentation. God bless the Zymurgists!