Grapes that have been dried, or partially dried, before fermentation to raise the sugar level are referred to as “flétri” in French. It is most regularly used in France, Switzerland, and sometimes in the Valle d’Aosta.
The process that causes tiny particles to group together is called “flocculation.” The traditional method (Méthode Champenoise) of manufacturing sparkling wine involves this intended process. The lees will flocculate and gradually travel toward the bottle neck during the second fermentation that takes place in the bottle (i.e., the traditional method).
“Rancio” is an expression that refers to wines that have acquired a particular bouquet and taste thanks to long aging in barrels exposed to the sun. We can therefore say that they have undergone a kind of beneficial maderization that has led to an improvement in their qualities while also Read more…
“Vin de queue” is a French expression that can be translated as “tail wine”. It comes from the last harvest of Sauternes grapes. The harvest is done by successive selections called “tries successives” (successive passages spread over time), harvesting each time only grapes affected by botrytis (noble rot). During the Read more…
Knipperlé is a small grain grape variety which was one of the common grape varieties in Alsace where it lost a lot of ground in recent decades. It was replaced a lot by so-called “noble” grape varieties and also because of the natural tendency of its grains to rot. It Read more…
The “Ban des Vendanges” is a French expression which used to designate the proclamation which warned the winegrowers of the opening of the harvest. Not only did it warn them, but it even forced them not to harvest until then. This constraint was aimed at obtaining quality wines, by requiring Read more…
It is a French expression which formerly designated, in the Sauternes region, the richest wines obtained by the first selection, especially qualitative, of the harvest. This scanty first sort was composed almost exclusively of “noble rot” affected grains (Botrytis Cinirea), which reached an exceptionally high sugar content of up to Read more…
A “Vin du Midi” is a French expression. It is a very tricky expression because if you translate it literally it would mean “Lunch Wine”; however, most of the time, French people use this expression in a totally different sense than the literal one. Geographically, “Le Midi” encompasses the whole Read more…
The term “Délestage” is a French word which can be translated as “Unballasting”. It is used to describe the process of totally emptying a tank from any liquid while leaving the skins at the bottom and only then spraying the juice over the skins. It usually takes place during the Read more…
The term “Remontage” is a French word which can be translated as “Pumping Over”. It is used to describe the process of pumping the grape juice over the skins during the maceration and/or fermentation phase of a grape must. In order to extract as much juice as possible, a spray Read more…