04/23/08 Sur Lie

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and on today's program, we are going to discuss a wine term that a friend suggested I talk about on the radio. It is the term Sur Lie. A few weeks ago we did some programs about wine terms that have meanings not often understood by everyone. A friend in the wine industry was listening and he suggested that I address the term Sur Lie. It is another difficult term to spell, and it is two words, first word spelled s-u-r second l-i-e. It is a French term meaning, literally, "on the lees." The lees are the spent yeast particles derived from the primary fermentation process. The term is generally used to describe a white wine that remains on its lees for an extended period. Soaking on the lees is done to enhance the wine's flavors and character. It often imparts a toasty quality and increases the complexity. These wines characteristically have fuller body and a yeasty flavor. I had one that was made with the wild native yeasts and aged in barrel on the lees. What a big wine that was. It is not unusual for these Sur lie wines to be bottled without racking or filtration. The next time you are chatting with your wine merchant, ask if they have any wines such as this and give one or two a try. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.