Winemaking Terms Part 2

Welcome to Vine to Wine, I’m your host Linda Moran.  Yesterday we discussed some terms used in winemaking and the influences on their descriptions. Today, we explore a few more of those winemaking terms.

Every field of study seems to have its’ own vocabulary, and the wine industry is no different. When it comes to winemaking there are many. Let’s look at the term “free-run juice”. This is simply the juice that drips from the grapes as they are under their own weight, weighed down as the sit in vats waiting to be pressed into wine. There are some wines which are made from only free-run juice and others which may include the juice as part of the blend. It is attractive because it doesn’t have a lot of tannins or bitter flavors that may result in squeezing the seeds and the skins into the juice. The term “Must” is the combination of fermented juice and the grape solids, skins and seeds or stems. “Marc” is the term for the fermented juice after it has been removed from the solids. These solids are identified in many ways another is the term “lees” which are the solids which include the spent yeast after the wine is fermented. These lees solids can be stirred up into the fermented wine intentionally on a schedule even and it will impart flavor and texture to the wine if done in a well calculated manner. The pouring of the fermented juice from one container to another such as from one barrel to another but leaving the lees behind is called racking, another great winemaking term. Join me tomorrow as we look at some more wine making terms. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at ag info dot net and thanks for joining me on today’s Vine to Wine.