Sur Lie

Sur Lie

Welcome to Vine to Wine this is your host Linda Moran and on today's program, we are discussing a winemaking term. It is the term Sur Lie. There are many wine terms that have meanings not often understood by everyone. A friend in the wine industry suggested 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, a French term meaning, literally, "on the lees." The lees are the spent yeast particles and some grape solids derived from the primary fermentation process. The term is most commonly found within a description of a white wine that remains on its lees for an extended period after fermentation is completed. Soaking on the lees is done to enhance the wine's flavors and character. It often imparts a toasty quality and increases the overall complexity of the wine. These wines characteristically have fuller body and a yeasty note in the bouquet. I had a wine made with the wild native yeasts from the vineyards and aged in barrel on the lees. What a big wine that was, full of character and texture. 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 in stock, and try one. 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.
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