VineyardA vineyard (ˈvɪn.jərd , UKalsoˈvɪn.jɑrd ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards are often characterised by their terroir, a French term loosely translating as "a sense of place" that refers to the specific geographical and geological characteristics of grapevine plantations, which may be imparted to the wine itself.
MicroclimateA microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often slightly but sometimes substantially. The term may refer to areas as small as a few square meters or smaller (for example a garden bed, underneath a rock, or a cave) or as large as many square kilometers. Because climate is statistical, which implies spatial and temporal variation of the mean values of the describing parameters, within a region there can occur and persist over time sets of statistically distinct conditions, that is, microclimates.
Lees (fermentation)Lees are deposits of dead yeast or residual yeast and other particles that precipitate, or are carried by the action of "fining", to the bottom of a vat of wine after fermentation and aging. The same while brewing beer at a brewery is known as trub – the same from secondary fermentation of wine and beer are the lees or equally, as to beer only, dregs. This material is the source for most commercial tartaric acid, which is used in cooking and in organic chemistry.
ChiantiA Chianti wine (kiˈænti, also US-ˈɑːn-, ˈkjanti) is any wine produced in the Chianti region of central Tuscany. It was historically associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco ("flask"; pl. fiaschi). However, the fiasco is now only used by a few makers of the wine; most Chianti is bottled in more standard-shaped wine bottles. In the mid-to-late 19th century, Baron Bettino Ricasoli (later Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy) helped establish Sangiovese as the blend's dominant grape variety, creating the blueprint for today's Chianti wines.
VitisAutomatic taxobox | fossil_range = Paleocene- Recent | image = Vitis californica with grapes.jpg | image_caption = Vitis californica with fruit | taxon = Vitis | authority = L. | type_species = Vitis vinifera | type_species_authority = L. | subdivision_ranks = Species | subdivision_ref = | subdivision = collapsible list| V. acerifolia V. adenoclada V. aestivalis V. amazonica V. amurensis V. × andersonii V. arizonica V. baileyana]] V. balansana V. bashanica V. bellula V. berlandieri V. betulifolia V. biformis V.
Wine of the United StatesWine has been produced in the United States since the 1500s, with the first widespread production beginning in New Mexico in 1628. Today, wine production is undertaken in all fifty states, with California producing 84 percent of all US wine. The North American continent is home to several native species of grape, including Vitis labrusca, Vitis riparia, Vitis rotundifolia, and Vitis vulpina, but the wine-making industry is based almost entirely on the cultivation of the European Vitis vinifera, which was introduced by European settlers.
Port winePort wine (also known as vinho do Porto, ˌviɲu ðuˈpoɾtu, or simply port) is a Portuguese fortified wine produced in the Douro Valley of northern Portugal. It is typically a sweet red wine, often served with dessert, although it also comes in dry, semi-dry, and white varieties. Other port-style fortified wines are produced outside Portugal - in Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, India, South Africa, Spain, and the United States - but under the European Union Protected Designation of Origin guidelines, only wines from Portugal are allowed to be labelled "port".
TypicityTypicity (French typicité, Italian tipicità) is a term in wine tasting used to describe the degree to which a wine reflects its varietal origins and thus demonstrates the signature characteristics of the grape from which it was produced, e.g., how much a Merlot wine “tastes like a Merlot”. It is an important component in judging wine competition when wines of the same variety are judged against each other. In some countries, such as Austria, typicity is used as part of a qualitative hierarchy that takes into consideration soil, climate and vintage.
WinemakerA winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or , where their work includes: Cooperating with viticulturists Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to determine the correct time for harvest Crushing and pressing grapes Monitoring the settling of juice and the fermentation of grape material Filtering the wine to remove remaining solids Testing the quality of wine by tasting Placing filtered wine in casks or tanks for storage and maturation Preparing plans for bottling wine once it has matured Making sure that quality is maintained when the wine is bottled Today, these duties require an increasing amount of scientific knowledge, since laboratory tests are gradually supplementing or replacing traditional methods.
Cru (wine)Cru is a wine term used to indicate a high-quality vineyard or group of vineyards. It is a French word which was originally used to refer to anything grown in a region and that region but is now mostly used to refer to a vineyard and its wines. The term is often used within classifications of French wine. By implication, a wine that displays (or is allowed to display) the name of its cru on its wine label is supposed to exhibit the typical characteristics of this vineyard or group of vineyards.
