Posts by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW
Glossary C
Carbon dioxide (CO2) is an inert gas commonly used in winemaking. Naturally produced as a by-product of fermentation, it is generally purchased in canisters and used in the winery to help protect juice and wine from oxidation. It can be used to push juice or wine through hoses or to cover a tank. CO2 is…
Read MoreThe Quixotic Pursuit of Balance
We all lose our balance sense from time to time, wine communicators maybe more often than others. Of all the major wine quality factors—such concepts as Purity (the relative lack of wine faults), Intensity, Complexity, and Length of Finish—it’s Balance that’s always the poster child for one-style factions. It stands to reason. I mean, who’s…
Read MoreThe Changing Face of Bordeaux
Bordeaux is the alpha and the omega for many wine collectors—the beginning and the end. It is usually an encounter with a mature bottle of Bordeaux wine, whether rarified or humble in nature, that sparks the epiphany moment of passion. When a wine-drinking novice first experiences that singular collection of complex, tertiary, evolved characters in…
Read MoreGlossary A
Glossary of Wine Terms A Acetic acid is the most abundant of the volatile acids in wine, existing in small concentrations as a by-product of fermentation. It’s also a major component of vinegar. If detectable in wine, this vinegary character can be considered a fault. Volatile acidity (VA) is another way of saying “acetic.”…
Read MoreGlossary B
Glossary of Wine Terms B Balance in wine specifically refers to a wine’s components—sweetness, acidity, aromas/flavors, tannins, and alcohol—all existing in harmonious proportions that complement one another so that no single aspect negatively dominates the nose or palate. Bâtonnage is the practice of aging wine for a period on its sedimentary lees (dormant…
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