Glossary

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Earthy:

Covers situations where a "mother-earth" component is present. Earth is soil-dirt, but an earthy wine is not dirty as in "dirty" above. The term appears to be applicable to wine thought, by some, to be made from certain young varietal grapes obtained from vines planted on land previously used for growing vegetables containing components which "marked" the soil in some way. European tasters use the term in a broader sense to describe "terroir" characteristics (see also nose, stoney, vegetal, yeasty / yeastlike).

Easy:

Undemanding but pleasant, doesn't require good taste,just tastes good (see also direct, simple).

Elegant:

What to say when there is great balance and grace in the wine, but you can't quite find apt words of description. Almost a synonym for "breed" (see also complex).

Essence:

wo meanings:

Refers to "odor kits" containing vials of representative flavor essence.

Used occasionally by wineries to describe a late harvest, sweet red wine. Most frequently appears on bottle labels for Zinfandel red wine made from grapes picked at 35 deg. Brix or higher sugar content (see also nose).

Ethanol:

Alcohol, ethyl alcohol. The natural product of fermentation of sugars, present in all wines.

Ethylacetate:

A substance which contributes the smell associated with aceticacid content.

Extract:

Soluble solids (other than sugar) present in wine which contribute to its body and structure.

Extracted:

Refers to the coloring imparted to wines during the fermentation process by the skins of the grapes used. Can also occur in the further step known as "maceration" where new wine is allowed to steep with the skins again. This second step usually results in a "highly extracted" style of wine, deeply colored with strong flavors and tannin. Rose's, (aka "blush" wines), are normally made by limiting contact with the skins, the opposite of "extraction".