WINE VOCABULARY, STEP BY STEP - 18

THIS WILL BE YOUR SECRET MANUAL TO

Affordable styles, self-development, how-to do’s, learn to divine and describe your own taste. Wine is a personal preference; everybody taste different and likes or dislikes some smell or taste impressions.

FOR THE SELF-MADE PERSON

My impression is that a lot of wine critics sound like a doctor. Using wine terms if everybody knows them. To understand this better, I will take you, in the coming time, step by step through those words in a normal way.

By AD Wines, Dannis Apeldoorn

From A to Z —> I

Icewine / Eiswein

Healthy grapes are left hanging on the vine into the winter months. When freezing temperatures arrive, the water in the grape pulp turns into ice. When the grapes are picked and pressed, this ice remains in the press and the sugar content of the resulting juice is increased. This technique is used to produce Eiswein in Germany and Icewine in Canada. These wines have a very pure varietal character. The same effect can be replicated artificially by freezing picked grapes at a winery. Wines can be made from Riesling, Sauvignon blanc, Pinot Noir, Vidal, and more varietals.

Italian wine laws

The common Geographical indications used in Italy

DOC

The DOC is Denominazione di Origine Controllata. The wines in this category are subject to geographical boundaries as well as limitations on grape varieties and production methods.

DOCG

The DOCG is Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. In addition of the all DOC’s requirements these wines must meet stricter regulations and in most cases be bottled within the area of production.

Other terms used.

Classico

The boundaries of a number of appellations have expanded to allow new plantings outside the original zone. The term classico acknowledge wines that have been made solely from the original classified land and includes many of the best wines from the area.

Riserva

This term acknowledges wines with  both higher alcohol levels and longer aging than the minimum stipulated by the appellations laws.

The following week we continue with the letter - L.

Every two weeks, same day, Saturday, and same time, 9:30 am CET, the next two words.