Good to Know Wine Terms

Sur Lie (Lees Aging) – aging the finished wine on its’ fine lees (dead yeast cell after fermentation). This adds complexity, cuts acid and adds freshness and a slight yeasty character to the finished wine.

Malolactic Fermentation – a secondary process in which the harsher Malic Acid (found in apples and grapes) is converted into Lactic Acid (found in milk). The process softens the finished wine, adds texture, body and aromas and flavors of butter and cream. Almost all red wines go through Malo. For whites, the winemaker will either suppress (high acid wines) the process or encourage (softer, fuller bodied wines) it depending on the style they are looking for.

Oaked – the wine was subjected to a treatment to impart flavors derived from oak. This could include submerging oak chips or staves in tanks with the wine or adding oak powder and essence to finished wine. It could also mean the wine was fermented and/or aged in oak barrels.

Oak aging – aging finished wine in small or large oak barrels. Small barrels add toast, vanilla, clove and smoke. They also let in minute amounts of oxygen which helps with roundness (smoothness). The smaller and newer the barrel, the more flavor added. Old, large barrels impart no flavor but do let in oxygen which leads to flavors of toffee, toffee, tobacco and earth.

Indigenous Yeasts – yeasts that are naturally found in the vineyard, winery and on the grapes. These start a spontaneous fermentation without the winemaker having to adding any cultured yeast. Many organic and biodynamic winemakers use indigenous yeasts in winemaking as they tend to help with the true expression of the grape.

Sulphur Dioxide (Sulphites) – Sulphur Dioxide is a preservative and antioxidant. Winemakers add this at different times during the winemaking process to protect the grapes/juice/wine from oxygen. Increasingly, winemakers are using less and less and many now only add small quantities at bottling as protection. Organic, Biodynamic and Natural winemakers can and do use SD, usually at very small doses. In the US all wine labels will have ‘Contains Sulphites’ somewhere on the label because some people are sensitive/allergic to sulphites. Sulphites are also a byproduct of the fermentation process and will be present in every wine unless filtered out. White and sweet wines typically have more SD added than reds because they need a bit more protection. That being said, wines have less SD than dried fruits and vegetables, canned fruits and vegetables, juices and some sodas.

Organic wine – wine made without the addition of chemicals or pesticides during grape growing. In order to be Certified Organic in the US, winemakers cannot add any Sulphur Dioxide to the wine. This is why most wine are labeled “Made with Organically Grown Grapes’.

Biodynamic wine – Wine made using biodynamic farming practices and farming methods which include avoiding chemical soil fertilizers to enhance soil fertility, consideration of biological organisms (from living organisms in the soil to animal health), diverse crop rotation, cover crops, green animal manures, as well as meeting certain guidelines for perennial and annual planting. A percentage of farmland is usually set aside for biodynamic practices like biodiversity preservation (such as established wetlands or planted insectaries to contribute to the ecological equilibrium). The biodynamic principles share a spiritual focus, connecting humans and the land, with the main goal of cultivating an environment that will improve humanity. This is Organic farming on steroids and not only does not harm the land but nurtures it. 

Natural wine – There is no widely accepted definition of Natural Wine, but most agree that it is all the above with the addition of not adding anything to the wine except small amounts of Sulphur if necessary.