Glossary

We hear many words when describing wines these days. But what do they mean? We will define these terms for you as much as possible, since many of these terms and definitions are fluid and are changing.

Biodynamic Wines - Biodynamic wines are wines made employing biodynamic methods both to grow the fruit and during the post-harvest processing. Biodynamic wine production uses organic farming methods (e.g., employing compost as fertilizer and avoiding most pesticides) while also employing soil supplements prepared according to Rudolf Steiner's formulas, following a planting calendar that depends upon astrological configurations, and treating the earth as "a living and receptive organism."

Double Zero Wines – Wines made with the addition of zero sulfur and zero commercial yeast.

Low Intervention Wines - Wines that are made with minimal intervention from the winemaker. The idea is to work with what nature has provided and intervene as little as possible to produce a wine that is a true reflection of the grape variety, vineyard, and growing season. Low-intervention wines are also known as natural wines, minimal-intervention wines, or organic wines. The term “intervention” refers to the use of chemical fertilizers, mechanical harvest machines, additives such as sugar, commercial/cultured yeasts, food colorings, acidifiers, tannin powders, oak chips, and the aggressive use of new American oak barrels as aging vessels (as opposed to used, old French oak barrels) 1. Minimal-intervention winemaking aims to highlight and express the grape variety, the vineyard, and the growing season. The result is a wine that is terroir-expressive with as much purity as possible.

Low Sulfite Wines - Sulfites are naturally occurring compounds that are a product of fermentation. All wines have some sulfites since they’re made with yeast, but many winemakers add extra sulfites to their vintages as a preservative and to prevent bacterial growth. However, low-sulfite wines do exist. If you’d like to avoid them, look for bottles that say “no sulfites added” on the label, or hunt down organic wines, which are required to be made from organically grown grapes and without added sulfites.

Natural Wines – Wines that are fermented without additives and with minimal manipulation. They are usually made from grapes that are not treated with pesticides or herbicides and are hand-picked. They are fermented with native yeast and not filtered. They may have sediment or fizziness in the bottle. They do not contain sulfur dioxide or contain very little of it. Natural wine is more of a concept than a rigidly defined term. It is often associated with organic or biodynamic farming practices, but not necessarily certified as such.

No or Low Alcohol Wines - Low-alcohol wine contains less than 7.5% alcohol, while non-alcohol wine contains less than 0.5% alcohol. Many of the new low-alcohol wines released in the U.S. market range between 7% and 12%.

Orange / Amber / Skin Contact Wines - Orange wine (no, they are not made from oranges), also known as skin-contact white wine, skin-fermented white wine, or amber wine, is a type of wine made from white wine grapes where the grape skins are not removed, as in typical white wine production, and stay in contact with the juice for days or even months. This contrasts with conventional white wine production, which involves crushing the grapes and quickly moving the juice off the skins into the fermentation vessel. The skins contain color pigment, phenols and tannins that would normally be considered undesirable for white wines, while for red wines skin contact and maceration is a vital part of the winemaking process that gives red wine its color, flavor, and texture.

Organic Wines - Wine made from grapes grown in accordance with the principles of organic farming, which excludes the use of artificial chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. The legal definition of organic wine varies from country to country, but the main distinction lies in the use or non-use of preservatives, particularly sulfur (sulfur-dioxide (SO₂), sulfites), during the winemaking process. In the US, no additional sulfites may be added to any organic product, including wine. In the EU, added sulfites are allowed in organic wine and determined by the kind of wine. Most other wine-producing countries do not have their own standards for organic wine and observe the standards of the nation importing the wine.

Pet Nat – Short for the French 'pétillant naturel' meaning ’natural sparkling', is a wine made according to the ancestral method. Developed in the 16th century, this is the oldest way of making sparkling wine, and is the result of a single, continuous fermentation. What this means is that fermenting juice is bottled while it is still fermenting, i.e. while the yeast is still consuming the grape sugars in the juice. This results in the fermentation then continuing inside the bottle; trapping CO2 in the process, which is given off by the yeast. The resulting wine therefore has bubbles in it.

Piquette - Piquette is a low-alcohol, sparkling beverage made from adding water to grape pomace. Pomace is the leftover solids (grapes, stems, and seeds) after grapes have been pressed for winemaking. Piquette is produced by fermenting the water and pomace mixture for a few days, then straining it. Piquette is a simple, easy drinking wine-like drink that originated in France.

Sustainable Wines - Sustainable wine refers to the farming and winemaking practices that winegrowers follow to minimize their impact on the environment, support social responsibility, maintain economic feasibility, and produce high-quality wines. To be certified sustainable, wineries and vineyards must have an independent third party evaluate their farming practices and see if they meet certain eco-friendly standards. These standards range from composting waste to make fertilizer, conserving water, reducing energy consumption and pesticide use, among other things.

Vegan Wines - Vegan wine is wine that is made without using any animal products during the winemaking process. This includes all stages of the process, especially the fining stage, where producers of regular wines often use animal products such as egg whites or casein (a protein found in milk) to remove tiny particles of sediment in a wine that cannot be removed by filtration. Vegan wines are made without animal products, so winemakers either leave the particles to sink naturally to the bottom of the wine or use non-animal fining products.