Acidity: One of the most important characteristics of wine: obtaining the correct acidity is all-important. Top of page.
Acetification: Turning to vinegar. Top of page.
Aerobic Fermentation: A fermentation conducted in the presence of air. Usually the first part of the fermentation process. Top of page.
Aging: Allowing the wine to set for a better, smoother flavor. Top of page.
Alcohol: In wine, ethyl alcohol. Top of page.
Ammonium Phosphate: A popular yeast nutrient. Top of page.
Ammonium Sulfate: Another popular yeast nutrient. Top of page.
Anaerobic Fermentation: A fermentation from which air is excluded; the second part of the fermentation process. Top of page.
Aperitif: A wine taken before a meal to induce good appetite. Top of page.
Aroma: The smell or bouquet of a wine. Top of page.
Bentonite: A diatomaceous earth or clay used as a wine fining or clarifier. Top of page.
Body: The fullness of a wine. Top of page.
Bouquet: The smell of a wine. Top of page.
Campden tablets: Useful in winemaking for various sterilization or purification purposes. They supply sulfur dioxide in convenient form. Top of page.
Carbon dioxide: The colorless, odorless gas given off by a fermenting liquor. Top of page.
Clarifier: Anything that helps to clear the wine. Top of page.
Concentrate: The juice of white or red wine grapes concentrated and sold in tins or packs. Top of page.
Country wines: Wines made from fruit or ingredients other than the grape. Top of page.
Curboy: A 5 gallon glass water jar used in fermenting and storing wines. Top of page.
Dessert wines: Strong, full bodied and full flavored wines drunk at the end of a meal with the dessert course. Top of page.
Dry: A wine is said to be dry when all the sugar in it has been used up by the fermentation. Top of page.
Enzyme: Protein catalysts used in winemaking and brewing to promote structural breakdown or changes in ingredients. Pectin destroying enzymes are particularly useful in preventing jellification or cloudiness in fruit wines. Top of page.
Fermenting: The process brought about by yeast acting upon sugar to produce alcohol and carbon dioxide. Top of page.
Fermentation trap (or air-lock): A little gadget used to protect the fermentation from infection by the vinegar fly. Also called a bubbler. Top of page.
Filtration: Clarifying a wine by the use of a filter, using powders, papers, or pads. Top of page.
Final gravity: The specific gravity when fermentation has finished. Top of page.
Fining: Removing suspended solids from a cloudy wine by adding wine finings. Top of page.
Flogger: A wooden tool for banging corks into bottles. Top of page.
Fortification: Increasing the strength of wine beyond that possible by natural fermentation by adding spirit. Top of page.
Gravity: An abbreviation of specific gravity, a scale used to measure the density of a liquid or, in winemaking used to gage, its sugar content. Top of page.
Hydrometer: An instrument for measuring the weight (or sugar content) of a liquid. Top of page.
Hydrometer Jar: The jar in which a hydrometer is floated for a reading to be taken. Top of page.
Initial Gravity: The specific gravity at the outset of fermentation. Top of page.
Lees: The deposit of yeast and solids formed during fermentation. Top of page.
Magnesium sulfate: A yeast nutrient. Top of page.
Metabisulphite: Widely used chemical for sterilization or preservation of wines. Top of page.
Must: The pulp or combination of basic ingredients from which a wine is made. Top of page.
Nutrient: Nitrogenous matter added to the liquor to boost the action of the yeast, yeast food. Top of page.
Oxidation: When wine darkens and goes brown on contact with air. Top of page.
Pectic enzyme: A preparation used to destroy the pectin, or clouding agent, in a wine or must. Top of page.
Pectin: A substance which makes jams set - and causes hazes in fruit wines. Top of page.
Potassium metabisulphite: A sterilizing chemical. Top of page.
Potassium phosphate: A yeast nutrient. Top of page.
Proof: Proof spirit contains 57.1 percent alcohol. 70 deg. proof really means 70 per cent of proof spirit. Thus ordinary proprietary bottles of spirit will contain only 40 per cent alcohol by volume. In the U.S. proof is 50 per cent alcohol by volume. Top of page.
Racking: Siphoning the wine off the lees to clear and stabilize it. Top of page.
Social wines: Wines meant to be drunk socially and not necessarily with food. Not usually completely dry. Top of page.
Stable: A wine is said to be stable when there is no danger of further fermentation. Top of page.
Sticking: When fermentation stops prematurely, before enough sugar has been converted. Top of page.
Stopper: A cork or polythene bottle closure with a projecting cap. Top of page.
Straining: Removing solids after a pulp fermentation. Top of page.
Strength: In the case of wine, usually quoted as per cent alcohol by volume. Top of page.
Tannin: The substance which lends wine it's astringency and gives it keeping qualities. Top of page.
Titration: A method of determining acidity. Top of page.
Ullage: The air space between the surface of the wine and the bottom of the cork or bung. Top of page.
Vinegar: Wine which has gone wrong. Top of page.
Vitamin B1: A useful yeast nutrient. Top of page.
Yeast: The real wine maker. Top of page.
© All the pictures, directions, and recipes are originals belonging to Rita D'Elia.