» Ch. 5: Pinogogy, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Wine Terms

Ch. 5: Pinogogy, or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Wine Terms

Before you read, please be aware that this page will always be under construction. Think of it as a notepad full of reference points that aren’t perfect, but are still pretty useful. There’s always something more to learn about wine; an unending pedagogy — or Pinogogy, for our purposes.

Hence, below on this page, you will find explanations to the tags (grapes, regions) placed on the main blogroll tasting notes. Ridiculous-sounding wine jargon will probably find a way up too. If I haven’t gotten around to a listed term, I apologize. It’s coming.

These are just the basics, written off the top of my head and could be off-colour depending on how many glasses I’ve had prior to writing. Questions and suggestions for more terminology are always welcome.

-JW

Acid[ity]

I talk about this one a lot. The easiest way to picture acid is as the part of wine that helps it mature, while also counterbalancing its other major parts of ‘fruit,’ sugar and alcohol. For example: a sweet wine with little acidity and alcohol may taste “fat” or “flabby;” or a wine with too much acid and not enough fruit may taste “tart” or “bitter.” There are different types, especially tannic acid, most of which you can taste on the side portions of your tongue and inside your lips. Grapes naturally vary in how much acid they’ll contain, and adding acid to wine in warm climates is a very normal practice. Some of my favourite acid-level descriptors are “nervy”, “wavy,” and “straightforward.” “Electric” and “laser-like” used to be on the list, but I’ve seen them too many times. It’s tough to get a bead on how acid affects the longevity of wine without practice, but if you ever want examples, look to well-made Pinot Noir, Riesling and Chenin Blanc.

Argentina

South American neighbouring Chile, just east of the Andes mountains. As a wine-making country, Argentina has grown exceptionally fast both in volume exported, and in reputation of quality. Argentina’s global position really only emerged in the late 20th century; for decades the wines were considered sub-plonk and fit only for local consumption. The languished Bordeaux grape Malbec has become the Argentine flagship, but many international varieties have found a home there. Vineyards are commonly planted at high-altitudes (among the highest in the world) to curtail the otherwise offensive heat.

Argentina: Mendoza

The largest-exported provincial region of Argentina. Also the name of the McBain’s arch-nemesis on The Simpsons. Chances are, if you’re drinking an Argentine wine, this central-province is the source. Soils aren’t particularly complex and the fruit is consistently ripe. (That translates to high-alcohol, deep colour, and lots of jammy fruit. New World-core.)

Argentina: Mendoza: Uco Valley

Somewhat overlooked section when stacked against the typical ‘Dozers. Situated a little more south-westerly than the central portion of Mendoza, the Uco Valley scrapes the skyline and exists as a pocket of Cool-Climate growing in an otherwise warm-Continental landscape.

Barbera

Like a lot of Italian grapes, Barbera’s strength lies in good acids, fruit and vitality. Imagine it’s Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, right down to the ruby-coloured slippers. In fact, Barbera would be Dorothy; Sangiovese would be the Tin Man; Nebbiolo would be the Scarecrow; and Montepulciano would be the Cowardly Lion. You don’t put those grapes all together in Italy, but you could in your cellar. Barbera’s found in a few Piedmont DOCs and abroad in places like California, but its appeal is generally limited (even though I’d argue it shouldn’t).

Cabernet Franc

Chain-smoking parent grape to Cabernet Sauvignon often shunned by the wine drinking community. (Sauvignon Blanc was the other parent of the natural field cross-pollination/faux-scandal.) Cab Franc is marked often by herbaceous aromas of tobacco leaf and nettle. While it’s capable of showing any number of the standard ‘dark’ fruits like plum, currant, or blackberry, it’s often just as likely to throw underripe green pepper qualities. When blended in Bordeaux its volumes are kept minimal, as the aromas can often quickly overwhelm a cuvée. Can be compelling if you accept the fact that it lacks the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon, the fruit of Merlot, the ethereal perfume of Pinot Noir, and the sex appeal of Syrah. Very respected in pockets of the Loire.

Canada

Newbies to the world [quality] wine stage with very limited land usable for grape-growing. Famous for Icewine and hockey, but have yet to properly integrate the two. The official wine standard-bearer is the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA), which currently recognizes the vinous efforts of British Columbia and Ontario. Nova Scotia could join their ranks, as could Quebec, but it’s unlikely given the climatic challenges.

Canada: Ontario

Province wedged –more or less– into the North-Eastern United States and home to that famous Niagara Peninsula Icewine. 4 designated viticultural areas (DVAs) are limited to the Niagara Peninsula, Lake Erie North Shore, Pelee Island, and Prince Edward County. Though exceptions abound, Niagara Peninsula may be considered the quality leader of the pack, boasting a local cool-climate education centre at Brock University.

Canada: Ontario: Niagara Peninsula

Recently sub-divided, North-facing vine growing area formerly known for its tender fruit industry. The relatively small area is moderated between the Niagara Escarpment and deep Lake Ontario, though the proximity to the more southerly Lake Erie doesn’t hurt. The most prominent export is Icewine, but other cool-climate varietals like Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir may find international favour in time. Some are championing Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, but I’m not quite as sold. Quality has taken significant leaps since the turn of the century with the influx of educated winemakers from Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute.

Canada: Ontario: Niagara Peninsula: St. David’s Bench

Limited NP sub-appellation, in, believe it or not, the drive-thru town of St. David’s. Between Chateau des Charmes, the Lowrey grapes that go to Creekside, and the new successes at Ravine Vineyard, there’s an argument to be made for the quality of the reds coming from this area. Slopes and apparently complex soil would have a lot to do with this (if classical winemaking tenets hold true).

Canada: Ontario: Niagara Peninsula: Twenty Mile Bench

Sub-appellation in the NP, located in Vineland’s sweet-spot: Short Hills Bench to the East, Lincoln Lakeshore/Creek Shores to the North, Beamsville Bench to the West, and bracketed by the Niagara Escarpment on its southern edge. Odd to think we still use miles… what happened to kilometers?

Carignan/Carignane (US)/Carignano (Italy)/Cariñena (Spain)

The short end of the vine-stick. Once popular grape which is now more-or-less reviled and used mostly for blending. Liable to produce high acids with seemingly little elegance. High yielder… yes, it puts out.

Chardonnay

If ‘Times New Roman’ were a grape, this would be it. (’Calibri’ in Vista.) Hmm, that idea’s more true than I first thought. Check it out: most wine made from Chardonnay today is often sturdy and often plain-as-day; most customers look to it first, before other grape types; in the cellar, you can manipulate it to underline certain features (lees contact), make it more bold (oak contact), or leave its potentially streaky, italicized acidity in check (don’t allow malo-lactic fermentation). Its flavours can range from apple and citrus in cooler climate to ripe, tropical fruits in warmer regions. Thanks in part to the popularity of the latter style, Chardonnay can be seen as a ‘colonizing’ grape planted in developing, often-warm wine-regions. Chablis, which is part of Burgundy in France, produces fine, citric and mineral-driven examples. Chardonnay in most other parts of the world tends to be modeled after the plump, oaky and tropical-hued Californian examples from decades past.

NB: Both of these last statements are generalizations. Oak is creeping into some Chablis just as some Californian producers are taking their feet off the oak-pedals, but if you’re looking for a typical-regional styles, there we have it.

France

Really? You haven’t heard of France? The Mecca of winemaking and grape-growing, neighbouring other classic regions of Spain, Italy and Germany? With nearly each of its unique subregions home to almost every type of classic wine style and- no, you’re probably joking, surely you know about France. Everybody knows about France even if they can’t afford its best wines.

Garnacha (Spain), Grenache (France and abroad)

Originally Spanish, late-ripening grape that’s probably more famous in the France’s Southern Rhône appellations (like Chateauneuf-du-Pape, for example), and has gained ground in Australia recently. Similar to Tempranillo in that the fruit and acid should be noticeable, although it’s more of a softening component to Tempranillo when blended. Principal grape in Priorat, where the 100-year old+ vines make some well-regarded wines. A new style of branding out of South Australia is to list Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes as “G-S-M” — a neat take on those first-tier Rhône varietals, albeit sounding a little Dow-Jonesish for some.

Lees (Contact)

Lees are spent yeast cells which have retired to the bottom of barrels and tanks. Lees contact is generally considered a good thing. Have you ever made bread? You start with yeast; that doughy, bready, heady, Arrowroot-cookie-like stuff. Same principle. You improve mouthfeel by giving a little texture - this is exacerbated when combined with oak. Cleaning lees is a real pain though, which is probably why winemakers leave the wine “on the lees” as long as they do… (’til the seasonal help gets there to clean it for them! Just kidding winemakers, much love. Please don’t stop making wine.)

Malo-lactic Fermentation

A secondary, bacteria-induced fermentation which usually occurs in-barrel to soften a wine. The name derives from the process itself where ‘malic acid’ converts to ‘lactic acid’. The difference is very noticeable in Chardonnay, but many, many reds undergo the process without the same type of hype/promotion. In Latin, mallum means apple. (You can imagine what malic acid might be like when you’re biting into those fresh, Granny Smith apples.) Lactic acid is like, you guessed it, a classic alternative to soy-milk… plain old lactose.

Merlot

Merlot might be the flagship grape of the New World. French examples are considered excellent, although the praise is mostly directed Bordeaux; less so to the Languedoc. In Bordeaux’s Left Bank it takes second fiddle to Cabernet Sauvignon, while in the Pomerol and St Emilion districts of the Right Bank it receives first chair. California’s Napa Valley, Washington State’s Columbia Valley, New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, and portions of South America have found great success with the grape even though it’s one of the world’s most widely grown grapes. [And then, everyone asks,] Why didn’t Miles like it in Sideways? Simply, it’s popular, fruity, and accessible in youth. Lots of dark plum and other berries are standard markers, with a generally light structure, but it does carry weight well in big, New World examples. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon have become so recognizable that in many cases it’s purchased solely on the name. That, along with its wildfire-style proliferation make it a very easy target.

Mouthfeel

I’ll take “Potent Potables” for $200, Alex. “The sensation we get from wine in the mouth.” What is…

Oak

We talk about oak a lot in winemaking… basically, it’s an accepted form flavouring which has roots in European winemaking, but back then they didn’t use it for flavouring. The old guard used oak barrels for making their wine because it was practical. Large barrels don’t impart nearly as much flavour to wines as the small, 225L “barriques” used today. Oak and oak-alternatives are almost signature to ‘New World’ wines. While there are exceptions, like New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc made in stainless steel tanks, it’s certainly become the norm for many grape-varietals. Oak chips, tea-bags, stave-inserts, and even ‘oak sausages’ (inserts for old barrels) are the more cost effective options if you want to cut winemaking costs. Flavours like vanilla, toast, mocha, cedar, smoke and graphite (among many others) are all related to oak in some form, be it the wood or the amount of charring it receives in production.

Pinot Noir (France)/Pinot Nero (Italy)/Spätburgunder (Germany)/Blauburgunder (Austria)

Oh boy… the film Sideways (inspired by the less enthused book of the same name) brought so much association to the grape that its historical — and even biological — qualities are overlooked. Things to know include: 1. Curmudgeon of a grower that favours cooler climates like the Côte de Nuits in Burgundy, Willamette Valley in Oregon, Russian River Valley in California, Niagara Peninsula and Prince Edward County in Ontario, and Central Otago in New Zealand. 2. Ideally light-coloured and often low in alcohol, but ethereal in aroma and scope of acidity. 3. Its potentially high acid levels make it very welcome in Champagne for their bottles labelled Blanc de Noirs. 4. The most inexpensive are often poorly made wines, and the most expensive are often the richest experience. The ceiling is high however, and shouldn’t be explored until you’ve already given your life over to wine and don’t care that you could probably be buying a few months worth of groceries with the amount you’re paying for a bottle of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. 4. Aromas and flavours include violets/roses, raspberries/strawberries, cassis/blackberries, plums/cherries, and classically, animal/barnyard/feces. (Wine critic Anthony Hanson wrote in his book, Burgundy, “Great Burgundy smells of shit.” Much of science has since identified all that poop as bacterial/microbial fault though. Hmm…) 5. Mutating varietal, related in varying ways to Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay. It’s high up on the family tree though, so one would expect greater character from Pinot Noir than its relatives and kin.

Riesling

Saviour grape for climates on the precipice of quality vine-growing like Germany and Canada. Good Riesling needs to show its acidity; often this can be complemented by residual sugar and low alcohol levels. Classic Rieslings from the Rheingau or Mosel-Saar-Ruwer are grown on slate-heavy soils and often show qualities of mineral, but in almost any soil the flavour spectrum tends toward green citrus and some tree fruits like peach (especially when ripe). Everyone loves talking about how petrol emerges in maturity although less enjoy drinking it. When well made, one of the few ageable whites, especially in examples of dessert wines.

Sauvignon Blanc

White grape which has become both a cash-crop and an icon-wine for a once-dismal New Zealand industry. (I abbreviate it as NZSB frequently, actually.) At some point in my education, I recall hearing that the “sauvignon” is related to the French “sauvage,” or savage. While anecdotal, the word-history has a bit of relevance as the grape is soundly acidic with a zest mistakable for joie-de-vivre. The typical markers for its wines are zesty and herbaceous — grassy, gooseberry, some citrus, etc — sounds more savage than not. The examples of the wine vary widely by site, however. NZSB is typically unoaked and pungent; white Bordeaux wines (especially from Graves) contain Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon and vary in their structure/oak content; excellent examples from the areas Pouilly-Fumé and Sancerre have been classically unoaked and defined by a soil-based mineral quality; California has its own history with the grape, with the late Robert Mondavi pioneering an oaky Fumé Blanc style. Tropical tones can emerge in warmer climates, whereas unripe Sauvignon Blanc can be (to my palate) excessively herbal. Like Chardonnay, it’s a grape which has undergone substantial stylistic change in its swings of popularity.

Spain

Because there are so many variables with Spain, let’s stick to the basics. It’s hot in the North and even warmer in the South. The Mediterranean really comes alive here. Garnacha, Tempranillo, Monastrell, Airen (the useless but plentiful grape), Albariño, Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo, Palomino and Pedro Ximenez are all uniquely national grapes that come to mind. The fortified Sherry is made in the southwestern Jerez area, while premium reds abound nearly everywhere else, particularly in La Rioja, Priorat, and Ribera del Duero. Rías Baixas, located just above Portugal on the West, has a more Maritime climate and nice some whites. Since irrigation was allowed in 1996, more and more areas have undergone cultivation, although with global warming and projected worldwide droughts I’d care not to invest there — it is a BIG magnet for global-minded winemakers though nowadays. Sparkling wine is called Cava, and is mostly localized to Penedès in the Cataluña area. (And that is probably the most impressively brief description I can give.)

Spain: DO/DOCa: Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva

Labelling that may be applied to Spanish wines pending specific aging requirements.

Crianzas must be held for 2 years; a minimum of 6 months in barrel and a minimum of 6 months in bottle, except in Rioja and Ribera del Duero which require 12 months in barrel.

Reservas must be held for 3 years; a minimum of 1 year in barrel and a minimum of 2 years in bottle.

Gran Reservas must be held for 5 years; a minimum of 2 years in barrel and a minimum of 3 years in bottle.

So many minimums!

Spain: Rioja

‘La Rioja’ is a very warm north-central Spanish wine region that I’m really starting to dig. Tempranillo and Garnacha are the traditional stars, but international varieties have been creeping in steadily. When thinking about the bigger picture, Riojas are held in high esteem along with ‘Priorat’. Divided into the three districts Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa, and Rioja Baja, all pretty darned close to the Oja river. Back in the day, American oak was used almost exclusively for ageing, but French oak (along with other modern techniques) has made that distinct Rioja-feel just a little less distinct these days… on the plus side, those modern wines are flippin’ tasty.

Syrah (France)/Shiraz (Australia)

Syrah’s such a pain in the butt. It all goes back to expectations. The classically-best Syrahs from France’s Northern Rhône (in Côte-Rotie, and also a little more southerly in Hermitage) don’t always match their more contemporary counterparts in Australia’s Barossa Valley. While they’re both capable of creating wines more imposing than the Olympian statue of Zeus, the French examples tend to lean on earth, mineral, game meats and licorice tones to complement any dark fruits. Australian Shiraz is almost uniformly bold, with bright jammy fruits and, while it can show plum/blackberry/etc, you’re more likely to find high oak-extract, and some sweetness to hide high alcohol levels. It’s just an exercise in style. And that said, they don’t have to be beefy, full-bodied wines; many can be excellent medium-weight drinkers. But if you look at what’s selling these days…

Tannin/Tannic Acid

Drying sensation in wine comparable to licking rocks, rubbing against stubble, pulling hair with split ends, or listening to some Metallica albums. (And I used to like Metallica!) The astringency comes from a various acids and various sources, including grape skins, grape seeds (a.k.a. pips), grape stems, and even some parts of barrels. Oversteeping almost any type of Black Tea is a great way to taste tannin at play. Tannin mellows out in time, often making a much smoother drink. Rarely an allergy despite what people think (sorry).

Tempranillo

Spain’s bad-boy, flagship grape and God-willing, the new ‘it’ wine. Often blended with Garnacha (Grenache), this is the grape that lights up Rioja, and a good amount of the international-style blends in the Ribera del Duero. Like anything else the style and flavours vary, but one could hope for lighter, brighter cherry fruit and acidity than most of the dark coloured and textured New World bombs.

Torrontés

For what we see in the North American market, this is likely to come from Argentina, and likely to be extraordinarily perfumed. Think of a heady Gewurztraminer taking a moderately warm bubble-bath, drying off in a big fluffy towel. I’ve heard this compared to Pinot Grigio, but haven’t had an example that syncs up properly.

Varietal

Fancy way to say variety, referring to a grape type. We always have to make wine classy, don’t we?

Vitis Labrusca

Concords are a great example of this species of grape. These are North America hybrid-grapes that really only serve bottled grape juice companies, if not the supermarket produce section. If you receive a bottle of wine made from labrusca grapes, thank the person who gave it to you, and remember to remove them from your address book.

Vitis Vinifera

Latin species name for ‘wine bearing grapes,’ which are considered the most classic and superior for wine production. (You can tell it’s Latin because of the Italics, right?) While you can probably list the most popular vinifera on a pad of paper, there are plenty of obscure varietals. The normal human being doesn’t need to learn much more than that.

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To be filed and defined (not defiled):