Aroma
Aroma is the scent of wine, but not just any scent. It's the scent that travels by a secret path from your nose to your mouth. We also say "aroma" when we're talking about the smells of the grapes that turn into wine, but not the smells that come with ageing. French: arôme

Bâtonnage
This process consists of stirring the lees of the wine during vinification in the barrels with a rod to bring them back into suspension. This stirs up the lees, which encourages fermentation and gives the wine volume and ageing potential.

Biodynamics
This is a somewhat different approach to vine cultivation, inspired by the ideas of a philosopher called Rudolf Steiner. The techniques used are designed to amplify the action of photosynthesis and act on the roots of the plants to strengthen their resistance rather than fight disease. This translates to biodynamie in French.

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Destemming

Grapes used to make red wine are frequently destemmed, a pretty self-explanatory word for a process that involves removing the stems from the grapes as they can give the wine harsh vegetal-tasting tannins. The French word is égrappage.

Empyreumatic
This is the fancy word used to describe a family of aromas that recall smoky, grilled, roasted and burnt smells. It's a bit like what you might smell after a barbecue. Same word, different spelling in French: empyreumatique.

Fermentation

Alcoholic fermentation
This is the first fermentation of grape juice where the sugars are converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide by the action of yeast.
French: fermentation alcoolique

Malolactic fermentation
This is the second fermentation during which malic acid is transformed into lactic acid. This fermentation makes the wine more supple and removes acidity.
French: fermentation malolactique

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Grand Cru
This French term for ‘Great Growth.’ In the Burgundy and Alsace regions this refers to the highest designation for a vineyard. In the Champagne region the word refers to the villages which may sell their wines for 100% of the asking price.

Herbaceous
A green, vegetable smell in wine that is not considered a positive attribute when it is more than subtle. The French equivalent is herbacé(e).

Ice Wine
This intense desert wine was produced using very ripe grapes (without Botrytis) that were frozen on the vine. The frozen water is removed during pressing, leaving a very sweet must. In French it is known as vin de glace.

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Light-struck (taste)
The light-struck taste is a fault occurring in light-exposed white wine responsible for a cabbage-like aroma. The French translation is lumière (goût de).

Lees
Lees Residual matter consisting of impurities (e.g. dead yeast or harvest residues) that settle to the bottom of vats. The French spelling is lies - and that’s not a fib ;)

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Must
The crushed grapes and juice that will be fermented into wine. In French this is called mou de raisin.

Noble Rot
Another word for Botrytis Cinerea. The mold that is responsible for the world's greatest dessert wines. It causes micro lesions in the grape skins and removes the water from inside the grape resulting in a fruit with a much higher ratio of sugar. The mold can also attack dry wine vineyards (it this case it is called Grey Rot). In French, Botrytis is called pourriture noble and pourriture grise respectively.

Oxidation
This is the reaction of the oxygen in the air on the must and wine during the vinification process. Too much oxidation spoils the wine, it is particularly harmful to white wines.
The French spelling is oxydation.

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Punching down
The cap of skins and pips is gently pushed into the juice to help extract the tannins that give the wine its colour. The cap of skins and pips is gently pushed into the juice to help extract the tannins that give the colour. This technique is very common in Burgundy. The French term is pigeage.

pH

You might have come accross the total acidity (TA) in a wine. The pH is the meassure of how strong the acid is in wine, basically, the lower the number, the stronger the acid. In dry table wine the range, very generally, is around 3.1 - 3.6.

Rancio
This Spanish word defines the nutty, roasted flavours that some wines take on after long, slow oxidation, such as yellow or sherry wines. It’s the same in French, in a rather odd twist in wine jargon,it literally means "rancid" in Spanish.

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Sulfites / Sulfur
Sulphur is a misunderstood yet vital element in winemaking. Used cautiously, it combats fungus, eliminates bacteria, and ensures proper fermentation. However, excess can spoil flavour. Strict laws govern its content due to its impact on taste and aroma. Careful application keeps levels minimal and safe. In French: sulfites/soufre

Tannins chemical compounds found in the skins and seeds of grapes responsible for the astringent, bitter, raspy or dry mouthfeel associated with red wine. They give structure to the wine and play a role in colour and ageing. Two possible spellings in French, tannins or tanins.

Ullage
The volume of air that arises within a barrel or bottle as a result of evaporation. In the case of barrels, the wine lost is replenished to prevent oxidation (known as "topping"). From the French ouillage.

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Vat
An alternative term for a tank. It serves as a vessel for fermenting, storing, and blending wine. While wood was a conventional material for centuries, it gave way to cement vats, which have predominantly been succeeded by stainless steel vats equipped with contemporary temperature regulation.
The French equivalent is cuve.

Woody
When a wine has benefitted from extensive ageing in a barrel it takes on the barrel taste and is coined as woody. The French translation is boisé.

Yeast
The single cell organisms that are responsible for fermentation.
French: levure(s)

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