Victoria Wine and Food

The rule of thumb in selecting proper wine for a particular food is whether to go for complimentary flavor or flavors that contrast. For example, a dish with citrus would be complimented by a fruity wine; a hearty stew would go well with a full-bodied wine; and a delicately flavored dish, such as poached sole, would be good in company with a dry crisp wine.

Whereas a rich cream sauce would contrast nicely with a highly acidic dry wine; and a simple snack or sandwich or bread and cheese would tastes great when paired with a complete full-bodied red wine.

A wine high in Tannins (Bordeaux, for example) paired with a food high in tannins (like walnuts) will render the wine almost undrinkable, dry and unpleasant. Protein tends to calm tannins, so a very tannic wine might be rendered glorious when paired with rare beef. Delicate foods- veal, or fillet of sole for example, will be overwhelmed by a full-bodied red wine. By the same token a hearty lasagna will virtually cancel out a dry, medium-bodied sauvignon Blanc.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON
The grape responsible for the wines of Bordeaux's Medoc region, arguably some of the finest red wines in the world. It performs well practically the world over, as long as it's not too cold, but in certain appellations in France, and more recently in California's Napa Valley, it produces wines that astonish with their richness and complexity. The classic cabernet flavor is one of deep, dark fruits, primarily black currant (cassis) and the best are medium to full bodied intense and firm. Cabernet sauvignon is almost always aged in oak for over a year, and should age several more years in the bottle some of the best cabernets are fro Medoc region in France, aged for 15 years or more.

ZINFANDEL
Zinfandel is a "New world" grape variety that has been around for a long time. It is the one variety that some say is indigenous to California. Since its mysterious origins of long ago. Zinfandel has come a very long way. Once considered a lonely step-child to more Nobel grape, California winemakers lately have been paying close attention to its potential and consumers have responded with a cult following. The good thing is that along with the high quality, there was high quantity. These wines are out there and they are worth finding. Look for Zinfandels from Napa, Amador and the Sierra Foothills. Sonoma in particular, was charmed. Look for Russian River, Alexander Valley and Dry Creek Valley appellations. You will find wines that have depth, color, concentration and balance as well as those exotic spices so unique to zins. They are drinkable now, but will certainly not wilt in the cellar. Think three-cheese pizza, rib-eye steak and especially... summer barbecues!

CABERNET/MERLOT BLEND
We are using the designation Cabernet/Merlot blend to indicate those wines, which are often referred to as reserve bottlings, as special selections, as proprietary names (such as Opus of Insignia), or as "Meritage" blends. Wineries the world over are following the Bordeaux-established style of blending Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot (and sometimes a little Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot) to create a more complex wine. We have also included in this category wines from Oregon, Australia and California that are increasingly indicating on the front wine labels that the cabernet-based wine is a blend. These cabernet/Merlot blends are frequently the producer's finest bottlings.

CHIANTI
Around the medieval cities of Florence and Sienna in Tuscany is the region of Chianti. It is broken up into seven subdivisions: the most famous region is called Chianti Classico, and close on its heels, Chianti Ruffina; then Chianti Montalbano, Chianti Colli Fiorentini, Chianti Colli Senesi, Chianti Colline Pisane, and Chianti Colli Arezzo. Only the first two are commonly seen on labels. The Medici Grand Duke Cosimo III first defined the region in 1716; in the second half of the 19th century, Baron Ricasoli fixed the recipe for modern Chianti, which is a blended wine as are most French Bordeaux. The dominant grape in Chianti is Sangiovese, but it may also contain Cabernet Sauvignon and other grapes. Once famous worldwide as a simple, quaffing wine bottled in a straw basket, the finest wines of the region have always been packaged in a Bordeaux-shaped bottle. The Chianti wines labeled "Riserva" must be aged a minimum of thee years and are often fine, age-worthy wines that rank among the best red wines of Italy. Chianti, of course, is a perfect red wine to accompany most Italian cuisine; the best often feature hints of floral complexity in the bouquet, firmly structured medium-bodied flavors and balancing acidity.

ITALIAN RED
The red wines of Italy are hugely varied. Italy is in many ways even better suited for the vine that in France. From the Alps to the boot, Italy is one long ridge of mountains with coasts on either side, and vines love this. But one feature stands out in their reds: compared to New World wines, and indeed even to many French red wines, Italian wines tend to have higher acidity and taste tarter. They also often have a bitter component to the finish. These qualities make Italian wines some of the best wines to drink with a meal, but it also can mean that they aren't as fun for just sipping. Some of the outstanding Italian Reds are: Barolo, Barbaresco, and Barbera from the Piedmont; Merlot from the Fruili; Valpolicella and Amarone from the Veneto; Chianti, Brunello, and Vino Nobile di Montepuliciano, as well as various "supertuscans" from Tuscany; and Taurasi and Aglianco del Vulture from Southern Italy. In addition, scattered throughout Italy are many, many good value reds

PETITE SIRAH
Mainly grown in California, this grape is either related to the Syrah grape or to the nearly extinct Durif variety once grown in France's Rhone region. These are big, deep colored, full-bodied wines that age well, are high in tannin and have a peppery flavor. Although they are a fine stand-alone varietal, Petite Sirah grapes are often blended with Zinfandel to add complexity.

RED BORDEAUX Bordeaux is a region in France that produces some of the world's finest and most famous red, white and dessert wines. The greatest red wines of Bordeaux come from the Medoc, Graves, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol; dry white wines mostly from Graves; and dessert wines from Sauternes, Barsac and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont. The red wines are almost always blends, which include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with sometimes small amounts of Malbec and Petit Verdot. The white and dessert wines consist of mostly Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. Many of the world's most spectacular and sought-after wines come from this region, including Chateaux Lafitte-Rothschild, Mouton-Rothschild, Petrus, Cheval Blanc, Haut-Brion, Latour, d"Yquem, etc.

MERLOT Merlot wines have soared in popularity in the last decade, as they offer something for everyone: from light and simple wines to full-bodied and complex bottlings. Merlots are often less tannic and more lush than Cabernets, though still full-bodied, deep in color and fairly high in alcohol with flavors of cherry, plum and chocolate. Merlot is blended with Cabernet Sauvignon at almost all the great estates of France's Bordeaux region and is the dominant grape of St.Emilion and Pomerol: for example Chateau Petrus is almost 100% Merlot. Other areas where Merlot has been successfully grown (and frequently blended into Cabernets to produce a more complex wine) include northern Italy, California, Washington and the Rogue Valley Region of Oregon.

SYRAH/SHIRAZ Syrah is a rich, full-bodied, complex, spicy long-lived wine that thrives in the Rhone region of France and produces such famous wines as Hermitage and Cote-Rotie. It is the most popular red wine of Australia (where it is called Shiraz and is often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon) and is becoming increasingly popular in California (where it is replacing another Rhone grape called Petite Sirah in America). Syrah can be successfully blended with many other wine grapes (often to give them more backbone and structure); it also can be made in a variety of styles ranging from soft and medium-bodied with some berry characteristics to deeply colored, powerful monsters tasting of roasted peppers, black cherry and smoke. Like California Zinfandels. American Syrah can be full-bodied wines but often show more spice elements and less berry like fruit than Zins.

PINOT NOIR To grape growers and winemakers, Pinot Noir presents both the ultimate challenge and the ultimate reward. At their best, Pinot Noir grapes produce wines that are rich and complex, tasting of black cherries, red berries, earth and spice, with and aroma that's been likened to everything from herbs and cola to bacon and roses. Pinots can be high alcohol, light in color and low in tannin, though oak aging can increase the tannin levels. One of the most exciting developments in the world of wine is the recent advances Oregon and California winemakers have made in producing first rate Pinot Noirs, respectable rivals to the legendary red of French Burgundy, usually lacking depth, elegance, richness and texture. You may wonder why anybody would bother with such a troublesome, fussy, hard-to-grow, enigmatic grape, but at their best there is no wine in the world that can offer more seductive, velvety, complex flavors than a fine Pinot Noir.

CHARDONNAY
Chardonnay is to white wine what Cabernet is to reds. It is used to produce France's magnificent white Burgundies and is the main grape in Champagne. But Chardonnay also has a populist bent - in the last decade or so, it has become the world's most often-purchased dry white wine. Indeed, because of its great adaptability, it grows in nearly every wine-producing area of the world; some California Chardonnays are stellar examples of he genre. When Chardonnay wines are made with care, they are bold, rich and complex and taste of ripe figs and peach, honey and butter, hazelnuts and spice. The best are medium-bodied, medium dry and high in acidity. Chardonnays, more than any other white wine, love to be aged in oak.

VERMOUTH
Even though Vermouth is practically married to Gin, Vermouth is a fortified wine and not spirit. Because Vermouth is flavored with herbs, it is often not necessary to start out with fine wine. But some producers do use good quality wine as a base. It is made in as many different styles as there are producers.

WHITE BORDEAUX
There's white wine in Bordeaux, too! Typically made from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and bits of Muscadelle, white Bordeaux can be a fully dry table wine or, as in Sauternes, perhaps the greatest dessert wine on the planet.

SEMILLON
Semillon is one of the unheralded white in the world of wine. It plays a key role in white Bordeaux and in the dessert wine Sauternes, and it makes a great value white from Washington State. Semillon is also the grape responsible or "Hunter Riesling" or "Honey Hunters," one of Australia's wines. For a low-acid wine, Semillon takes to bottle age. Surprisingly well, and it's often inexpensive enough to make laying some down for five years or so very easy. In Bordeaux Semillon is used to fill out the leaner and higher acid Sauvignon Blanc, and the two complement each other very nicely. Semillon is often a brilliant gold wine with a soft, full, and sometimes even oily texture, and often shows a scent of figs. It can be made dry or sweet.

PINOT GRIS
Pinot Gris is a darkly colored white wine grape that evolved from the Pinot Noir. Originally a popular wine from Alsace (where it was once labeled Tokay) and northeastern Italy (where it is called Pignot Grigio), Pinot Gris has become one of the most successful wines grown in Oregon. Most versions are quite dry, but Pinot Gris wines can range from light and delicate to fairly full-bodied. Rarely barrel-aged, Pinot Gris wines tend to be dry and crisp, the perfect accompaniment to salmon and seafood. It can be rather subtle in both flavor and aroma, though the best examples are reminiscent of almonds, minerals and peaches.

PINOT BLANC
It was once believed that these grapes were related to Chardonnay but actually they are part of the Pinot family (Noir, Gris/Grigio). And though they are often compared to Chardonnays, they are less complex and flavorful. And as a rule don't lend themselves as well to aging. They produce dry, medium bodied wines with high acidity and hints of apple and spice. Pinot Blanc grapes grow well in France's Alsace region, and some very good offerings are coming from California.

MUSCAT
Muscat is a fascinating variety of grape, probably the first to be positively identified by ancient Mediterranean's. The Greeks called it anathelicon moschaton, and Pliny the Elder uva apiana, "grape of the bees." It has at least four principal sub varieties, and all of them are famously perfumed, redolent of musk, orange peel, and ripe table grapes. Muscat makes some of the best sweet wines, both light fizzy ones and heavy sugary ones, as well as fully dry table wines. It is grown all over the world, but some of the best come from Italy, France, Oregon, California and Australia.

ITALIAN WHITE
The white wines of Italy have suffered from identity problems. This is changing, and Italian whites are taking their place among the world's best. Italians are growing international varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio, as well as indigenous varieties like Vernaccia, Arneis, and Traminer (closely related to Gewurztraminer). Generally Italian whites are light, crisp, and fully dry: but some winemakers are beginning to make fuller-bodied wines as well.

SAUVIGNON/FUME BLANC
Crisp, high in acidity and light-to medium-bodied, Sauvignon Blanc is recognizable for its grassy, herbaceous flavor and aroma. When grown in warmer climates the flavors are more fruity, melon-like. The grape is important in California, New Zealand and Northeastern Italy, but it really shines in France's Loire Valley and Bordeaux regions. There it is used prodigiously as a blending grape and is responsible for the stand-alone varietals Sancerre and Pouilly-Fume. Though not as rich and complex as Chardonnay, this is a versatile grape, one that grows well in a number of places, responds well to oak or a lack thereof, and can be drunk young or aged several years. As well, it can make for some fabulous late-harvest offerings.

WHITE BURGUNDY
White Burgundy wines are almost always produced from the Chardonnay grape and come from two distinct regions: Chablis, which is located about 90 miles southwest of Paris; and from the Burgundian valley stretching south of Dijon all the way to Beaujolais. This most famous strip of vineyards includes the regional names cote de Nuits (mostly red wines), Cote de Beaune, Cote Chalonnaise and Maconnais. As with the red Pinot Noirs produced in Burgundy, the best vineyards tend to be halfway up the hillsides on shy, less-fertile chalky soils. Vineyards are divided into four classes: simple Bourgogne Blanc; wines labeled by the name of the village (also known as commune); better vineyards that are designated "premier cru"; and the very greatest vineyards called "grand cru". Montrachet and Cortron are two of the most famous (and expensive) white Burgundies; Pouilly-Fuisse is one of the most popular. However, lesser-known areas are often the best values in Burgundy and include St. Veran, Santenay, Auxey-Duresses, Mercurey, etc. White Burgundies generally have higher natural acidity than Chardonnays grown elsewhere. This acts as a preservative and French Burgundies tend to age longer and develop more with time than American or other Chardonnays. Burgundies will become darker in color with age, but pick up nutty, biscuity components in addition to the tropical fruit and vanilla apparent in Chardonnays worldwide.

CHENIN BLANC
Chenin Blanc, in recent years, has become the Rodney Dangerfield of California varietal wines: it's viewed as being somehow common, slightly uncouth and just can't get no respect. It is still one of the most widely grown grapes in California, but has largely disappeared from the most famous growing regions (such as Napa and Sonoma) because vineyard owners can get higher prices for Chardonnay and other grapes. Chenin Blanc is perhaps the Beaujolais of white grapes-the best examples (such as French Vouvray) have a beguiling fresh fruit character with hints of pears, peaches and fresh grapes that is utterly charming. Chenin Blanc can be made in a full range of styles from dry and crisp to semi-sweet and fruity to full blown late-harvest dessert wines (such as coteaux du Layon and Quarts du Chaume from the Loire) which can rival Sauternes in honeyed complexity of flavors and ageability. You can detect honey, straw and even exotic scents like oil of Bergamot (think Earl Grey tea) in the best examples. Chenin Blanc can also make charming sparkling wines, especially from Anjou and California. Chenin Blancs will even stand up to modest oak ageing. It is still a workhorse grape in California, and is frequently blended into Chardonnays and other wines to ad fruit and acidity.

ROSE
Perhaps best known in Provence and Tavel, rose is a great pink wine. Rarely super complex, and not to be aged, good roses are tart and fruity, and cut through the garlicky aioli so often accompanying fish and fish stews in the Mediterranean. Roses are also good choices for cold luncheons, picnics and buffets. They are made from red wine grapes, and during fermentation have minimal skin contact so they don't pick up too much color from the grape skins.

WHITE ZINFANDEL
White Zinfandel is a light pink "blush" wine made in California from early-picked Zinfandel grapes. The red grapes are quickly separated from their skins during crushing and fermentation so that the resulting wine is very light pink; thus white Zinfandels have far less color, alcohol and flavors than normally fermented Zinfandels. Because early-picked grapes tend to be high in acidity, most white Zinfandels are made in a sweet style (with various amounts of residual-unfermented-sugar) to balance the acidity. Sutter Home Winery (located in the Napa Valley) was one of the first wineries to promote White Zinfandels, which are simply a light rose wine.

SPARKLING
Following the model of Champagne, sparkling wines are made throughout the world. The best of them use the same method, with a second fermentation occurring in the bottle. Good sparklers come from other parts of France, Italy, Spain, Australia and California. The wines are crisp, lively, and full of apple and yeasty bread scents.

KOSHER CABERNET
Because of the mass marketing and availability of Kosher Concord grape wines, most Americans have the impression that all kosher wines are sweet and red. But more and more wineries from around the world are now producing kosher wines from fine varietal grapes. The rules governing the production of kosher wines vary slightly from place to place, but generally only Sabbath-observing Jews can handle the grapes and wine at the winery, and only 100% kosher materials may be used in the wine-making, aging and bottling process. Most of the newer kosher wineries are aiming to produce varietal wines that can compare and compete with nonkosher wines--in other words, wines that can be enjoyed for their quality as well as for the fact that they are kosher. See Cabernet Sauvignon for more information.

MADEIRA
Madeira is probably the most indestructible wine in the world. Historically the wines were fortified with alcohol, and then shipped by boat across the tropics in long sea journeys. This cooking what else can you call it? -Yielded the wine we call Madeira. Nowadays the wine is either artificially heated or, for the best, stored in hot attics. It's abused. And it's delicious. Te wine's name comes from the name of the island, a Portuguese possession in the Atlantic about 625 miles from Portugal. Negra Mole, Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malvasia are the major grape varieties.

MARSALA
Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily, made on the model of port.

PORT
Port is a sweet fortified wine from the grapes growing on the deep valley walls sloping down to the Douro River in Portugal. Its name coming from Oporto, Port is made from up to about 40 grape varieties, most of which are red. After a brief fermentation to about 6% alcohol, the still fermenting grape must is poured off into larger containers holding spirit, which kills the yeast and stops fermentation. The young wine is then shipped from the vineyards to the Port houses in Oporto, where it stays in barrel for a year or two. At that time a "vintage" can be declared, and the Port bottled with a vintage designation. This port virtually demands 15 or 20 years of bottle age. In order to have Port that is enjoyable at purchase or shortly after purchase, there are other "wood-aged" Ports, which have spend more time in cask. These can be young "Ruby" ports, aged "tawny" Ports (which will sometimes average up to 40 years in cask), and "Late Bottled Vintage" Ports. Port traditionally accompanies walnuts and Stilton cheese.

SHERRY
Sherry is a fortified wine from the area around Jerez, Spain ("Sherry" being the anglicized corruption of the word "Jerez"). Made primarily from the palomino grape, sherry is another of the world's great expressions of chalky soil (along with Chablis, Burgundy, and some Loire wines). With non-vintage Champagne, Sherry is also one of the great expressions of the blender's art. In the Sherry Bodegas, fractional blending systems called Soleras ensure a style of wine uniform from vintage to vintage. In the finest of these, space is left in the barrels of the solera for a special yeast called "flor" to develop and thrive. Sherries run from completely dry, light "finos" to nutty "amontillado" (remember "The Cask of Amontillado"? to rich "oloroso." The latter two are often sweetened and sold as cream sherry or other proprietary brands. Interestingly, because of the fortification and the exposure to air-Sherry essentially being oxidized already! -an open bottle of Sherry will last almost indefinitely. Sherry is the perfect wine for tapas.

Aftertaste:
The taste of a wine after it is swallowed. Also called the finish.

Alcoholic:
A wine that tastes of alcohol; hot, heavy.

Allier oak:
A fine-pored oak from the French department of the same name. It is a preferred oak for building barriques, and because of its sweet flavor it is often used for maturing chardonnay wines.

Ampelography:
The science of the grapevine.

Annata:
Italian for "vintage." Also: a young wine that is released after a few months.

AOC or appellation d'origine controllee:
The highest quality classification for French wines.

Assemblage:
A French term for the blending of wines from different lots or barrels or of wines with the same origin but from different grape varieties.

Assorted batch:
A wine in which several grape varieties are included at the fermentation stage.

Astringent:
Referring to taste, a rasping, dry quality, a puckering of the tongue, common in young, tannin-rich red wines.

Ausbruch:
A wine from Rust, on the Neausiedlersee in Austria, made of overripe or botrytized selected harvest grapes. The required must weight is at least 138� Oechsle.

Auslese:
Selected harvest, a high German designation (Pradikat). It is usually applied to sweet or nobly sweet wines, but may be used for high-grade dry wines. Required must weight: 90� to 100� Oechsle.

Barrique:
A wooden barrel of 225-liter capacity, once used only for Bordeaux wines but now popular all over the world.

Batonnage:
Stirring up the yeast in the barrel with a pole or baton. This method, originated in Burgundy, intensifies flavors in wines that are barrel-fermented.

Blanc de blancs:
A sparkling wine fermented from only white grapes.

Blanc de noirs:
A sparkling wine fermented from only red grapes.

Blending:
Mixing of different lots of wines, i.e., from different varieties or from different regions, into a new wine.

Botrytis cinerea:
Noble rot, a desirable mold for sauternes and select harvest and dry select harvest wines.

"Bottling sickness":
A term that might be applied to a recently bottled wine that still suffers from a disturbance of its aroma due to the bottling process.

Brick red:
A red wine with an orange-red color, color, which indicates that it has reached its highest point of perfection, or may even have passed it.

Cabbagey:
The obtrusive aroma given off by immature cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and merlot wines.

Cantina:
Italian for cellar or winery.

Cava:
A Spanish sparkling wine from the Penedes region.

Cave:
French for cellar and also for winery.

Chai:
A Bordeaux term for a barrel cellar at ground level.

Champagne method:
Bottle fermentation used in Champagne.

Chaptalization:
See Enrichment.

Character:
A wine with character stands on its own and does not follow fashions.

Charmat method:
A method of making sparkling wines without using bottle fermentation. Instead, the second fermentation of the wine takes place in large, pressurized stainless steel tanks.

Claret:
A term used in England for Bordeaux wines in general.

Clone:
Derived from the Greek word for branch, the term refers to a grapevine that was propagated by rooting a shoot from a selected plant.

Clos:
A good-quality, enclosed vineyard. A term used in Burgundy, where clos are often surrounded by walls.

Closed:
A young wine, whose greatness is still undeveloped.

Complete fermentation:
Dry as dust, without any residual sugar at all.

Cooler:
A light wine. This is a North American term.

Cr�mant:
A sparkling wine from some region in France other than Champagne, e.g., Alsace, Loire, Burgundy. The amount of carbon dioxide is lower than in Champagne by two or three atmospheres.

Cru:
An especially great vineyard location.

Cuv�e:
1. A high-value must from the first pressing in Champagne. 2. The assemblage of various Champagne base wines before bottle fermentation.

Cuvier:
French for a fermentation cellar.

Decanting:
Transferring the wine from bottle to carafe by slow pouring.

Designation of origin:
All European quality wines are legally defined by origin.

Diabetic wines:
A dry wine with at most 4 grams residual sugar per liter.

Domaine:
A French wine estate.

Early frost:
A frost at the end of October or the beginning of November may be desirable for the chance it offers of pressing ice wine.

Edelzwicker:
An Alsatian name for wines fermented from various different grape varieties.

Enrichment:
Adding sugar to the grape must to achieve a higher alcohol content in the wine. Also called chaptalization.

Estate Bottled:
A wine that was bottled on the wine estate where the grapes were grown and fermented.

Euro-dry:
Residual sugar in a Euro-dry wine can be anywhere up to 9 grams, according the EU formula of "acidity plus two." Thus a wine with 6 grams of acidity may be designated dry if it contains 8 grams of residual sugar.

Extract Sweetness:
Wines rich in extracts are often experienced as sweet even if they are completely fermented, that is, bone dry. The cause for this is their high glycerin content. Glycerin is an alcohol compound and an important part of extract.

Fattoria:
Italian for wine estate.

Finesse:
French for delicacy.

Fortified wines:
Dessert wines with an alcoholic strength of at least 15 percent. Free-flow must: The most valuable part of the grape must, which flows freely from the press after the first, gentle pressing of the grapes.

Full-bodied:
A heavy wine, rich in alcohol and in extracts.

Fum� Blanc:
A California sauvignon Blanc wine, aged in wood.

Grain Nobles:
High-quality Alsatian wines made of select-harvest and dry-select harvest grapes. Their Oechsle levels are at least 110�, and they can only be made of Riesling, Muscat, Gew�rztraminer, and pinot Gris grapes.

Grape juice:
One kilo of grapes yields about .7 liters of juice, also called must.

Green:
A term applied to wines with unripe acids.

Hard:
A term applied to wines with unripe tannins.

Heuriger:
1. In Austria: a wine pub attached to a wine estate. 2. Wine of the most recent vintage.

IGT:
Indicazione geografica tipica, a newish wine term in Italy corresponding to the French VDOS wines. Many of the high-class wines formerly classified as vini da tavola are now included in this category.

Integrated Pest Management or IPM:
A combination of pest control and restorative viticulture, which involves striking a balance between severity of the damage, prevailing atmospheric conditions, and the interaction between various pests, in terms of the health of the grapevines. It is supposed to be a way of reducing the uses of pesticides.

International grape varieties:
A common collective term for cabernet sauvignon, merlot, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, and chardonnay.

Johannisberger Riesling:
North American name for the Riesling grape variety.

Lese:
German for grape harvest.

Liebfraumilch:
A term used outside Germany for the simplest and loveliest German wines usually made of m�ller-Thurgau grapes, but also of Riesling, Kerner, and Silvaner.

Light:
A wine that has a low alcohol strength and low in extracts.

Long:
A wine that has a long-lasting aftertaste.

Maderization:
In Madeira, a deliberate oxidation by warming wine; in other wines, a fault caused by high storage temperatures. See also Oxidations.

Malo:
A short form of malolactic fermentation; also known as biological acid reduction, or secondary fermentation.

M�thode champ�noise:
Bottle fermentation method used in Champagne. Legally, other EU sparkling wines made by that method must be labeled methode traditionelle or methode classique.

Mill�sime:
French for vintage.

Mineral:
Descriptive term for the aroma of certain white wines, e.g., a few German and Alsatian Rieslings, as well as Pouilly-Fum�.

Must:
The juice of pressed grapes.

Must Clarification:
The use of various methods to clear the must before it is fermented.

Nachg�rung:
An undesirable continuation of fermentation of the wine after it is bottled.

Negative selection:
Picking out rotten grapes before the harvest.

Nervous:
Quality of a delicate, acidic wine.

Nobly sweet:
A term used to describe wines made of grapes affected by noble rot, shriveled, or frozen, in any case, very high in fructose.

Nose:
Bouquet.

Oenology:
The science of viticulture and vinification.

Oxidization:
Spoiled by long exposure to air. When a wine's extracts have been oxidized, it contains many aldehydes and smells tired, lacks freshness, and tastes of poor sherry. Wines very rich in alcohol, like sherry, Madeira, port, and Vin Santo, even marsala, are given a deliberately oxidized finish. See also Maderization.

Passito:
Wines made of dried grapes, for example, Sfursat (Valtellina), Amarone (Valpolicella), Vin Santo (Tuscany).

Peppery:
A typical aroma of Gr�ner Veltliner.

Perlage:
The bubbles of carbon dioxide as they escape up the glass filled with sparkling wine.

PH Value:
A measure of total wine acidity. Normal values are between 2.8 (tart) and 3.5 (mild).

Pomace:
The grape skins and pits after pressing. Pomace is processed as fuel, as organic fertilizer, or to make pomace brandy (grappa).

Positive selection:
The selection, after the harvest, of healthy or botrytized grapes for immediate vinification.

Pr�dikat wines:
The highest grade for quality wines in Germany and Austria. Wines qualify according to their must weight, and qualified wines may not be enriched. In Austria all nobly sweet wines are classed as Pr�dikat.

Pre-phylloxera:
Before the grape louse catastrophe hit European vineyards in 1870.

Pure-toned:
A wine with a clean aroma and taste, both typical of the grape variety of which it is made.

Quality wines:
This is the highest level of wines, according to the wine laws of the European Union. In France, 40 percent of all wines fall into this category (VDQS, AOC); in Italy, 15 percent (DOC, DOCG); in Spain, 25 percent (DO): and in Germany, 95 percent (QbA, QmP).

Quinta:
A wine estate in the port wine region of Portugal.

Rectified grape concentrate:
Concentrate of grape sugar in water, made of grape must and used for enrichment of wines. See also Enrichment.

Reductive:
A wine that is fragrant and slightly fizzy, having been vinified largely in the absence of oxygen.

Remuage:
In the m�thode champenoise, the process of repeatedly turning bottles of Champagne (often by hand). The bottles, placed head first in a stand, are gradually tilted so that the years settles in their necks.

Secondary fermentation:
Malolactic fermentation.

Semidry:
An EU term for wines with up to 18 grams of residual sugar per liter; for sparkling wines (extra sex), up to 20 grams per liter.

Short:
A wine without much aftertaste in the mouth.

Sommelier:
A wine water

Sparkling wines:
A generic term for Champagne, Cr�mant, Sekt, cava, spumante, and other wines with carbon dioxide.

Spritzig:
German term, now used internationally, for a wine with residual carbon dioxide.

Staves:
The bent boards that form the walls of a barrel.

Still wines:
Wines without carbon dioxide, as opposed to sparkling wines.

Succinic acid:
A fresh, dry fruit acid, which is found in small amounts In all wines, in addition to tartaric and malic acids.

Sur lie:
French for resting on the lees, a method for making white wines more intensely flavored and fresher.

Sweet reserve:
Preserved grape juice held for sweetening wines.

Taille:
A French term used in Champagne to refer to pressed grape must, as against the free-flow must, which is more valuable. The most valuable free-flow is called Cuv�e. The press must itself is then classified into the first and second tailles.

Tanning agents:
Tannins. Red wines contain high levels of tannins while white wines have much lower levels.

Tartaric acid:
A natural fruit acid that occurs in grapes, and increases with ripeness.

Tartrate:
A potassium salt that is precipitated by tartaric acid in the bottle as small white crystals, or argols. These do not affect the wine's taste.

Terroir:
A French concept in winemaking: a complex interplay of the soil and climate.

Troncais oak:
A very desirable oak from the forests around the city of Nevers. It is fine pored and has soft, sweet tannins.

Varietal:
A wine made of a single grape variety.

VDQS, or vin d�limit� de qualit� sup�rieure:
A French wine category for quality wines of the second rank.

Vendange tardive:
French for late harvest; a name for semidry or nobly sweet wines.

Vieilles vignes:
French for old grapevines.

Vigna:
Italian for vineyard

Vigneto:
Italian for vineyard

Vin de table:
French for table wine.

Vinification:
The process of making wine, specifically, pressing the grapes and fermenting the must.

Vino da tavlo:
Italian for table wine. Until 1996, many of Italy's best wines were deliberately and provocatively declassified as table wines by their makers in order to protest the inappropriate requirements for quality wines then in force.

Vintage:
The harvest of any one-year.

Vollmundig:
A full-bodied wine with an attractive alcoholic strength.

Vosges oak:
A fine-pored, relatively neutral barrel oak from the Vosges mountain range.

VQPRD, vin de qualit� produit dans une r�gion d�termin�e:
French wine category, corresponds to German quality wines of defined origin.

Weissherbst:
The German name for ros� wines.

Wurzelecht:
Old, ungrafted grapevines.

Broiled Meat:
Broiled or Roasted meat that is underdone is best complimented by a young, tannin-rich red wine. The pink juices and the wine will enhance each other beautifully. You might choose a Haut Medoc, a Crozes Hermitage, or a Chianti Classico Reserva. If the meat is charcoal-grilled, Rioja Crianza or a Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon would also serve well.

Braised Meat:
Meat that has been cooked slowly for a long time such as leg of lamb, calf's hock, or boeuf a'la mode, needs a powerful, slightly mature red wine: Ribera del duero Reserva, Brunello di Montalcino, Saint-Julien, or Pauillac. If the meat is cooked with herbs, the wine should also be spicier. A cotes du Roussillon or rioja would be ideal.

Pork:
Pork has less taste than other meat and is usually served in its cooking juices or with a sauce. It is a good thing to choose the wine to compliment the sauce. The best choice is a young, grapy not overly tannin-rich red wine. Consider a barbera from Piedmont, a Dornfelder from the Palatinate, or a strong California zinfandel.

Poultry:
Chicken, Turkey, and other poultry combine well with white or red wines, depending on the sauce. With the reduced cooking juices a red wine with a fine spicy aroma and fruit are very good.: you might consider a Australian Blaufrankisch. With a caramelized cream sauce, a soft, filling California merlot is fantastic, but a slim merlot from the Ticino is also a good choice. With a creamy sauce, a semi dry Riesling from the Rheingau or, even better, a dry gew�rztraminer, is fitting.

Game and wildfowl:
Wild Duck and wild pigeon have a strong, bitter taste. The wine that will not dominate but will provide a counterpoint is a dry, full bodied red wine with mature, sweet fruit. A burgundy would be best. To enhance a ragout of hare or a leg of deer, however, cabernet and syrah wines are preferable.

Delicate fish:
Noble fish served with Hollandaise or a sauce based on butter and white wine need a strong white wine with lots of substance to complement them. A full-bodied chardonnay from the Alto Adige or a soft, full-bodied sauvignon from California would do the trick. The buttery, creamy taste of such sauces really goes with the sweet glycerin melt that is the hallmark of any wine high in alcohol. A ten-year-old Mercault would be superb.

Oysters:
Oysters are among the most delectable seafood's. Often they are served with a glass of champagne. In fact, however, oysters water in the shells robs the Champagne of all finesse and clashes with its residual sweetness. With French fines de Claire oysters, a Muscats de Sevre et Maine is best; with Dutch Imperial oysters, a Chablis or sauvignon blanc from New Zealand is ideal.

Steamed Fish:
With fish the most important thing is the way it is the way it is prepared. Thus a steamed or boiled fish can take only a light, dry white wine. The salt in the fish sets off the fruit in the wine. Among the first choices are Rieselings, Entre-Dex-Mers, or Gruner Veltliner from the Wachau.

Crustaceans:
Crustaceans such as lobsters and langoustine are among the most and expensive of seafood's. Whether they are cooked with a sauce or just grilled, a high value chardonnay is always the first choice, whether from burgundy or from California. The fine sweetness of the extract and the vanilla tone of the barrique go very well with the delicate sweetness of the seafood.

Pates and Quiches:
With pates and quiches of made of fresh, spicy meat or fish, eggs, milk, and a crust, the wine has to have a lot of taste irrespective of whether it is white, rose, from Provence or an earthy Styrian Schilcher. If it Is red wine, then perhaps the best would be a medium heavy wine, like a red burgundy or an Austrian Blauer Burgunder.

Ham:
Wether air-dried or smoked, ham is salty. Salt makes tannins taste bitter. Therefore with ham; a wine must be poor in tannins- a Beaujolais, a Kalterer See, or simply a white wine. The Italians swear by the combination of ham and prosecco the Spanish insist that it must be ham and cava. Ham however also goes well with a Gustedel a chasselas, or a fresh rose from Provence.

Foie Gras:
Goose liver and duck liver are among the most expensive and most controversial item in the repertoire of haute cuisine. These French delicacies are traditionally served with sweet sauternes, majestic wines that have mighty sweetness and heroic alcohol levels to stand up to the fat content of fois gras and to aid in their digestion. Of course, sweet wines from Alsace, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and Australia are equally appropriate to the purpose.

Asian foods:
Its is not easy to find a wine that will complement Asian Cooking. The best foil to exotic spices like cardamom and chili is an Australian Shiraz or a semi dry to a fruity sweet Riesling from Germany. Their spicy sweetness nicely balances the piquant sweetness of oriental dishes. The white wines should be served cooler than usual. With curry it is possible to serve a dry sherry.

Blue Cheese:
Noble blue cheeses like Roquefort, Gorgonzola and Bleu d' Auvergne are traditional accompaniments to nobly sweet wines. In this group are the German Beeren and Trockenbeernauslesen, Austrian Ausbruch, Hungarian Toaky, and Alsatian Grain Nobles. The bittersweet base flavor of these wines is echoed in the blue cheeses. With Stilton, port, old oloroso sherry, and Banyuls from the south of France are all very good.

Parmesan:
An Ideal combination is ripe Parmesan with a good red wine. The spicy fatty taste of this hard cheese enhances the flavor of just any strong red wine, but especially the great Italian red wines Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino. This is so because fat neutralizes tannins. The heavies among the reds, the wines of the Rhone and from the Spanish Ribera del Duero, open up like magic in the presence of a small piece of Parmesan. It is particularly interesting to combine old mature red wines with this cheese.