Living in Cape Town with the Winelands on our doorstep means easy access to some of the best wine in the world – and occasionally you may want to talk about it.
We’re not suggesting you become a droning wine snob, but it’s only useful to brush up on your lingo so you’re not totally confused when people talk about blend, bouquet, vintage and varietal.
In the spirit of harvest season, and in tribute to our beautiful Winelands, let’s talk some wine talk.
Amid a vast glossary of important terms, there are seven that will help you hold your own in wine conversation. Know these, and you know the basics…
Blend The process whereby two or more grape varieties are combined after separate fermentation.
Bouquet The sum of a wine’s aromas; how a wine smells as a whole; a key determinant of quality.
Corked A wine with musty, mushroomy aromas and flavours resulting from a cork tainted by trichloroanisole.
Nose Synonymous with bouquet; the sum of a wine’s aromas
Terrior A French term for the combination of soil, climate and all other factors that influence the ultimate character of a wine.
Varietal A wine made from just one grape type and named after that grape, for example, Sauvignon Blanc.
Vintage A particular year in the wine business; a specific harvest.
Source www.winemag.com
Photography HSMimages.co.za
