As a wine lover you will appreciate the fact that the world of wine can be both fascinating and confusing.

To help you understand the jargon better, here are five important terms, explained:

 

Malolactic Fermentation

Lacto-bacteria convert tart malic acid into creamy lactic acid in a secondary fermentation. When grapes are harvested they are high in natural malic acid – to soften this in red wine and some white wines (usually oaked white wines) they undergo malolactic fermentation. This produces smooth reds and rich, creamy whites.

 

Pigeage/Punchdown

This is the process of mixing the skins back into the juice during red wine fermentation. The carbon dioxide that is released during fermentation pushes the skins and pips up to form a cap above the wine. If the cap is left dry and exposed to oxygen the winemaker runs the risk of ascetic acid being produced, resulting in volatile acidity, a wine-fault. To prevent this, the skins were mixed through by foot. One of the added benefits, and one which is actively sought by winemakers, is the increased extraction of colour, flavour and tannin that pigeage encourages. In modern times this process is done manually with special tools or mechanically with pneumatic punchdown machines.  

 

Racking

The gentlest way of removing sediment and suspended particles in wine as it matures in barrels, racking is the process of pumping clear wine that has been allowed to settle into a clean barrel leaving sediment behind. This process is typically repeated three times before the wine is completely clear. Other methods of filtering include physical micro-filters and egg whites (which attract the protein particles suspended in the wine).

 

Residual Sugar

The basic equation representing fermentation reads: sugar + yeast = alcohol + CO2. Yeast micro-organisms literally consume and metabolise sugar in grape juice to produce alcohol, however the fermentation may stop before all the sugar is used up by the yeast. The remaining sugar is called residual sugar, and in South Africa anything with a residual sugar level below 5g/litre is considered a dry wine. The fermentation can stop before the sugar is used up for a number of reasons – yeast cannot live at high levels of alcohol, at very high or low temperature, or without oxygen.   

 

Tannins

Tannins are a class of phenol that is extremely common in the plant kingdom, and in winemaking specifically it refers to those found in the skin, pips and stems of the grape. Tannins do not taste of anything per se, but bind readily to protein such as those in one’s mouth. This reaction causes the astringency and mouth-puckering dryness that is characteristic of tightly structured young red wines. Tannins soften and lose their pronounced effect over time as they age in the bottle, and the same effect can be reproduced by decanting the wine and exposing it to oxygen. The oxygen allows the phenols to polymerise and become more complex, making it difficult for them to bind to protein and softening their perception on the palate. 

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