L I O C O


			Alcohol by Volume - The alcoholic strength of a wine, or concentration of the intoxicant ethanol. Although often overlooked by wine drinkers, alcohol and taste (or "body") are closely related. Alcohol is the product of fermented grapes sugars. Its concentration is tied to the grape's proximity to the equator. Generally speaking, the closer a grape vine grows to the equator, the higher the grape sugars, and consequently the higher the resulting natural alcohol. return Alexander Valley - The largest of Sonoma's vineyard valleys, Alexander Valley holds the Russian River watershed from the neighboring town of Healdsburg north all the way to the Mendocino county line. Its varied terrain makes for versatile grape plantings, although Cabernet and Chardonnay seem to be most at home here. Most of the plantings sit on a flat bench land which is bisected by the Russian river. The cooler sites, those in the apex of the valley abutting the Chalk Hill appellation seem to favor Chardonnay. return Ancient alluvial soils - Fine grained soils typically consisting of mud, silt, sand, gravel and stones deposited by flowing water on flood plains, in river beds, on deltas, and in estuaries. Where these soils are stony and sandy they are highly valued for viticulture (as in the Medoc region of France, and Marlborough, New Zealand). return Appellation - Also known as AVA, or American Viticultural Area, is this country's answer to the appellation systems used in Europe. AVA's are designated geographic areas recognized as named places for growing grapes. It is important to realize that AVAs do not necessarily indicate wine quality, and the appellation systems in Europe often do. As administered by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Trade and Tax Bureau (TTB), AVA's only designate geographic boundaries as grape growing areas. When the grapes in a wine have been grown within the boundaries of an AVA, the name of that AVA can be used on the bottle's label as an indicator to the consumer of the source of the wine. return Botrytis - Also known as "Noble Rot," this vine disease is responsible for some of the world's best sweet wines. Under the right conditions--damp, misty mornings followed by warm, sunny afternoons--the result is Noble Rot, which leaves grapes shriveled, dehydrated, and thus rich in sugar and unique Botrytis-derived flavors (often described as "honeyed"). It is an essential ingredient in Sauternes, Tokay and other sweet wines of Germany and Austria. Under the wrong conditions the result of infection is Grey Rot, not the least bit noble or desired. return Brix - A common measurement of the amount of natural sugars in grapes, expressed as "degrees brix" in America. Also, an indication of the potential alcohol in a wine when fermentation is completed. Generally the higher the brix in the grapes, the higher the alcohol in the finished wine. Brix is also an important indicator of ripeness, and a tool used to help determine when to harvest grapes. return Chalone - Though technically a part of the Monterey County Appellation, Chalone with its high altitude exposures and limestone and granite soils, is a world away from its counter parts on the valley floor below. Remote, arid, and windswept, this improbable growing area---described in Steinback's East of Eden---is home to rattlesnakes and feral pigs. Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the proven varieties, though newer plantings of Syrah, Sangiovese, and Marsanne have shown great promise. Vineyards sit at the base of the mysterious Pinnacle National Monument, high up in the Gabilan Mountain Range. return Chardonnay - Perhaps a brand unto itself, Chardonnay has captured the hearts of the wine drinking world. Planted around the globe, this malleable grape variety can produce myriad styles. Its most revered incarnations hail from the hamlets of Burgundy, France, such as Chablis, Meursault, and Puligny Montrachet. Though the "international style" of Chardonnay is often obscured by excessive oak barrel aging and malolactic fermentations, the Chardonnay grape at its best, clearly expresses its native soils. In California, it seems most at home in the cooler climes of the Sonoma Coast Appellation and its environs. return Cold-stable fermented - Temperature and temperature control are of great importance in winemaking. Most chemical reactions happen twice as fast if the temperature is raised by 18 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is for this reason that refrigeration slows down the reactions of harmful bacteria as well as the harmful effects of pre-mature aging. White wines are in general fermented at lower temperatures than reds primarily to preserve delicate grape aromas and acidity. return "Crushed Rock" aroma - Smelling of pulverized stone. Similar to "mineral" in character, this aroma speaks of a clean, fresh earthiness. return Granite soils - A coarse-grained, visibly crystalline rock composed of quartz and other minerals. Granitic soils are often of low fertility and rapidly drain, making them well suited to viticulture. Regions of note with granite based soils include: Moulin-a-Vent in Beaujolais, the northern Rhone, and the Dao region of Portugal. return Gravel soils - A pebbley soil perhaps most noted in Bordeaux's so-called "Left Bank." This porous soil effectively holds the heat of the sun and facilitates ripening. Gravel also produces rapid draining which stresses the vine and produces intensely flavored wines. return Hand-sorted - Also known as triage, this is the process of separating suitable grape clusters from non suitable prior to winemaking. Just picked grapes are typically spread out on a sorting table, or run along a slow moving conveyer belt while watchful eyes pull out the under-ripe, unevenly ripe, or rotted grape bunches. Hand-sorting is very labor intensive and requires proper training though its expense in often justified by superior wines. return Leo Hansen - see Winemaker return Lees - The particulate matter that settles at the bottom of a fermentation vessel. Lees are made up dead yeast cells, grape seeds, pulp, stems and skin fragments. Most wine is separated from the lees as soon as possible to begin the wine's clarification process. Some wines however, in particular white wines, may be deliberately left on the lees for some time to gain flavor and complexity. Fine wines left on the lees usually require less processing, as the lees themselves nourish the working wine and act as a natural preservation agent. return Lees contact - This wine-making approach is becoming increasingly popular. It is quite literally, leaving the unfinished wine in tank or barrel, in contact with the lees. Lees contact encourages malolactic fermentation and adds complexity to a wine's aroma and flavor. In Burgundy, France, home to many of the world's most exquisite Chardonnay's, it is common to aggravate the wine on the lees, a process known as battonage. return Limestone soils - Hard, alkaline soils composed of calcite. Impenetrable by most plant roots except though cracks, limestone soils are highly prized in viticulture, especially in cooler climates. The great wines from Burgundy are planted in limestone soils. return Limestone aroma - The chalky smell of these white rocks > > > return Liquid mineral aroma - An auspicious aroma often detected in relatively young white wine made from grapes that are not overly ripe, and produced under cold fermentation conditions. Perhaps best describes as a clean, earthy, flinty character. Classic examples of "mineral" can be found from Chardonnay in the Chablis, France, and from Riesling in Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany. return Lots - Also known as a parcel, a lot appoints a designated batch of grapes. return Malolactic fermentation - Often referred to as "malo" or "ML," this is a secondary fermentation that often happens spontaneously, but is sometimes induced by a yeast culture. Malic acid is one of the two main acids in wine (the other is tartaric) and is unaffected by the primary fermentation process. Malolactic fermentation turns the harsh Malic acid (think green apples) into softer Lactic acid (as in cheese). It softens wines and can provide added complexity. ML is frequently desirable in both red and white wines, but may be suppressed in either in order to keep a certain level of acidity. The decision on how to handle ML is made by the winemaker depending on the chemical composition of the grapes and the style of wine desired. return Michaud Vineyard - see Vineyard, "Michaud" return Michael Michaud - see Winemaker return Monterey County - It is common to discuss California wine county by county based on a general degree of wine quality. In Napa or Sonoma, for example, county-wide ambitions are singularly focused on the production of fine wine. In Monterey County, however, there exists two separate and very distinct wine worlds. The majority of Monterey County, situated on the valley floor between the towns of Soledad and King City, is dedicated to the economical production of bulk wines. Then there are the small appellations creating site-specific wines from compelling terroirs. Our own Michaud Vineyard Chardonnay from the Chalone AVA is one such example. return Native yeast - Also know as "Indigenous," yeasts are required for fermentation to take place. Typically, winemakers add yeast to the grape must to initiate fermentation. This gives the winemaker some degree of control in how the fermentations are conducted. Different yeast strains are bred to emphasize different actions, and they can have important affects on the character of the finished wine. Another approach, however, is to not add yeast, but to rely on the naturally occurring yeast cells to initiate fermentation. Called indigenous, native, or ambient yeast, these cells occur naturally in the environment, live on grape skins in the vineyard, and can dwell within the confines of the winery building itself. Winemakers may choose to use indigenous yeasts because they feel it is part of the natural cycle of winemaking, and that it is a part of the terroir, or specific character of the place where the wine is grown and made. It is also often the case that winemakers who wish to be as hands-off as possible, will prefer to rely on native yeasts rather than inoculate with commercial yeast strains. return pH - A measure of the degree of acidity, based on a logarithmic scale. Drinking-water is considered "neutral" between acid and base, with a pH of about 7. Solutions that have less acid (more base) have pH numbers above 7; solutions that have more acid have pH numbers below 7. Grape must and wine are acidic, with pH values frequently ranging between 3 and 4. Wine with lower pH if often perceived as sharp and acidic, while wines with higher pHs are perceived as flabby or flat. PH is used as an important measure of ripeness and must composition in the cellar. return Residual Sugar - Another statistic you might find on the back of a wine bottle. It refers to the amount of sugar left over after fermentation and is given in grams per litre. Below 2 g/l, the wine will taste bone dry. Bear in mind that the perception of sweetness is altered by the other flavor elements in a wine, such as acid, tannin and fruitiness. return Russian River Valley - Much of the Russian River's course winds through other AVA's in Sonoma and Mendocino. Only when the valley widens and turns west from Healdsburg, in Sonoma County does the river and its eponymous AVA become one and the same. Cool and foggy, the Russian River Valley was all but overlooked by early wine growers (mostly of Italian descent) who knew not to plant their hearty red varietals in such damp climes. Only recently (1970's) has the Russian River Appellation proved itself worthy with the Burgundian varietals of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which thrive under such cool conditions. return Sand soils - A sediment made up of particles larger than silt and clay. Sandy soils can be difficult to cultivate because of their poor ability to store water and nutrients. One advantage of sand is its naturally good protection from the potentially devastating vine louse, phylloxera. Sandy vineyards of note exist in the south of France, in Portugal, and in Hungary. return Site - Site is perhaps the single most important factor in grape production. It will determine not just geographic location, but also affect the yields, the grape varieties selected, and ultimately the quality of the wine. Site is therefore analogous to the widely adopted (French) notion of terroir-that is, all of the external influences on the vine including: soil depth, soil type, aspect to the sun, elevation, exposure to the wind, water table, and a myriad other microclimatic variables. When attempting to amplify the often elusive "voice of the vineyard," considerations about site must take precedent to winemaking itself. return Sonoma County - Easily one of California's most important wine counties. Sonoma wines often rivals and unseat those of its rival town, Napa. Sprawling, geographically and climactically diverse, Sonoma is a patchwork of AVA's and sub-AVA's, giving all but the most dedicated cartographer a challenge to master. The subtle differences from place to place can really only be defined by taste. Where Napa's geography and culture lends itself to public inspection, Sonoma offers escapism, a chance to remain elusive and wild. return Stainless steel tanks - The inert vessels used in wine making which have an advantage over wooden casks in that cleaning and temperature control is made easier. Most modern day white and rose wines, and many reds are fermented in stainless steel tanks. return Stuhlmuller Vineyard - see Vineyard, Stuhlmuller Vineyard return Total Acidity - A term used on labels to express the total acid content of the wine. The acids referred to are citric, lactic, malic and tartaric. Desirable acid content on dry wines falls between 0.6% and 0.75% of the wine's volume. For sweet wines it should not be less than 0.70% of the volume. return Unfiltered - The filtration of wine is a controversial issue. While it may be necessary for most commercial wines, too heavy a filtration can rob a wine of its complexity and its ability to age. It is, quite literally, the removing of particular matter from the wine, matter which contains inherent "goodness." A wine without filtration is more volatile however, must be properly stored, and throws heavier sediment. return Vinification - Also known as winemaking, it is the practical art of turning grapes into wine. return Volcanic-rock soils - Soils which are the product of volcanic eruptions. Variable in composition, these soils make up a wide range of soils types. Volcanic rocks are seldom found in major vineyard regions, though there are some notable exceptions: Baden and Pfalz in Germany, the famous dessert wines from Tokay of Hungary, and the Finger Lakes region of New York. return Yield - The yield is the amount of wine produced from a vineyard, and is usually expressed in hectolitres per hectare, or tons per acre. Yields vary according to the type of vine---some are heavy croppers, some yield less---and also with climate and soil. Yields may be influenced by the winemaker, who may perform a "green harvest," which is the practice of removing unripe bunches of grapes in midsummer in order to reduce the yield per plant and increase the grape quality. Unlike other plants which will abort excess fruit, such as the peach, the vine will try and ripen the whole crop, which if too large will increase the likelihood of producing a dilute wine. return Sources for Term Glossary: Johnson, Hugh and Robinson, Jancis The World Atlas of Wine, 2004 Kramer, Matt New California Wine, 2004 Robinson, Jancis The Oxford Companion to Wine, 1994 Wilson, James A. Terroir, 1998