Glossary

This glossary of English words and their French and Spanish equivalents is based on Janis Robinson, The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3rd ed. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006).

chaptalization (sucrage / azucarado) — The addition of sugar to grape juice or must before fermentation. Permitted in some areas when the glucose levels in the grapes are low because of insufficient sun.

direct producers (producteurs-directs / hibridos productores directos) — Hybrids, which do not need grafting.

downy mildew (mildiou / mildiu) — Introduced into Europe from America before 1878, causing havoc in France after 1882. “Bordeaux mixture” (bouillie bordelaise), a mixture of lime, copper sulfate, and water, was developed as an effective control.

first growth (premier cru) — A wine that is judged to be of the first rank according to a classification.

free-run wine (vin d’égouttage / vino de lagrima) — The juice obtained by crushing rather than pressing the grapes. It consists of 60–70 percent of the total juice available.

goblet (taille en gobelet /poda en redondo/ en vaso) — Free standing vine-training system, used extensively in low vigor vineyards in dry climates.

hybrids (hybrids / hibridos) — In viticulture, the offspring of two varieties of different species, rather than a cross between two of the same species. The American phylloxera-resistant vines were combined with the European vinifera varieties from the late nineteenth century.

layering (marcottage / acodadura) — System of vine propagation. A cane is trained from the mother vine, and buried to the normal planting depth, with the end bent upwards to where the new vine is required. The method was used frequently to replace vines in the pre-phylloxera vineyards.

plastering (plâtrage / enyesado) — Addition of powdered plaster to crush grapes to improve clarification, color, and conservation. The 1891 French law restricted its use, and winemakers turned to tartaric and citric acid. The system continued well into the twentieth century in Spain.

pomace (marc / orujo) — The debris of the grapes; with white wines it is unfermented, and with red wines fermented.

powdery mildew or oidium (oïdium / oidium) — The first of the vine fungal diseases, identified in 1834. Native to North America and noted in England in 1845. Caused major damage in Europe in the mid-1850s. Develops rapidly in warm temperatures (20–27°C) and little affected by humidity. It was quickly discovered that it could be controlled by dusting with sulfur.

sulfur dioxide, SO² (anhydride sulfureux / anhidrido sulfuroso) — Gas formed by burning sulfur in the air and “the chemical compound most widely used by the winemaker, principally as a preservative and a disinfectant.”

varietal wine — Term used for a wine made after the dominant grape variety from which is made. First used in California in the 1950s.

SELECTED GRAPE VARIETIES

alicante bouschet — High-yielding grape producing deep red wines. Created by Henri Bouschet between 1865 and 1885, crossing the petit Bouschet with grenache (alicante).

aramon — A variety that was planted on the flat, fertile soils of the Midi to produce high yields of low-alcohol red wines. It was mixed first with Spanish wines and later with those from Algeria to provide a cheap drink for urban areas in northern France. The low sugar avoided the fermentation coming to a premature end because of excessive temperatures in the vat.

carignac — Late-ripening black grape with high acidity, tannins, and color.