Written on 11/08/2020
The language of wine
Wine has its own language. It is discussed as much as it is tasted. From the erotic to the scientific, the wine lexicon is vast and sometimes mysterious. We've heard the terms a thousand times without ever admitting we don't understand them. Here's a selection of words you need to know and master to talk about "wine" without getting your feet stuck in the vine...
A ROUND WINE
Roundness is an impression that wine leaves on your palate, a feeling of tranquillity between the grape and your tongue. If your palate were a house, a round wine would be a cat peacefully dozing by the radiator. It's a supple wine that doesn't assault your senses, a wine that's easy to love, with discreet, almost muted tannins. It whispers its aromas to you, politely suggesting them. It's up to you to listen...
A (slightly) GREEN WINE
On the contrary, green wine is a flaw. It's too acidic, because it comes from a premature harvest. But when it's just "a little green", it's almost a touching flaw. We forgive its harshness, just as we forgive a teenager for not mincing his words. And then, when it's not too pronounced, this flaw isn't enough to completely spoil the taste. We try to overlook it, to give it a few qualities. Green wine deserves kindness.
FUT (or barrel)
After removing three liters from their capacity, our Bordeaux cousins christened " barriques" (barrels) what we call " fûts" (casks). This is the barrel in which the wine ages. The quality of the barrel has a direct impact on the taste of the wine, as does its volume. When you enter a cellar, you're immediately tempted to imitate the Romans inAsterix and the Bretons and open them all to find out which one contains the magic potion. Come and visit our wineries, for lack of potion, we have magical wines!
SULFITES
So, fun's over, there's a debate going on. Sulfiting is the addition of a sulfurous solution (i.e. sulfur). Winemakers don't do it just for fun; it's simply to protect the wine from certain diseases and oxidation. In recent years, sulfite-free (or "natural", to put it mildly) wines have enjoyed a notable boom. They're less of a headache when abused, but they spoil very quickly, so it's best to drink them within the year. Life is made up of choices, so here's something to make you hesitate a little longer at the wine shop!
Here are a few dog-eared pages in the never-ending dictionary of wine. We could still have talked about dry wine, honest wine or phylloxera... but that's only part of the story!
