|
Balance |
The harmonization of
acidity, alcohol, fruit and tannins in a wine,
where good balance is created when no single
aspect of a wine overpowers another. |
|
Balthazar |
The common name for a 12
liter wine bottle. |
|
Barrique |
The standard barrel of
Bordeaux, which has a 225 liter capacity. |
|
Barro |
Fertile brown clay found
in the Jerez region of Spain. |
|
Batonnage |
Stirring the lees with a
stick to increase flavor extraction. |
|
|
|
Beerenauslese |
Rich, sweet dessert wines,
typically from Germany or Australia, made from
hand-selected grapes affected by Botrytis
cinerea. |
|
Bentonite |
An absorbent aluminum
silicate clay formed from volcanic ash used as a
fining agent to clarify wine. |
|
Bereich |
In Germany this is a
district within an Anbaugebeit that includes
many vineyards that produce wine with similar
characteristics. |
|
Bianco |
Italian for white. |
|
Blanc |
French for white. |
|
Blanc de Blancs |
A French term for a white
wine made from white grapes, used primarily to
describe a sparkling wine made from Chardonnay
grapes. |
|
Blanc de Noirs |
A French term for a white
wine made from red grapes, used primarily to
describe a sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir
grapes. |
|
Blush Wine |
See Rosé |
|
Bocksbeutel |
A flat spherical green or
amber bottle used for QbA or QmP wine from the
Franken region in Germany. |
|
Bodega |
A Spanish term
predominantly used to mean winery, but can also
describe a wine cellar or small grocery store. |
|
Boden |
The German equivalent of
the French terroir. |
|
Body |
The overall texture and
weight of a wine in the mouth. |
|
Bor |
Hungarian for wine. |
|
Botrytis |
Known scientifically as
Botrytis cinerea, and also known commonly as
Noble Rot. A mold or fungus that affects grapes
in humid climates and causes the grapes to
shrivel. Responsible for providing the intensely
sweet, honey flavor in Beerenauslese wines. |
|
Bouquet |
A mature wine's complex
fragrance developed through aging and
fermentation. |
|
Branco |
Portuguese for white. |
|
Brix |
A scale used to measure
the sugar content of wines in the United States. |
|
Brut |
Very dry. A term used in
Champagne and sparkling wines to denote residual
sugar content. |
|
Bung |
The plug or hole in the
barrel through which it is filled. |
