| Acidity: |
The level of natural acids found in wine.
The term also refers to the tartness or sourness in a
wine.
|
| Appellation: |
A recognized wine-growing region, such as
California. Almaden
wines are all produced from grapes grown in the California
Appellation.
|
| Aroma: |
The way a wine smells.
Almaden Mountain Chablis Rosé displays hints of fresh
floral aromas.
|
| Balance: |
The relationship between sugar, alcohol, acid and
tannin in a wine. A
“well-balanced” wine is when each of these components shares
the same strength and no single component takes over the others.
|
| Blend: |
More than one variety of grapes combined to make a
wine. The name of a
blend may be taken from its color or the wine region from which
it originated, such as Mountain Chablis or Mountain Burgundy.
|
| Blush Wine: |
A wine with a pinkish hue that results from the
contact the red grape skins have with the juice during crushing.
Popular blush wines from Almaden includeMountain Blush Chablis and White Zinfandel.
|
| Body: |
A term describing the wine’s weight in your
mouth. A wine’s
body can range from light to full.
|
| Bright: |
A wine that is appealing to the senses such as
sight, taste and feel in the mouth.
Almaden White Grenache is a bright wine.
|
| Complex: |
A wine that displays an abundance of various
aromas and flavors. Almaden
Cabernet Sauvignon is an example of a complex wine.
|
| Concentrated: |
A term that refers to the intensity of an aroma or
a flavor in wine. Almaden
Chardonnay contains concentrated flavors of apple and
pear.
|
| Crisp: |
A wine that is light-bodied, has a bit more
acidity, and feels “clean” in the mouth.
Almaden Mountain Rhine is a crisp wine.
|
| Dry: |
When a
wine has no residual (remaining) sugar in it after it ferments.
Dry is the opposite of sweet.
|
| Fermentation: |
The way grape juice becomes wine, as the natural
fruit sugars transform into alcohol through the action of yeasts
present in the grapes.
|
| Finish: |
The way a wine feels in the mouth once it has been
swallowed.
|
| Fruity: |
A wine that contains flavors and aromas similar to
fruits. Fruity
characteristics can be found in Almaden Mountain Chablis
and Mountain Burgundy.
|
| New
World: |
Winemaking regions that lie outside Europe.
|
| Oak: |
A flavor found in many wines that resembles
vanilla and butter.
|
| Old
World: |
Winemaking regions within Europe.
|
| Red Wine: |
Wine made from fermented grapes with red skins.
Some popular red wines are Almaden Mountain Burgundy
and Merlot.
|
| Residual Sugar: |
The amount of sugar that remains in the wine once
fermentation is complete. Dry wines such as Almaden Cabernet Sauvignon or Mountain
Burgundy.
|
| Steel Fermented: |
Many wines are fermented in steel tanks to bring
out their fresh fruit flavors.
|
| Sweetness: |
A description of wine referring to the taste of
sugar, either resulting from the residual sugar or alcohol
present in the wine. Almaden wine such as White Zinfandel is known for its sweetness.
|
| Table Wine: |
A general term used to refer to a blend or
specific varietal of wine containing 7-14% alcohol.
|
| Tannin: |
A
component of red wine that comes from the grape skins, stems and
seeds. Wines such as Almaden Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot
contain tannins. Tannins
can impart a “tannic” characteristic (a distinct heavier
texture and taste) to the wine.
|
| Varietal Wine: |
A specific type of wine, named after a grape
variety such as Merlot or Chardonnay.
According to U.S. law, varietal wines must consist of 75%
of the named grape variety.
|
| Vintage: |
The
year in which the grapes in a wine (at least 95% of them) were
harvested. Almaden
wines are non-vintage dated.
Almaden’s winemaking team selects the best quality
grapes from each vintage and combines them to create the same
great taste, year after year.
|
| White Wine: |
Wine made from fermented grapes with white skins
such as Almaden Golden Chablis.
|
| Wine: |
An alcoholic beverage resulting from the
fermentation by yeasts of the juice of the grape with
appropriate processing and additions.
|
| Yeasts: |
Very small organisms that play a crucial role in
the winemaking process as they change natural sugars into
alcohol. |