There are alot of terms and words that the industry uses and I’ve realized some people might not have any idea what they mean; so I thought a glossary page might be helpful for those that need it.
Adjuncts/additives: added Something that is added before, during or after fermentation, this is a broad category but I think of it as things you add to adjust flavors that you can buy from a catolog or at the winemaker’s store; here is an example. Adjuncts might be used to control things like flavor (citric acid, tannins), appearance (color, clarity) or protection (anti-microbial). Note: the only adjuncts we use are minimal amounts of sulfur and occasionally organic sugar for secondary fermentation purposes; we believe flavors should come from fruit not additives.
Amphora: a giant clay pot A vessel made of terra cotta that is used for fermentation. Learn more here about our friend Andrew and his Novum Amphorae
Biodynamic: basically witchcraft Biodynamic agriculture is a form of alternative agriculture based on pseudo-scientific and esoteric concepts initially developed in 1924 by Rudolf Steiner, here’s the certification website for more info. My favoritE thing about biodynamic farms is that they preserve 10% (minimum) of farm land for the natural world. They also have the strongest regulation on chemicals in farming and cellar practices
Blend: blended together after fermentation Two or more fruits fermented separately and blended together after completion of fermentation
Bottle conditioned: a way to make bubbles There are two basic ways are to bottle condition: Méthode Traditionnelle or Méthode Ancestrale. Either you add a sugar source (juice or cane sugar) to a fermented dry (no active yeast) product to get it to referment or you bottle it before it has finished primary fermentation. The process of active yeast eating the sugar causes carbon dioxide which makes your bubbles! The process can take a few weeks to a few months depending on yeast population and temperature. The bubbles in bottle conditioned products are smaller and seemingly more delicate than in a forced carbonated products. See also PetNat, Méthode Ancestrale, and Méthode Traditionnelle. As a side note, all petnats are bottle conditioned, but not all bottle conditioned products are petnats
Maceration: an intracelluar fermentation Most fermentation uses yeast to ferment, but carbonic happens without yeast. When doing this, you load the vessel with whole fruit (usually grapes, but we’ve done it with plums too) and lock out oxygen by adding carbon dioxide. The fruit will start fermenting from the inside and then sort of explode. Also referred to as enzymatic fermentation.
Cider: apples A fermented beverage made with 100% apples
Co-ferment: fermented together Two or more fruits fermented together in the same vessel
Dry: no sugar A way of describing alcohol that isn’t sweet. The yeast has consumed all of the available sugar and no other sugar sources were added
Force carbonate: make big bubbles We don’t force carbonate, but it’s worth mentioning in the conversation of carbonation and natural fermentation. Forced carbonation is the process of adding CO2 to a product at bottling. Most people doing natural fermentation don’t force carbonate, opting to bottle condition instead
Méthode Ancestrale: naturally sparkling The wine is bottled before primary fermentation is finished, without the addition of secondary yeasts or sugars. The bubbles are produced from the primary fermentation as it finishes in bottle. See also PetNat or Pétillant-Naturel
Méthode Traditionnelle: a way to make bubbles The traditional method is a way to make bubbles, many sparkling wines and Champagne are made with this method. The first fermentation is completed (dry), wines are sometimes blended at this stage and an additional source of sugar (juice or cane sugar)and sometimes yeast, is added for a secondary fermentation to make the bubbles as it finishes in bottles.
Native yeast: things want to ferment Native yeast is yeast that is naturally occurring on fruit. The alternative to using native yeast, is pitching commercial yeast. Native yeast is also referred to as wild or indigenous yeast
Natural wine: Oh gawd, where do we start Starting with organic or biodynamically farmed fruit, no to very low intervention, no to very low sulfur added. This article does a pretty good job at explaining the nuances.
Perry: pears A fermented beverage made with 100% pears. A perry can be made from perry pears or dessert (eating) pears.
PetNat, Pétillant-Naturel, petnat: (naturally sparkling) the wine is bottled before primary fermentation is finished, without the addition of secondary yeasts or sugars, and finishes in the bottle. See also méthode ancestrale & bottle conditioned
PPM: parts per million We usually use this term when referring to sulfur adds. Our typical add is under 20 PPM which is about a tablespoon of sulfur in a barrel (60 gallons)
Single Varietal: just one kind Single varietals are typically made with just one kind of fruit; like one grape (like Pinot Noir) or one apple (like Wickson). A bit deceptive as, depending on country, it only needs to contain a percentage of that type to be labeled as a single varietal. In the US, wine only needs to be 75% to qualify.
Sulfur: sulfur dioxide SO2 it is an anti-microbial agent used to protect wine from bacteria. Sulfites also occur naturally in wine as a byproduct of fermentation
Tannins: flavors Tannins are complex polyphenolic substances found in plants, they add flavors that can often be described as astringent and dry. They can add to mouth feel and body. Tannins are naturally occurring in wine skins, stems, apples, pears and oak; but can also be added as an adjunct (we don’t do this, all of our flavors come from the fruit)
Zero/Zero: Nothing added, nothing taken away nothing, nada, nil added to the grapes (or other fruit) as they ferment-no yeast, no nutrients, no acid, no adjuncts, no water, no preservatives (like sulfur), no nothing (or is it yes, nothing? Now I’m confused) You get the idea, just the fruit and only the fruit