Excuse my delay this week in getting this out - it seems I forgot how exhausting going to an office 5 days a week can be… but I did not forget about wine!
This post is going to be a bit of a reference post and something that I will expand on over time adding in words and definitions. So, if you have a question, let me know!
Fermentation. Fermentation is the process in which yeast converts the sugar in grapes to alcohol. The process releases heat and CO2. As the yeast converts the sugar, they die off and fall to the bottom and are then known as lees.
Lees. Simply - lees are dead yeast cells. There are two kinds of these dead yeast cells. Gross lees which are the sediment that falls to the bottom during fermentation and is often separated from the wine. Fine lees are smaller particles that settle out in the wine over time. Some winemakers filter them out and others leave them - often choosing to stir them for further body and texture in the wine. The product of wine being left on their lees are some of the nutty, brioche and toasty characters that you find in Champagne. (lees are not oak).
Tannins. Tannins are naturally occurring phenolic compounds found in grape skins, seeds and stems. They give texture, balance and structure to wine and are extracted during maceration. That astringent / mouth drying sensation you feel when you drink a big red, those are tannins.
Malolactic Fermentation. MLF. This is a secondary fermentation that happens after alcoholic fermentation. This is the process in which the tart malic acid (think apples) is converted into creamier lactic acid (think dairy). It isn’t technically fermentation because it’s carried out by bacteria, and not yeast. This usually happens naturally in the wine cellar but it can be stopped by filtering/fining the wine, adding sulfites or moving it to cooler temperatures. Most red wines do undergo MLF - it is up to the winemaker to make the decision based upon the desired wine style.
Legs. Also called tears. Swirl your wine around and sometimes you notice that the wine appears to stay on the sides of the glass. These are legs (or tears). They are not a quality indication. In fact in all my testing, never once was I asked about wine legs. They are a measure of sugar and/or alcohol in a wine. The legs are really the evaporation of wine left on the side of the glass.
Blanc de Blanc & Blanc de Noir. Terms associated with Champagne that indicate the grapes it was made with. Blanc de Blanc - entirely from Chardonnay grapes. Blanc de Noir - entirely from red grapes, either one or a blend of Pinot Noir / Pinot Meunier.