APPENDIX 3: GLOSSARY

The terms below are defined as they specifically apply to Savoie, Bugey and other French Alpine wines.

acid the chief acid in wine is tartaric acid. Other important acids in wine are malic and lactic acids. See malolactic fermentation.

acidity provides freshness and liveliness in wine and is part of overall wine balance. Whereas most of the world measures acidity in g/l of tartaric acid, in France it is measured in g/l of sulphuric acid. An alternative measure of acidity is pH.

alcohol refers to ethyl alcohol or ethanol, produced by the conversion of sugars through the action of yeast during fermentation.

ancestral method see Méthode Ancestrale.

AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) controlled appellation of origin. The strictest level of regulated appellation in France. See also AOP.

AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée) protected appellation of origin in the European Union (EU) for agricultural products. Replaces AOC, but AOC can also be used for wines in France.

biodynamic philosophy of organic farming and wine production, originally based on the teachings of Rudolph Steiner. Dynamized spray preparations nurture both the soil and the plant, and vignerons work according to lunar and astral calendars. The main certification body is Demeter; another is Biodyvin. See organic.

Bordeaux mixture organically approved treatment sprayed onto vines, consisting of copper sulphate with slaked lime.

Botrytis cinerea noble rot, desirable fungus that may appear on ripe white grapes in autumn, resulting in a concentration of sugars, acids and flavours.

CAAPG (Centre d’Ampélographie Alpine Pierre Galet) Savoie-based association dedicated to research, rehabilitation and education about rare Alpine grape varieties. See here.

carbon dioxide/CO₂ gas produced during process of fermentation. A small amount remains dissolved in the wine and helps protect juice and wine from oxidation. Dissolved carbon dioxide forms the bubbles in sparkling wine.

carbonic maceration a method of red wine fermentation where uncrushed whole grapes undergo intracellular fermentation in the presence of carbon dioxide. Produces a fruit-forward wine with low levels of tannins. In semi-carbonic maceration the grapes are partly crushed so that both an intracellular and exterior fermentation take place.

cave d’affinage dedicated location for cheese ageing.

chaptalization sugar added to grape must before fermentation to increase alcohol content; levels controlled by law. Now often referred to as enrichment.

CIVS (Comité Interprofessionnel des Vins de Savoie) regional wine organization, responsible for promotional activities and recording sales.

clonal selection process of selection for vines chosen for their particular characteristics and subsequently propagated.

clone genetically identical vine cultivated from cuttings from the same original vine plant.

CMC (Centre de Méthode Champenoise) technical wine service company based in Savoie, specializing in sparkling wine disgorgement. See here.

commune administrative village or town, which may include several hamlets.

Crémant sparkling wine made by the traditional method.

cru geographic denomination or sub-appellation, attached to a bigger AOC, e.g. Apremont within the AOC Savoie. Defines a geographic area (in one or more communes) and other rules may specify, for example, grape varieties or alcohol levels.

cultured yeast see yeast.

CUMA (co-operative d’utilisation de matériels agricoles) agricultural co-operative that allows farmers to share vineyard machinery or wine processing equipment.

cuvée used to denote a particular wine selection, e.g. a producer might offer three Apremont cuvées, each from a different terroir, or aged in a different manner, etc.

demi-muid size of barrel that varies from 350 to 600 litres – larger than a fût and smaller than a foudre.

disgorgement removal of yeast deposits following remuage in the making of traditional method sparkling wines.

dosage amount of sugar mixed with wine to make the liqueur d’expédition added immediately after disgorgement of traditional method sparkling wines. The dosage affects the style and taste, e.g. brut.

échalas vineyard post or support, used in the terms sur échalas or en échalas, to describe Gobelet vine training, where the vine is supported by attaching to a single post, rather than on wires.

enrichment see chaptalization.

esca vine trunk disease that is fungal in origin and kills individual vines.

flavescence dorée form of grapevine yellows, a deadly bacterial vine disease, which is spread by a leafhopper. See here.

foudre large oak cask or vat; usually at least 1,000 litres.

fût oak barrel or cask of 228 litres. Also known as a pièce. This is the size typically used in Burgundy. If Bordeaux barriques are used the size is 225 litres.

glacial till soil created from what is left behind by glaciers, usually clay with varying amounts of sand, gravel, pebbles and rocks.

green harvest crop thinning or cutting off immature grape bunches to reduce yield and concentrate the vine’s energy on maturing the bunches that remain.

Guyot cane pruning system; can be Single or Double Guyot.

gyropalette pallet holding sparkling wine bottles that may be turned manually or in an automatic system for the process of remuage or riddling.

herbicide chemical weed-killer used to control weed growth in the vineyard.

HVE (Haute Valeur Environnementale) sustainable agricultural certification scheme with three levels – vignerons usually aim for the top Level 3, which includes protection of the local biodiversity, managing chemical inputs in the vineyard and water management in both vineyard and winery.

IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée) Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for agricultural products. More flexible and sometimes deemed inferior to AOP or AOC.

INAO (Institut National de l’Origine et de la Qualité a publicly administered institute under the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Forestry that regulates AOC and AOP.

indigenous grape varieties that are native to a winegrowing region. See also yeast.

intercep tractor attachment used to weed mechanically between each individual vine.

lees sediment, such as dead yeasts, left in the wine after fermentation; leaving the wine on the lees for a time can add flavour.

lieu-dit literally a named place, usually referring to a specific area of vineyards.

maceration (time) contact of grape skins with the fermenting juice to extract colour, tannins and flavour. Usually refers to red wines, but skin maceration is also possible with white wines, especially in amphorae: these are usually referred to as orange wine. See also carbonic maceration and saignée.

malolactic fermentation bacterial conversion (usually starting naturally) of harder malic acid into softer lactic acid, deemed essential for red wines and used for some whites, depending on local traditions, the producer and the vintage conditions.

marc distilled grape skins, pips, etc. Sometimes used to make a spirit, marc de Savoie. A marc is also an eau-de-vie.

marl fine-grained mixture of clay and limestone.

mass selection/massal(e) selection selection and propagation of specific vines from existing vineyards.

Méthode Ancestrale sparkling winemaking method using a single fermentation in the bottle, notably in Bugey Cerdon and in the Diois. See also Pétillant Naturel.

micro-oxygenation bubbling small amounts of oxygen into a vat, which may be used for (mainly) red winemaking; it is useful to soften tannic varieties such as Mondeuse.

mildew fungal diseases affecting the vines, provoked by humidity and controlled through vine canopy management and preventative sprays, either chemical or organic-approved. Most prevalent is downy mildew or peronospera (le mildiou in France), often controlled by Bordeaux mixture. See also oidium.

molasse an assemblage of sediments such as sandstones, shales and conglomerates that accumulate next to rising mountains. In Savoie and Bugey, the term is used for soils derived from clayey calcareous sandstone.

must juice from crushed or pressed grapes before or during the start of fermentation.

natural way phrase used in this book to describe winemaking (usually from organic or biodynamic grapes) with minimal intervention or additives, in particular with low or no additions of sulphur dioxide.

natural wine unregulated term for wines made in the natural way.

noble rot see Botrytis cinerea.

Oeno Conseil widely used technical wine service company based in Savoie, owned by Olivier Turlais, whose services include bottling, filtration, analysis and consultancy. See here.

oidium also called powdery mildew, fungal disease.

orange wine a white wine made with extended skin contact.

organic method of agriculture forbidding the use of synthetic chemical fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides or other vineyard inputs. Main certification body is Ecocert; another certification body widely used in the French Alps is Alpes Contrôles. See also biodynamic.

oxidation/oxidized wine that has been over-exposed to air has unpleasant flavours and ages prematurely. Maderized is an extreme form. It is chemically the opposite of reduction.

Pétavins informal group of Savoie organic producers, which comes together to present their wines at professional tastings.

Pétillant Naturel (Pet Nat) sparkling wine made in a similar way to the méthode ancestrale with a single fermentation that completes in the bottle. Sold as Vin de France without appellation.

pH measure of acidity level in soils, grapes, grape must or wine.

reduction/reductive reduction is the opposite of oxidation. Wines may be made in a reductive manner, avoiding any contact with oxygen. A wine that shows or suffers from reduction may have developed undesirable flavours, which may disappear on decanting or aerating the wine.

remuage (riddling) turning and shaking bottles of traditional method sparkling wines to move the sediment to the neck of the bottle before disgorgement.

residual sugar sugar remaining in wine after fermentation is complete (fermentable sucrose and glucose). The amount dictates how sweet the wine will taste. Amounts are usually given as g/l (grams per litre).

saignée from the word ‘bled’, refers to rosé wines made after ‘bleeding’ or running off some juice after a short maceration of red grapes, then leaving the rest of the juice in contact with its skins to make a more concentrated red wine.

Savoyard a person from Savoie, also used adjectively, e.g. a Savoyard tradition.

semi-carbonic maceration see carbonic maceration.

sulphites/sulphur/sulphur dioxide/SO₂ the most important additive in wine, present naturally in very small quantities following fermentation. Acts as an antioxidant, antibacterial and antimicrobial substance, protecting the wine from being spoilt. It may be added in various forms at various stages to protect the grapes at harvest, and/or the wine during production and before bottling. The amount is subject to legal limits. A few asthmatics are allergic to it, hence a warning label ‘contains sulphites’ is compulsory. An increasing, but still tiny, number of wines are made with no added sulphites.

sur lattes for both traditional method and ancestral method sparkling wines, the period the wine spends in bottle on its (second) fermentation lees before riddling and disgorgement (or transfer/filtration) is known as the time sur lattes. The lattes were the wooden slats on which the bottles were traditionally stacked. The minimum time is defined in AOC rules and a longer time is usually desirable.

SRVS (Syndicat Régional des Vins de Savoie) organization that works with the wine producers of Savoie, and with the INAO, to ensure rules are followed and also to research and advise on all production aspects. See also CIVS.

tannin compound deriving from the grape skins, pips and stalks as well as to an extent from oak barrels (especially new); tannin is a particularly important component of red wines.

terroir can be used in many senses, most often to describe the geographical features of a piece of land or vineyard, incorporating site position, climate, geology and soil.

thermovinification red winemaking method involving heating the fermenting must for a short time to extract the maximum colour and flavour.

traditional method sparkling wine method used for Champagne and Crémant among others. Involves a second fermentation in the bottle and a period of at least nine months sur lattes, followed by removal of yeast through remuage (riddling) and disgorgement.

VDQS (Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieur) classification (now obsolete) for French wines below AOC.

vendange tardive late harvest. Used to describe a wine, which is usually semi-sweet, from grapes that have been left hanging on the vine beyond the main harvest date.

Vin de France lowest classification of quality wine in France with the fewest restrictions, previously called Vin de Table.

vin de paille (literally, ‘straw wine’) sweet wine made from grapes that have been dried off the vine in small boxes, concentrating the sugars, acidity and flavours.

volatile acidity/volatility fault caused by an excess of acetic acid, giving wine a vinegary smell.

working the soil mechanical weeding, turning the soil or ploughing, used as an alternative or in addition to grassing down, planting cover crops or using herbicide.

yeast microscopic organism responsible for the conversion of sugars in grape juice into wine during fermentation. Indigenous, also called native, yeasts occur naturally in the vineyard and in the cellar. Cultured yeasts, also known as selected yeasts, are grown in a laboratory.