Said of an altered wine that is faulty or that has been attacked by a disease.

 

Wine that is decaying.

 

Losses of volume due to evaporation in the casks, drainage, handling, etc.

 

Steam jet apparatus used by coopers to soften wood and make it malleable.

 

Very important wine region demarcated in 1908. It is located in the centre of Portugal and is divided into three distinct areas: Central North, Central South and Periphery. It is a temperate region whose best wines are elegant while at the same time powerful and, sometimes, with excellent ageing potential. The main red grape varieties for the production of quality wines are: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Alfrocheiro Preto and Jaen. Encruzado, Assario, Barcelo and Borrado das Moscas are the most important white grape varieties.

 

Said of a wine that is almost black, with intense pigment. "Dark as the deep sea", this is how Homer describes Mediterranean wines.

 

Sweet aroma of raisins that is found in very mature wines, mainly in rancid and fortified ones. It usually appears with toasted notes.

 

Operation performed to reduce a must's or wine's acidity. This is done by physical, chemical or biological processes. The simplest physical process is to cool the must, thus causing the precipitation of potassium bitartrates. In the chemical method certain substances (calcium or potassium carbonate) capable of neutralising the acids are added. The biological process causes malolactic fermentation (thanks to bacteria), transforming malic acid (greener) into lactic acid (smoother).

 

Removing lees from the must.

 

Suspended particles that cloud the grape must. They are separated by debourbage.