A la glace: A system of degorgement involving the immersion of bottle necks (containing the sediment) in the freezing brine.

Acidity: Essential for the life and vitality of all wines, particularly champagne. Relatively high degrees are required to carry the flavor through the tactile sensation of the mousse.

Assemblage: A blend of base wines to create the final cuvée.

Autolysis: Enzymatic breakdown of yeast cells essential in the production of champagne, which takes place during the second fermentation.

Balance: The harmonious relationship between acids, alcohols, fruit, tannin and other natural elements.

Blanc de blancs: A white wine made exclusively from white grapes.

Blanc de noirs: A white wine made exclusively from black grapes.

Body: The extract of fruit and alcoholic strength, which together give an impression of weight in the mouth.

Bouquet: The combination of aromas directly attributable to a wine’s maturity in the bottle.

Brut: Champagne between 0 to 15 grams per liter of sugar.

Cuvée: A specific blend of still wines, used as the base for champagne.

Degorgement: The act of removing the sediment from a bottle of champagne after riddling.

Dosage: Sugar added to champagne after degorgement.

Fermentation: The biochemical process by which enzymes secreted by yeast cells converts sugar molecules into almost equal parts of alcohol and carbonic gas.

Finish: The quality and enjoyment of a wine’s aftertaste.

Lees: The sediment which accumulates in the bottom of a vat during the fermentation, racking and fining of a wine.

Liqueur de tirage: The bottling liqueur: wine, yeast and sugar added to still wine to induce the second fermentation.

Liqueur d’expedition: A liqueur of wine and sugar added to champagne after degorgement. The older the wine, the lower the dosage of liqueur d’expedition.

Mousse: The effervescence of a sparkling wine. In fine champagne, the bubbles should be small and persistent.

Non-Vintage or NV: A blended wine made from two or more years, with at least a year in the bottle.

Nose: The smell of a wine, encompassing both aroma and bouquet.

Oenology: The chemistry of wine and winemaking.

Punt: The indentation at the base of a bottle, which helps spread the internal pressure over a greater surface area and thus reduce strain on the bottle’s structure.

Racking: Draining the wine off its lees into a fresh cask or vat.

Tannin: Generic term for various polyphenols found naturally in wine from the skin, pips and stalks.

Vintage: Harvest year of the wine.