Terminology: Wine Terms

4. smell Rotten-egg odor from low yeast nutrients or stress
6. NTU is the unit the haze meter shows
7. acidity Vinegary note caused by Acetobacter when sanitation lapses
10. test Lab check that a wine won’t blind the final membrane during bottling
13. aroma Green pepper notes from underripe fruit or early picking
15. Brown colour / flat aromas from excess oxygen pick-up
16. in bottle Unwanted fizz because yeast was still alive at bottling
18. Any material(bentonite, egg-white etc.) that drags haze-forming particles down
20. bitartrate“wine diamonds” Harmless tartaric-acid crystals that can form if tartrate-unstable
21. taint (TCA) Musty “wet cardboard” smell; comes from contaminated corks

1. Additive that stops tartrate crystals growing after bottling
2. / molecular SO₂ Portion of sulphur dioxide that actively protects the wine (pH-dependent)
3. / haze Cloudiness from poor filtration or post-bottling infection
5. stabilisation Suite of steps (bentonite + test) that stop protein hazes
8. test Lab heat-shock used to set the bentonite dose
9. aroma Barnyard / clove notes from barrel or equipment hygiene gaps
11. oxygen (DO) Oxygen already mixed into the wine (mg L-¹); too much speeds oxidation
12. Clay powder added (“fining”) so heat-unstable proteins sink out and the wine stays clear
14. stabilisation / cold-stab Chilling the wine near 0 °C so tartrate crystals drop out before bottling
17. (acetamide) Mouse-cage after-taste; poor pH and sanitation post-MLF
19. off-odours Struck-match / rubber smells from over-using SO₂