A

Abby Beer: A beer that is brewed in the style and manner of Trappist beers.

Acid: A compound present in all grapes and an essential component of wine that preserves it, enlivens and shapes its flavors and helps prolong its aftertaste. There are four major kinds of acids--tartaric, malic, lactic and citric--found in wine. Acid is identifiable by the crisp, sharp character it imparts to a wine.

Acidic: Used to describe wines whose total acid is so high that they taste tart or sour and have a sharp edge on the palate.

Acidity: The acidity of a balanced dry table wine is in the range of 0.6 percent to 0.75 percent of the wine's volume. It is legal in some areas--such as Bordeaux and Burgundy, Australia, California--to correct deficient acidity by adding acid. When overdone, it leads to unusually sharp, acidic wines. However, it is illegal in Bordeaux and Burgundy to both chaptalize and acidify a wine. See also chaptalization.

Acrid: Describes a harsh or bitter taste or pungent smell that is due to excess sulfur.

Adjunct: Any fermentable, unmalted grain or ingredient, other than barley malt, added to the mash to provide fermentable sugars in the brewing process, including corn, corn sugar, oats, wheat and rice. Most American lagers from megabreweries are made with adjuncts that are cheaper than barley to reduce production costs and create lighter, less malty beer. Other adjuncts are used to create specialty beers or change the composition of the wort.

Advokaat: A thick and creamy egg liqueur, similar to egg nog.

Aeration: The process of letting a wine "breathe" in the open air, or swirling wine in a glass. It's debatable whether aerating bottled wines (mostly reds) improves their quality. Aeration can soften young, tannic wines; it can also fatigue older ones.

Aftertaste: The taste or flavors that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted, spit or swallowed. The aftertaste or "finish" is the most important factor in judging a wine's character and quality. Great wines have rich, long, complex aftertastes.

Age Statement: This gives the age of the youngest component of the whisky. Note that maturation stops at bottling so both the year and the age may be significant. A 12-year-old whisky bottled 4 years ago is still a 12-year-old, not a 16-year-old though different years may occasionally be quoted.

Aggressive: Unpleasantly harsh in taste or texture, usually due to a high level of tannin or acid.

Aguamiel: Spanish word (meaning "honey water") to describe the sweet, sap-like juice that is extracted from the pina of the agave plant. It is fermented for several days and then double-distilled to produce tequila, which is typically reduced from 110 proof to 80 proof before bottling.

Alcohol by Volume: As required by law, wineries must state the alcohol level of a wine on its label. This is usually expressed as a numerical percentage of the volume. For table wines, the law allows a 1.5 percent variation above or below the stated percentage as long as the alcohol does not exceed 14 percent. Thus, wineries may legally avoid revealing the actual alcohol content of their wines by labeling them as "table wine."

Alcohol by Weight (abw): Percentage of alcohol content in a beverage, by weight. The percentage of alcohol by weight is approximately 20 percent lower than that by volume.

Alcohol: Ethyl alcohol, a chemical compound formed by the action of natural or added yeast on the sugar content of grapes during fermentation. Common to all liquor. Ethyl alcohol, spirits distilled from grain, grape, fruit and cane are most common.

Alcoholic: Used to describe a wine that has too much alcohol for its body and weight, making it unbalanced. A wine with too much alcohol will taste uncharacteristically heavy or hot as a result. This quality is noticeable in aroma and aftertaste.

Ale: Beer fermented more quickly and at warmer temperatures than lager, with top-fermenting yeast.

Altbier: copper-colored German ale that originated in Dusseldorf. It is a style that historically preceded lager. Literally, "old beer" in German.

American Oak: Increasingly popular as an alternative to French oak for making barrels in which to age wine as quality improves and vintners learn how to treat the wood to meet their needs. Marked by strong vanilla, dill and cedar notes, it is used primarily for aging Cabernet, Merlot and Zinfandel, for which it is the preferred oak. It's less desirable, although used occasionally, for Chardonnay or Pinot Noir. Many California and Australia wineries use American oak, yet claim to use French oak because of its more prestigious image. American oak barrels sell in the $250 range, compared to more than $500 for the French ones. See also French oak.

American Viticultural Area (AVA): A delimited, geographical grape-growing area that has officially been given appellation status by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Two examples are Napa Valley and Sonoma Valley. See also viticultural area.

Ampelography: The study of grape varieties.

Anejo: Literally translated, this means "aged" tequila. For a product to be called anejo, it must have been aged for at least one year. Usually, this aging is carried out in smaller oak casks, like those used for bourbon. Anejos are usually aged between three and seven years.

Anisette: A sweet liqueur with licorice-like aroma and flavor, made from aniseed.

Aperitif: A French term referring to a light alcoholic drink taken before a meal to stimulate appetite.

Appearance: Refers to a wine's clarity, not color.

Appellation D'origine Controlee (AOC): The French system of appellations, begun in the 1930s and considered the wine world's prototype. To carry an appellation in this system, a wine must follow rules describing the area the grapes are grown in, the varieties used, the ripeness, the alcoholic strength, the vineyard yields and the methods used in growing the grapes and making the wine.

Appellation: Defines the area where a wine's grapes were grown, such as Bordeaux, Gevrey-Chambertin, Alexander Valley or Russian River Valley. Regulations vary widely from country to country. In order to use an appellation on a California wine label, for example, 85 percent of the grapes used to make the wine must be grown in the specified district. See also appellation d'origine contrôlée.

Apricot Liqueur: A sweet apricot-flavored liqueur that has more body and is lower in proof than apricot-flavored brandy.

Apricot-flavored Brandy: Pure grape brandy, flavored with apricot. A type of cordial or liqueur.

Armagnac: A grape brandy product of France. Armagnac is produced only in an area surrounding the city of Armagnac in southwest France. Related to Cognac, but less delicate.

Aroma: Traditionally defined as the smell that wine acquires from the grapes and from fermentation. Now it more commonly means the wine's total smell, including changes that resulted from oak aging or that occurred in the bottle--good or bad. "Bouquet" has a similar meaning.

Astringent: Describes a rough, harsh, puckery feel in the mouth, usually from tannin or high acidity that red wines (and a few whites) have. When the harshness stands out, the wine is astringent.

Austere: Used to describe relatively hard, high-acid wines that lack depth and roundness. Usually said of young wines that need time to soften or wines that lack richness and body.

Awkward: Describes a wine that has poor structure, is clumsy or is out of balance.

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B

Backbone: Used to denote those wines that are full-bodied, well structured and balanced by a desirable level of acidity.

Backward: Used to describe a young wine that is less developed than others of its type and class from the same vintage.

Balance: A wine has balance when its elements are harmonious and no single element dominates.

Balthazar: An oversized bottle which holds the equivalent of 12 to 16 standard bottles.

Banana Liqueur: A yellow banana-flavored liqueur.

Barbera: Most successful in Italy's Piedmont region, where it makes such wines as Barbera d'Asti, Barbera di Monferato and Barbera di Alba. Its wines are characterized by a high level of acidity (meaning brightness and crispness), deep ruby color and full body, with low tannin levels; flavors are berrylike. However, plantings have declined sharply in the United States. A few wineries still produce it as a varietal wine, but those numbers too are dwindling. Its main attribute as a blending wine is its ability to maintain a naturally high acidity even in hot climates. The wine has more potential than is currently realized and may stage a modest comeback as Italian-style wines gain popularity

Barbados Rum: Amber-colored medium-bodied rum distilled in pot stills. More pungent than Puerto Rican rum, but less pungent than Jamaican rum.

Barley: The primary ingredient in beer, which is sprouted and then kilned to create malt. It is then mashed to create wort.

Barleywine: A British-style, very strong ale ranging from 8-10 percent alcohol by volume.

Barrel (Beer): A measurement or container of beer, which equals 31 gallons.

Barrel Fermented: Denotes wine that has been fermented in small casks (usually 55-gallon oak barrels) instead of larger tanks. Advocates believe that barrel fermentation contributes greater harmony between the oak and the wine, increases body and adds complexity, texture and flavor to certain wine types. Its liabilities are that more labor is required and greater risks are involved. It is mainly used for whites.

Barrel proof: Whiskey bottled at the desired proof while aging in the barrel. No, or very little, water is added before bottling, so these bourbons are higher proof than others.

Beer: A fermented beverage made from malted grain and usually seasoned with hops.

Biere de Garde: A malty, strong French-style ale.

Bite: A marked degree of acidity or tannin. An acid grip in the finish should be more like a zestful tang and is tolerable only in a rich, full-bodied wine.

Bitter: A British-style ale with a high hop content.

Bitter: Describes one of the four basic tastes (along with sour, salty and sweet). Some grapes--notably Gewürztraminer and Muscat--often have a noticeable bitter edge to their flavors. Another source of bitterness is tannin or stems. If the bitter quality dominates the wine's flavor or aftertaste, it is considered a fault. In sweet wines a trace of bitterness may complement the flavors. In young red wines it can be a warning signal, as bitterness doesn't always dissipate with age. Normally, a fine, mature wine should not be bitter on the palate.

Bitters: An infusion of roots, barks, herbs and other botanicals mixed in special proportions. Bitters are classified for different uses as aromatic, flavoring, or laxative.

Blackberry Liqueur: A blackberry liqueur that has more body and is lower in proof than blackberry-flavored brandy.

Blackberry-flavored Brandy: A pure grape brandy flavored with blackberries. A type of cordial or liqueur.

Blanc De Blancs: "White of whites," meaning a white wine made of white grapes, such as Champagne made of Chardonnay.

Blanc De Noirs: White of blacks, white wine made of red or black grapes, where the juice is squeezed from the grapes and fermented without skin contact. The wines can have a pale pink hue. E.G., Champagne that is made from Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier.

Blended Scotch: Such a whisky contains a variable proportion of blended malt and grain whiskies, commonly about 40% malt: 60% grain. A good quality blend may contain more than 40% malt, a cheap one much less. Many malts may be incorporated in the blend to provide bulk then fine elements of the final taste ("top dressing").

Blended Whiskey: Combines straight whiskey with neutral grain spirits. Straight whiskey dominates the mix by 20%. Sold at 80 proof.

Blended: Whiskey that has had neutral spirits, color additives or flavor additives mixed into it.

Blunt: Strong in flavor and often alcoholic, but lacking in aromatic interest and development on the palate.

Bock: A strong, dark German lager, usually brewed for the spring season.

Body: The impression of weight or fullness on the palate; usually the result of a combination of glycerin, alcohol and sugar. Commonly expressed as full-bodied, medium-bodied or medium-weight, or light-bodied.

Botrytis Cinerea: Called the "Noble Rot." A beneficial mold or fungus that attacks grapes under certain climatic conditions and causes them to shrivel, deeply concentrating the flavors, sugar and acid. Some of the most famous examples come from Sauternes (Château d'Yquem), Germany and Tokay.

Bottle Sickness: A temporary condition characterized by muted or disjointed fruit flavors. It often occurs immediately after bottling or when wines (usually fragile wines) are shaken in travel. Also called bottle shock. A few days of rest is the cure.

Bottle-conditioned (Beer): A second or third fermentation, which occurs in the bottle by adding yeast or fermentable sugar to the beer before bottling. It may make the beer cloudy or leave a sediment in the bottom of the bottle.

Bottled By: Means the wine could have been purchased ready-made and simply bottled by the brand owner, or made under contract by another winery. When the label reads "produced and bottled by" or "made and bottled by" it means the winery produced the wine from start to finish.

Bottled-In-Bond Whiskey: Straight whiskey, usually bourbon or rye, produced under government control and supervision. Bonded whiskey must be at least four years old, bottled at 100 proof and produced in one distilling by the same distiller. It must be sorted and bottled at a bonding warehouse under government supervision.

Bouquet: The smell that a wine develops after it has been bottled and aged. Most appropriate for mature wines that have developed complex flavors beyond basic young fruit and oak aromas.

Bourbon: A notable American whiskey named after Bourbon County, Kentucky where the whiskey was first produced in the post-Revolutionary period. All Bourbons use the fermented mash of corns, rye and barley malts. Whiskey that by law must contain at least 51 percent corn as the fermented grain and be distilled at no higher than 160 proof. It must be aged in unused, charred white oak barrels; it usually is aged for six to eight years. Straight Bourbons have been aged at least two years; Bourbons without the designation "straight" are aged less than two years.

Brandy: A liquor distilled from wine and other fermented fruit juice. Aged in oak casks and bottled at 80 to 84 proof. The finest Brandies are Cognacs.

Brawny: Used to describe wines that are hard, intense, tannic and that have raw, woody flavors. The opposite of elegant.

Brewpub: A restaurant that brews and serves its own beers on premises.

Briary: Describes young wines with an earthy or stemmy wild berry character.

Bright Beer Tank: A vessel used as a holding tank just prior to bottling or kegging beer. Beer goes into the bright beer tank just following filtration (if filtering is done) and beer may be carbonated in it.

Bright: Used for fresh, ripe, zesty, lively young wines with vivid, focused flavors.

Brilliant: Describes the appearance of very clear wines with absolutely no visible suspended or particulate matter. Not always a plus, as it can indicate a highly filtered wine.

Brix: A measurement of the sugar content of grapes, must and wine, indicating the degree of the grapes' ripeness (meaning sugar level) at harvest. Most table-wine grapes are harvested at between 21 and 25 Brix. To get an alcohol conversion level, multiply the stated Brix by .55.

Brown Ale: A mild, brown beer, usually low in alcohol.

Browning: Describes a wine's color, and is a sign that a wine is mature and may be faded. A bad sign in young red (or white) wines, but less significant in older wines. Wines 20 to 30 years old may have a brownish edge yet still be enjoyable.

Brunello: This strain of Sangiovese is the only grape permitted for Brunello di Montalcino, the rare, costly Tuscan red that at its best is loaded with luscious black and red fruits and chewy tannins.

Brut: A general term used to designate a relatively dry-finished Champagne or sparkling wine, often the driest wine made by the producer.

Burnt: Describes wines that have an overdone, smoky, toasty or singed edge. Also used to describe overripe grapes.

Buttery: Indicates the smell of melted butter or toasty oak. Also a reference to texture, as in "a rich, buttery Chardonnay."

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C

Cabernet Franc: Increasingly popular as both stand-alone varietal and blending grape, Cabernet Franc is used primarily for blending in Bordeaux, although it can rise to great heights in quality, as seen in the grand wine Cheval-Blanc. In France's Loire Valley it's also made into a lighter wine called Chinon. It is well established in Italy, particularly the northeast, where it is sometimes called Cabernet Frank or Bordo. California has grown it for more than 30 years, and Argentina, Long Island, Washington state and New Zealand are picking it up. As a varietal wine, it usually benefits from small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and can be as intense and full-bodied as either of those wines. But it often strays away from currant and berry notes into stalky green flavors that become more pronounced with age. Given its newness in the United States, Cabernet Franc may just need time to get more attention and rise in quality.

Cabernet Sauvignon: The undisputed king of red wines, Cabernet is a remarkably steady and consistent performer. While it grows well in many appellations, in specific appellations it is capable of rendering wines of uncommon depth, richness, concentration and longevity. Bordeaux has used the grape since the 18th century, always blending it with Cabernet Franc, Merlot and sometimes a soupçon of Petite Verdot. The Bordeaux model is built around not only the desire to craft complex wines, but also the need to ensure that different grape varieties ripen at different intervals or to give a wine color, tannin or backbone. Elsewhere in the world--and it is found almost everywhere in the world--Cabernet Sauvignon is as likely to be bottled on its own as in a blend. It mixes with Sangiovese in Tuscany, Syrah in Australia and Provence, and Merlot and Cabernet Franc in South Africa, but flies solo in some of Italy's super-Tuscans. In the United States., it's unlikely any region will surpass Napa Valley's high-quality Cabernets and Cabernet blends. Through most of the grape's history in California (which dates to the 1800s), the best Cabernets have been 100 percent Cabernet. Since the late 1970s, many vintners have turned to the Bordeaux model and blended smaller portions of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petite Verdot into their Cabernets. The case for blending is still under review, but clearly there are successes. On the other hand, many U.S. producers are shifting back to higher percentages of Cabernet, having found that blending doesn't add complexity and that Cabernet on its own has a stronger character. At its best, unblended Cabernet produces wines of great intensity and depth of flavor. Its classic flavors are currant, plum, black cherry and spice. It can also be marked by herb, olive, mint, tobacco, cedar and anise, and ripe, jammy notes. In warmer areas, it can be supple and elegant; in cooler areas, it can be marked by pronounced vegetal, bell pepper, oregano and tar flavors (a late ripener, it can't always be relied on in cool areas, which is why Germany, for example, has never succumbed to the lure). It can also be very tannic if that is a feature of the desired style. The best Cabernets start out dark purple-ruby in color, with firm acidity, a full body, great intensity, concentrated flavors and firm tannins. Cabernet has an affinity for oak and usually spends 15 to 30 months in new or used French or American barrels, a process that, when properly executed imparts a woody, toasty cedar or vanilla flavor to the wine while slowly oxidizing it and softening the tannins. Microclimates are a major factor in the weight and intensity of the Cabernets. Winemakers also influence the style as they can extract high levels of tannin and heavily oak their wines.

California Common: A generic name for steam beer.

Canadian Whiskey: A blended whiskey, which is distilled from rye, corn, and barley. Produced only in Canada under government control. The Canadian whiskey sold in the U.S. is at least four years old. Lighter than American whiskey, it is sold at 80 proof.

Carbonic Maceration: Fermentation of whole, uncrushed grapes in a carbon dioxide atmosphere. In practice, the weight of the upper layers of grapes in a vat will break the skins of the lowest layer; the resultant wine is partly a product of carbonic maceration and partly of traditional fermentation of juice.

Carignan: Also known as Carignane ( California), Cirnano ( Italy). Once a major blending grape for jug wines, Carignan's popularity has diminished, and plantings have dropped from 25,111 acres in 1980 to 8,883 in 1994. It still appears in some blends, and old vineyards are sought after for the intensity of their grapes. But the likelihood is that other grapes with even more intensity and flavor will replace it in the future.

Carmenere: Also known as Grande Vidure, this grape was once widely planted in Bordeaux, but is now associated primarily with Chile. Carmenere, along with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, was imported to Chile around 1850. According to Chilean vintners, Carmenere has been mislabeled for so long that many growers and the Chilean government now consider it Merlot.

Cask (Beer): A closed, barrel-shaped vessel used for fermenting and serving beer. They used to be made of wood, but now most are made of stainless steel or aluminum. They are used for cask-conditioned ales, which need to be vented intermittently while they naturally carbonate.

Cask Number: A meaningless term sometimes used for special wines, as in Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cask 23, but often applied to ordinary wines.

Cask Strength: Newly distilled malt whisky is generally 115-120 deg proof as it comes off the still. It is generally watered down and bottled at 70 deg proof for the domestic British market. It has long been noted however that whisky bottled at full strength and diluted in the glass tastes superior to the same whisky diluted at bottling. This has never been adequately explained but has in recent years led to the availability of "cask strength" malt whiskies bottled at typically 100-110 deg proof (57-63% alcohol by volume). These may be drunk cautiously at their full strength but more commonly diluted with a small splash of water.

Cask-Conditioned: Unfiltered, unpasteurized beer that is naturally carbonated by undergoing a secondary fermentation in its own serving vessel.

Cedary: Denotes the smell of cedar wood associated with mature Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet blends aged in French or American oak.

Cellared By: Means the wine was not produced at the winery where it was bottled. It usually indicates that the wine was purchased from another source.

Chaptalization: The addition of sugar to juice before and/or during fermentation, used to boost sugar levels in underripe grapes and alcohol levels in the subsequent wines. Common in northern European countries, where the cold climates may keep grapes from ripening, but forbidden in southern Europe (including southern France and all of Italy) and California.

Charbono: Found mainly in California (and possibly actually Dolcetto), this grape has dwindled in acreage. Its stature as a wine was supported mainly by Inglenook-Napa Valley, which bottled a Charbono on a regular basis. Occasionally it made for interesting drinking and it aged well. But more often it was lean and tannic, a better story than bottle of wine. A few wineries still produce it, but none with any success.

Chardonnay: As Cabernet Sauvignon is the king of reds, so is Chardonnay the king of white wines, for it makes consistently excellent, rich and complex whites. This is an amazingly versatile grape that grows well in a variety of locations throughout the world. In Burgundy, it is used for the exquisite whites, such as Montrachet, Meursault and Pouilly-Fuissè, and true Chablis; in Champagne it turns into Blanc de Blancs. Among the many other countries that have caught Chardonnay fever, Australia is especially strong. Chardonnay was introduced to California in the 1930s but didn't become popular until the 1970s. Areas such as Anderson Valley, Carneros, Monterey, Russian River, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria Valley, all closer to cooler maritime influences, are now producing wines far superior to those made a decade ago. Though there is a Mâconnais village called Chardonnay, no one agrees on the grape's origin--it may even be Middle Eastern. When well made, Chardonnay offers bold, ripe, rich and intense fruit flavors of apple, fig, melon, pear, peach, pineapple, lemon and grapefruit, along with spice, honey, butter, butterscotch and hazelnut flavors. Winemakers build more complexity into this easy-to-manipulate wine using common vinification techniques: barrel fermentation, sur lie aging during which the wine is left on its natural sediment, and malolactic fermentation (a process which converts tart malic acid to softer lactic acid). No other white table wine benefits as much from oak aging or barrel fermentation. Chardonnay grapes have a fairly neutral flavor, and because they are usually crushed or pressed and not fermented with their skins the way red wines are, whatever flavors emerge from the grape are extracted almost instantly after crushing. Red wines that soak with their skins for days or weeks through fermentation extract their flavors quite differently. Because Chardonnay is also a prolific producer that can easily yield 4 to 5 tons of high-quality grapes per acre, it is a cash cow for producers in every country where it's grown. Many American and Australian Chardonnays are very showy, well oaked and appealing on release, but they lack the richness, depth and concentration to age and have in fact evolved rather quickly, often losing their intensity and concentration within a year or two. Many vintners, having studied and recognized this, are now sharply reducing crop yields, holding tonnage down to 2 to 3 tons per acre in the belief that this will lead to greater concentration. The only downside to this strategy is that lower crop loads lead to significantly less wine to sell, therefore higher prices as well. Chardonnay's popularity has also led to a huge market of ordinary wines, so there's a broad range of quality to choose from in this varietal. There are a substantial number of domestic Chardonnays, which can range from simple and off-dry to more complex and sophisticated. The producer's name on the wine, and often its price, are indicators of the level of quality.

Charmat: Mass production method for sparkling wine. Indicates the wines are fermented in large stainless steel tanks and later drawn off into the bottle under pressure. Also known as the "bulk process." See also méthode champenoise.

Chaser: A beverage drunk after another potable.

Chenin Blanc: This native of the Loire valley has two personalities: at home it's the basis of such famous, long-lived whites as Vouvray and Anjou, Quarts de Chaume and Saumer, but on other soils it becomes just a very good blending grape. It is South Africa's most-planted grape, though there is called Steen, and both there and in California it is currently used primarily as a blending grape for generic table wines. Chenin Blanc should perform better in California, and someday it may. It can yield a pleasant enough wine, with subtle melon, peach, spice and citrus notes. The great Loire whites vary from dry and fresh to sweet, depending on the vintage and the producer. In South Africa, Chenin Blanc is even used for fortified wines and spirits.

Cherry Liqueur: A sweet cherry-flavored liqueur.

Chewy: Describes rich, heavy, tannic wines that are full-bodied.

Cigar Box: Another descriptor for a cedary aroma.

Clean: Fresh on the palate and free of any off-taste. Does not necessarily imply good quality.

Clone: A group of vines originating from a single, individual plant propagated asexually from a single source. Clones are selected for the unique qualities of the grapes and wines they yield, such as flavor, productivity and adaptability to growing conditions.

Closed: Describes wines that are concentrated and have character, yet are shy in aroma or flavor.

Cloudiness: Lack of clarity to the eye. Fine for old wines with sediment, but it can be a warning signal of protein instability, yeast spoilage or re-fermentation in the bottle in younger wines.

Cloying: Describes ultra-sweet or sugary wines that lack the balance provided by acid, alcohol, bitterness or intense flavor.

Coarse: Usually refers to texture, and in particular, excessive tannin or oak. Also used to describe harsh bubbles in sparkling wines.

Cocktail: A beverage that combines an alcohol with a mixer.

Coffee Liqueur: A distinctive coffee-flavored liqueur.

Cognac: A premium brandy produced exclusively in the 150,000 acre area surrounding the city of Cognac in southwest France.

Cold Stabilization: A clarification technique in which a wine's temperature is lowered to 32° F, causing the tartrates and other insoluble solids to precipitate.

Cold-Filtered: The process of filtering beer to remove sediments and contaminants, which makes the beer clearer.

Collins: Tall cool punch-like drinks. Any basic liquor with juice of lemon or lime, over ice cubes in a frosted highball glass. Sugar and soda water added. Garnished with lemon slice and a cherry, if desired.

Complexity: An element in all great wines and many very good ones; a combination of richness, depth, flavor intensity, focus, balance, harmony and finesse.

Conditioning Tank: The vessel in which beer is placed following primary fermentation where it matures, clarifies and becomes carbonated. Also called secondary fermentation tank.

Contract Brewing: A company that markets and owns all rights to a beer brand but has the brand brewed at another company's brewery.

Coolers: A tall drink made with different types of liquor, flavoring, cracked ice, carbonated beverages and fruit rinds.

Cordial: A liquor (or liqueur) made by mixing or redistilling neutral spirits. Fruits, flowers, herbs, seeds, roots, plants or juices are used and a sweetening is added. Most cordials are sweet, colorful and highly concentrated. Many are made from secret recipes and processes.

Corked: Describes a wine having the off-putting, musty, moldy-newspaper flavor and aroma and dry aftertaste caused by a tainted cork.

Corn Whiskey: A whiskey made from a mash of at least 80% corn. May or may not be aged.

Cream Ale: A sweet, golden American-style beer with a high level of carbonation. Some are fermented with both ale and lager yeasts.

Creme de Almond: A clear red cordial produced from the almond-like kernel within apricot seeds.

Creme de Cacao: Made from cacao and vanilla beans.

Creme de Cassis: Made from black currant.

Creme de Coffee: A coffee-flavored cordial produced from coffee and vanilla beans.

Creme de Mandarine: An orange-flavored cordial produced from Mandarine oranges. More delicate than Curacao.

Creme de Mint: Made from mint.

Creme de Yvette: Made from violets.

Crème: A cordial with a very high sugar content. Its cream-like consistency gives it its prefix.

Crush: Harvest season when the grapes are picked and crushed.

Curacao: An orange-flavored cordial produced from Curacao and sweet oranges. More delicate than Triple Sec.

Cuvee: A blend or special lot of wine.

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D

Decanting: A process for separating the sediment from a wine before drinking. Accomplished by slowly and carefully pouring the wine from its bottle into another container.

Delicate: Used to describe light- to medium-weight wines with good flavors. A desirable quality in wines such as Pinot Noir or Riesling.

Demi-sec: In the language of Champagne, a term relating to sweetness. It can be misleading; although demi-sec means half-dry, demi-sec sparkling wines are usually slightly sweet to medium sweet.

Dense: Describes a wine that has concentrated aromas on the nose and palate. A good sign in young wines.

Depth: Describes the complexity and concentration of flavors in a wine, as in a wine with excellent or uncommon depth. Opposite of shallow.

Dirty: Covers any and all foul, rank, off-putting smells that can occur in a wine, including those caused by bad barrels or corks. A sign of poor winemaking.

Disgorgement: A step in the traditional process of sparkling wine production wherein frozen sediment is removed from the neck of the bottle.

Distillation: The process of separating the components in a liquid by heating it to the point of vaporization, then cooling so it condenses into a purified form.

Dolcetto: Almost exclusive to northwest Piedmont, this grape produces soft, round, fruity wines fragrant with licorice and almonds that should be drunk within about three years. It's used as a safety net for producers of Nebbiolo and Barbera wines, which take much longer to age.

Doppelbock: Literally, "doublebock" in German, this beer is an extra strong version of bock. Traditionally, the names of all doppelbocks end in -ator as in Celebrator (brewed by Ayinger) or Optimator (brewed by Paulaner).

Dosage: In bottle-fermented sparkling wines, a small amount of wine (usually sweet) that is added back to the bottle once the yeast sediment that collects in the neck of the bottle is removed.

Dry: Having no perceptible taste of sugar. Most wine tasters begin to perceive sugar at levels of 0.5 percent to 0.7 percent.

Drying Out: Losing fruit (or sweetness in sweet wines) to the extent that acid, alcohol or tannin dominate the taste. At this stage the wine will not improve.

Dumb: Describes a phase young wines undergo when their flavors and aromas are undeveloped. A synonym of closed.

Dunkel: Literally, "dark" in German. Dark beer.

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E

Early Harvest: Denotes a wine made from early-harvested grapes, usually lower than average in alcoholic content or sweetness.

Earthy: Used to describe both positive and negative attributes in wine. At its best, a pleasant, clean quality that adds complexity to aroma and flavors. The flip side is a funky, barnyardy character that borders on or crosses into dirtiness.

Edelkirsch Liqueur: A German cherry liqueur produced from fresh cherry juice and Kirshwasser (a cherry brandy).

Elegant: Used to describe wines of grace, balance and beauty.

Empty: Similar to hollow; devoid of flavor and interest.

Enology: The science and study of winemaking. Also spelled oenology.

Estate-bottled: A term once used by producers for those wines made from vineyards that they owned and that were contiguous to the winery "estate." Today it indicates the winery either owns the vineyard or has a long-term lease to purchase the grapes.

Esters: Fruity aromas or flavors similar to bananas, raspberries, apples, pears and other fruits. They are the byproducts of certain yeast strains and are accentuated with fermenting at higher temperatures.

Ethyl Acetate: A sweet, vinegary smell that often accompanies acetic acid. It exists to some extent in all wines and in small doses can be a plus. When it is strong and smells like nail polish, it's a defect.

Extract: Richness and depth of concentration of fruit in a wine. Usually a positive quality, although high extract wine can also be highly tannic.

Extra-dry: A common Champagne term not to be taken literally. Most Champagnes so labeled are sweet.

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F

Fading: Describes a wine that is losing color, fruit or flavor, usually as a result of age.

Fat: Full-bodied, high alcohol wines low in acidity give a "fat" impression on the palate. Can be a plus with bold, ripe, rich flavors; can also suggest the wine's structure is suspect.

Fermentation (Beer): The process of yeast consuming soluble sugars in wort to create by-products such as alcohol, carbon dioxide, flavor and aroma.

Fermentation (Wine): The process by which yeast converts sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide; turns grape juice into wine.

Field Blend: When a vineyard is planted to several different varieties and the grapes are harvested together to produce a single wine, the wine is called a field blend.

Filtering: The process of removing particles from wine after fermentation. Most wines unless otherwise labeled are filtered for both clarity and stability.

Fining: A technique for clarifying wine using agents such as bentonite (powdered clay), gelatin or egg whites, which combine with sediment particles and cause them to settle to the bottom, where they can be easily removed.

Finish: The key to judging a wine's quality is finish, also called aftertaste--a measure of the taste or flavors that linger in the mouth after the wine is tasted. Great wines have rich, long, complex finishes.

Firkin: A measurement or container of beer, which equals one quarter of a barrel (40.9 liters).

Fizzes: Made from liquor, citrus juices and sugar. Shaken with ice and strained into small highball glasses. Soda water is then added (the fizz). Any carbonated beverage, even champagne, may be used. Some add egg whites or yolks.

Flat: Having low acidity; the next stage after flabby. Can also refer to a sparkling wine that has lost its bubbles.

Fleshy: Soft and smooth in texture, with very little tannin.

Flinty: A descriptor for extremely dry white wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, whose bouquet is reminiscent of flint struck against steel.

Flips: An egg nog and fizz combination. Made with liquor, egg and sugar with shaved ice, shaken well. Strained into short stemmed glasses for serving. Sprinkled with nutmeg.

Floral (also Flowery): Literally, having the characteristic aromas of flowers. Mostly associated with white wines.

Fortified: Denotes a wine whose alcohol content has been increased by the addition of brandy or neutral spirits.

Framboise: A Belgian-style beer made with raspberries.

Frappes: Several liqueurs combined and poured over shaved or crushed ice.

Free-run Juice: The juice that escapes after the grape skins are crushed or squeezed prior to fermentation.

French Oak: The traditional wood for wine barrels, which supplies vanilla, cedar and sometimes butterscotch flavors. Used for red and white wines. Much more expensive than American oak, it can cost more than $500 per barrel, as opposed to $250 for American.

Fresh: Having a lively, clean and fruity character. An essential for young wines.

Fruit Brandy: Brandy distilled from the wine of a particular fruit; since all brandy is fruit-based (most often grape), the term is somewhat redundant.

Fruit-flavored Brandy: Brandy infused with fruit; the fruit is typically soaked in the brandy to impart flavor and color.

Fruity: Having the aroma and taste of fruit or fruits.

Fume Blanc: see Sauvignon Blanc

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G

Gamay: Beaujolais makes its famous, fruity reds exclusively from one of the many Gamays available, the Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc. Low in alcohol and relatively high in acidity, the wines are meant to be drunk soon after bottling; the ultimate example of this is Beaujolais Nouveau, whipped onto shelves everywhere almost overnight. It is also grown in the Loire, but makes no remarkable wines. The Swiss grow it widely, for blending with Pinot Noir; they often chaptalize the wines. California, meanwhile, grows a variety called Gamay Beaujolais, a high-yield clone of Pinot Noir that makes undistinguished wines in most places where it's grown. In the United States, the grape is used primarily for blending, and acreage is declining, as those serious about Pinot Noir are using superior clones and planting in cooler areas.

Gewurztraminer: Gewürztraminer can yield magnificent wines, as is best demonstrated in Alsace, France, where it is made into a variety of styles from dry to off-dry to sweet. The grape needs a cool climate that allows it to get ripe. It's a temperamental grape to grow and vinify, as its potent spiciness can be overbearing when unchecked. At its best, it produces a floral and refreshing wine with crisp acidity that pairs well with spicy dishes. When left for late harvest, it's uncommonly rich and complex, a tremendous dessert wine. It is also popular in Eastern Europe, New Zealand and the Pacific Northwest.

Gin: A type of liquor produced by adding juniper and other aromatic herbs to a neutral spirit base. Distilled from grain. Juniper berries and other botanicals give it its flavor. Most gin is colorless, however, some gins appear golden or straw-colored because of aging in barrels. Gin is bottled at proofs varying from 80 to 94. Dry gin, or London gin, tends to be lighter-bodied than Dutch, Geneva, or Holland's gin.

Gold/Oro: Tequila aged in large oak vats. The products gains some color due to contact with the oak, but often caramel coloring are added as well, depending on the producer.

Goldwasser: A white, spicy, citrus-like cordial that contains nonpalatable flakes of gold leaf.

Graceful: Describes a wine that is harmonious and pleasing in a subtle way.

Grain Neutral Spirits: Alcohol distilled from grain at 190 proof. Used in blended whiskeys for making gin and vodka and other liquors. It is almost tasteless and colorless.

Grainy (Beer): A raw grain flavor or aroma. Some graininess is acceptable in some beer styles.

Grapey: Characterized by simple flavors and aromas associated with fresh table grapes; distinct from the more complex fruit flavors (currant, black cherry, fig or apricot) found in fine wines.

Grappa: A brandy distilled from the pulpy residue of the wine press. In France, this brandy is called Marc, or eau de vie (i.e., brandy) de Marc.

Grassy: A signature descriptor for Sauvignon Blanc and a pleasant one unless overbearing and pungent.

Green Harvest: The trimming of unripe grapes to decrease crop yields, thereby improving the concentration of the remaining bunches.

Green: Tasting of unripe fruit. Wines made from unripe grapes will often possess this quality. Pleasant in Riesling and Gewürztraminer.

Grenache: Drought- and heat-resistant, it yields a fruity, spicy, medium-bodied wine with supple tannins. The second most widely planted grape in the world, Grenache is widespread in the southern Rhône. It is blended to produce Châteauneuf-du-Pape (although there are some pure varietals) and used on its own for the rosès of Tavel and Lirac; it is also used in France's sweet Banyuls wine. Important in Spain, where it's known as Garnacha Tinta, it is especially noteworthy in Rioja and Priorato. Grenache used to be popular in Australia, but has now been surpassed by Syrah; a few Barossa Valley producers are making wines similar to Châteauneuf-du-Pape. In California, it's a workhorse blending grape, though occasionally an old vineyard is found and its grapes made into a varietal wine, which at its best can be good. It may make a comeback as enthusiasts of Rhône style seek cooler areas and an appropriate blending grape.

Grenadine: A red syrup used for flavoring, made from pomegranates, red currants, strawberries and raspberries.

Grip: A welcome firmness of texture, usually from tannin, which helps give definition to wines such as Cabernet and Port.

Grist: Malt which has been ground.

Grown, Produced and Bottled: Means the winery handled each aspect of wine growing.

Gruner Veltliner: The most widely planted grape in Austria, it can be found to a lesser extent in some other parts of Eastern Europe. It achieves its qualitative pinnacle in the Wachau, Kremstal and Kamptal regions along the Danube River west of Vienna. Gruner, as it's called for short, shows distinct white pepper, tobacco, lentil and citrus flavors and aromas, along with high acidity, making it an excellent partner for food. Gruner is singularly unique in its flavor profile, and though it rarely has the finesse and breeding of the best Austrian Rieslings (though it can come close when grown on granite soils), it is similar in body and texture.

Gusano: The worm which lives in the heart of agave plants. Mostly placed in mescal as a gimmick, the Gusano in not found in tequila.

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H

Half-bottle: Holds 375 milliliters or 3/8 liter. Also known as a split.

Hand Pump: A hand-pump device that draws draft beer to the taphead. It allows cask-conditioned ale to be served without the use of pressurized carbon dioxide to push it up to the taphead.

Hard Cider: A fermented beverage made from apples.

Hard: Firm; a quality that usually results from high acidity or tannins. Often a descriptor for young red wines.

Harmonious: Well balanced, with no component obtrusive or lacking.

Harsh: Used to describe astringent wines that are tannic or high in alcohol.

Hazy: Used to describe a wine that has small amounts of visible matter. A good quality if a wine is unfined and unfiltered.

Heady: Used to describe high-alcohol wines.

Hearty: Used to describe the full, warm, sometimes rustic qualities found in red wines with high alcohol.

Hefeweizen: Literally, "yeast wheat" in German. An unfiltered wheat beer that is bottle conditioned and cloudy when served.

Helles: Literally, "pale" in German. Pale beer.

Herbaceous: Denotes the taste and smell of herbs in a wine. A plus in many wines such as Sauvignon Blanc, and to a lesser extent Merlot and Cabernet. Herbal is a synonym.

Highballs: Any liquor served with ice, soda, plain water, ginger ale or other carbonated liquids.

Himbeer Liqueur: A red raspberry liqueur from Germany.

Hollow: Lacking in flavor. Describes a wine that has a first taste and a short finish, and lacks depth at mid-palate.

Hoppy: A hop aroma or flavor of the essential oils of hops, which does not include hop bitterness.

Hops: The green cone-shaped flowers from the female hop vine used to add flavor and aromatics as well as bitter to beer.

Hot: High alcohol, unbalanced wines that tend to burn with "heat" on the finish are called hot. Acceptable in Port-style wines.

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I

Imperial Stout: A very strong, hoppy black ale, which originated in Britain as an export to Czarist Russia.

Imperial: An oversized bottle holding 4 to 6 liters; the equivalent of eight standard bottles.

India Pale Ale (IPA): A very strong, hoppy pale ale, which originated in Britain for export to soldiers in India.

Irish Whiskey: A blend that contains barley malt whiskeys and grain whiskeys. The malt is dried in coal-fired kilns. The aroma of the fires does not influence the malt. It may be prepared traditionally as a blend of straight pot still whiskies, or in the new style, as a blend of pot still and column still whiskies. Irish whiskey is heavier than Scotch and is usually 86 proof. It is produced only in Ireland.

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J

Jalisco: The central Mexican state in which the town of Tequila is located and where the vast majority of the agave used for tequila is harvested and distilled. It is an officially demarcated region (like Cognac for brandy or Bordeaux for wine) where tequila is produced, located roughly 40 miles north of Guadalupe.

Jamaican Rum: A full-bodied, dark rum of Jamaica that is produced in pot stills.

Jeroboam: An oversized bottle holding the equivalent of six bottles. In Champagne, a jeroboam holds four bottles.

Jigger: Also called a shot, a jigger is a small drinking glass- shaped container used to measure liquor.

Jimador: Name for those who harvest agave plants using machete-type knifes.

Juleps: Made with Kentucky bourbon and fresh mint leaves (muddled, crushed or whole). May also be made with rye, brandy, gin, rum or champagne. Served with shaved ice in an ice-frosted glass with a mint or fruit garnish and a straw.

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K

Kentucky whiskey: Whiskey that has the same corn and proof requirements as bourbon, but the barrels may have been used before.

Kirschwasser: A clear brandy distilled from cherries.

Kolsch: A light, golden German ale, which originated in Cologne.

Kraeusen: Literally, "crown" in German. Introducing unfermented wort to fermented wort to continue or revive fermentation.

Kriek: A Belgian-style beer made with cherries.

Kummel: A white liqueur produced using caraway and other seeds, herbs, and spices.

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L

Lager: Beer fermented more slowly and at cooler temperatures than ale, with bottom-fermenting yeast, and which is then aged for a smooth, clean flavor and aroma.

Lambic: A Belgian ale that spontaneously ferments with wild yeast in the air in the brewery. It is distinctive for its sour taste and aroma.

Late Harvest: On labels, indicates that a wine was made from grapes picked later than normal and at a higher sugar (Brix) level than normal. Usually associated with botrytised and dessert-style wines.

Lauter Tun: The vessel in which mashed grain is sparged (lautered). Sometimes referred to mash-lauter tun because usually mashing and sparging occur in the same vessel.

Lean: A not necessarily critical term used to describe wines made in an austere style. When used as a term of criticism, it indicates a wine is lacking in fruit.

Lees: Sediment remaining in a barrel or tank during and after fermentation. Often used as in sur lie aging, which indicates a wine is aged "on its lees." See also sur lie.

Legs: The viscous droplets that form and ease down the sides of the glass when the wine is swirled.

Length: The amount of time the sensations of taste and aroma persist after swallowing. The longer the better.

Light-struck: The skunky smell or flavor that results from a beer being exposed to too much direct sun or fluorescent lights. It is particularly pervasive in light beers packaged in green or clear bottles and is less common in beers packaged in brown bottles. It is caused by the reaction of hop oils to ultraviolet light.

Limousin: A type of oak cask from Limoges, France. See also French oak.

Lingering: Used to describe the flavor and persistence of flavor in a wine after tasting. When the aftertaste remains on the palate for several seconds, it is said to be lingering.

Liqueur: A sweet alcoholic beverage made from an infusion of flavoring ingredients and a spirit. Also called cordials.

Liquor: A distilled, alcoholic beverage made from a fermented mash of various ingredients.

Lively: Describes wines that are fresh and fruity, bright and vivacious.

Lush: Wines that are high in residual sugar and taste soft or viscous are called lush.

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M

Maceration: During fermentation, the steeping of the grape skins and solids in the wine, where alcohol acts as a solvent to extract color, tannin and aroma from the skins.

Made And Bottled By: Indicates only that the winery crushed, fermented and bottled a minimum of 10 percent of the wine in the bottle. Very misleading.

Maderized: Describes the brownish color and slightly sweet, somewhat caramelized and often nutty character found in mature dessert-style wines.

Magnum: An oversized bottle that holds 1.5 liters.

Maibock: Literally, "May bock" in German. A sweet pale lager brewed for the spring season.

Malbec: Once important in Bordeaux and the Loire in various blends, this not-very-hardy grape has been steadily replaced by Merlot and the two Cabernets. However, Argentina is markedly successful with this varietal. In the United States, Malbec is a blending grape only, and an insignificant one at that, but a few wineries use it, the most obvious reason being that it's considered part of the Bordeaux-blend recipe.

Malic: Describes the green apple-like flavor found in young grapes which diminishes as they ripen and mature.

Malolactic Fermentation: A secondary fermentation occurring in most wines, this natural process converts malic acid into softer lactic acid and carbon dioxide, thus reducing the wine's total acidity. Adds complexity to whites such as Chardonnay and softens reds such as Cabernet and Merlot.

Malt Liquor: A beer that has a higher alcohol content from 5 - 9 % higher than regular beer.

Malt Whisky: This indicates that the raw material is barley malt, by itself fermented with yeast and distilled in a pot still. This produced a far superior whisky to the common grain whisky found in blends. Note however that just occasionally quality single grain whiskies can be found.

Malt: Malt is essentially barley which has been allowed to germinate by soaking in water then has been dried by the application of heat. The malting process converts the stored starch into soluble compounds such as the sugar maltose and by so doing makes fermentation possible. Drying the malt over a furnace stops the germinating process and lacing the furnace with peat imparts a peaty aroma to the malt.

Maltose: A fermentable sugar derived from malt.

Maraschino Cherries: Specially treated fruit made from a variety of cherries. Pitted and then macerated in flavored sugar. Popular as a garnish or ingredient in many drinks.

Marc: Short for eau de vie de Marc, the French term for Grappa; see Grappa.

Marsanne: Popular in the Rhône (along with Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier). Australia, especially in Victoria, has some of the world's oldest vineyards. At its best, Marsanne can be a full-bodied, moderately intense wine with spice, pear and citrus notes.

Martinique Rum: An amber rum distilled in Martinique and shipped to Bordeaux for blending and distribution.

Marzen: Literally, "March" in German, which is the month the beer is brewed for consumption the following fall. A malty lager that originated in Germany, Marzen is traditionally brewed for Oktoberfest. It is also referred to as an Oktoberfest.

Mash Tun: A copper or stainless steel vessel used for mashing the grist and water. Literally, Tun is "tub" in German.

Mash: The porridge-like blend of water and grist at the beginning of the brewing process that releases sugars for brewing. Used in brewing beer and in the fermentation of whiskey.

Mature: Ready to drink.

Mead: Beverage made by fermenting honey, water and yeast with flavorings such as herbs, spices or flowers.

Meaty: Describes red wines that show plenty of concentration and a chewy quality. They may even have an aroma of cooked meat.

Mercaptans: An unpleasant, rubbery smell of old sulfur; encountered mainly in very old white wines.

Meritage: An invented term, used by California wineries, for Bordeaux-style red and white blended wines. Combines "merit" with "heritage." The term arose out of the need to name wines that didn't meet minimal labeling requirements for varietals (i.e., 75 percent of the named grape variety). For reds, the grapes allowed are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec; for whites, Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Joseph Phelps Insignia and Flora Springs Trilogy are examples of wines whose blends vary each year, with no one grape dominating.

Merlot: Merlot is the red-wine success of the 1990s: its popularity has soared along with its acreage, and it seems wine lovers can't drink enough of it. It dominates Bordeaux, except for the Médoc and Graves. Though it is mainly used for the Bordeaux blend, it can stand alone. In St.-Emilion and Pomerol, especially, it produces noteworthy wines, culminating in Château Pétrus. In Italy it's everywhere, though most of the Merlot is light, unremarkable stuff. But Ornellaia and Fattoria de Ama are strong exceptions to that rule. Despite its popularity, its quality ranges only from good to very good most of the time, though there are a few stellar producers found around the world. Several styles have emerged. One is a Cabernet-style Merlot, which includes a high percentage (up to 25 percent) of Cabernet, similar currant and cherry flavors and firm tannins. A second style is less reliant on Cabernet, softer, more supple, medium-weight, less tannic and features more herb, cherry and chocolate flavors. A third style is a very light and simple wine; this type's sales are fueling Merlot's overall growth. Like Cabernet, Merlot can benefit from some blending, as Cabernet can give it backbone, color and tannic strength. It also marries well with oak. As a wine, Merlot's aging potential is fair to good. It may be softer with age, but often the fruit flavors fade and the herbal flavors dominate.

Methode Champenoise: The labor-intensive and costly process whereby wine undergoes a secondary fermentation inside the bottle, creating bubbles. All Champagne and most high-quality sparkling wine is made by this process. See also charmat.

Methuselah: An extra-large bottle holding 6 liters; the equivalent of eight standard bottles.

Mezcal: The native Mexican word for the agave, "mezcal" is also used commercially to describe the lower grade distilled spirit made from agaves not of the blue variety.

Microbrewery: A brewery that produces 15,000 barrels or less of beer a year.

Mild: An English-style beer that is dark in color but mild in alcoholic content.

Mirabelle: A brandy distilled from plums; mirabelle is the French word for plum. Originated in Alsace, France. Also known as Quetsch, or Slivovitz.

Mocha: A type of coffee liqueur produced from mocha (coffee) and vanilla beans.

Mourvedre: As long as the weather is warm, Mourvèdre likes a wide variety of soils. It's popular across the south of France, especially in Provence and the Côtes-du-Rhône, and is often used in Châteauneuf-du-Pape; Languedoc makes it as a varietal. Spain uses it in many areas, including Valencia. In the United States it's a minor factor now, pursued by a few wineries that specialize in Rhône-style wines. The wine can be pleasing, with medium-weight, spicy cherry and berry flavors and moderate tannins. It ages well

Muddle: To mash or crush ingredients with a spoon or muddler ( a rod with a flattened end).

Munchener: Literally, " Munich" in German. A dark, spicy lager.

Murky: More than deeply colored; lacking brightness, turbid and sometimes a bit swampy. Mainly a fault of red wines.

Muscat: Known as Muscat, Muscat Blanc and Muscat Canelli, it is marked by strong spice and floral notes and can be used in blending, its primary function in California. Moscato in Italy, Moscatel in Iberia: This grape can turn into anything from the low-alcohol, sweet and frothy Asti Spumante and Muscat de Canelli to bone-dry wines like Muscat d'Alsace. It also produces fortified wine such as Beaumes de Venise.

Must: The unfermented juice of grapes extracted by crushing or pressing; grape juice in the cask or vat before it is converted into wine.

Musty: Having an off-putting moldy or mildewy smell. The result of a wine being made from moldy grapes, stored in improperly cleaned tanks and barrels, or contaminated by a poor cork.

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N

Neat: A term referring to liquor that is drunk undiluted by ice, water or mixers.

Nebbiolo: The great grape of Northern Italy, which excels there in Barolo and Barbaresco, strong, ageable wines. Mainly unsuccessful elsewhere, Nebbiolo also now has a small foothold in California. So far the wines are light and uncomplicated, bearing no resemblance to the Italian types.

Nebuchadnezzar: A giant wine bottle holding 15 liters; the equivalent of 20 standard bottles.

Negociant (negociant-eleveur): A French wine merchant who buys grapes and vinifies them, or buys wines and combines them, bottles the result under his own label and ships them. Particularly found in Burgundy. Two well-known examples are Joseph Drouhin and Louis Jadot.

Neutral Spirits: An alcoholic spirit purified in the still to a minimum of 95 percent of absolute alcoholic purity. The proof, which is calculated as twice the percent alcohol, is 190.

Noble Rot: See Botrytis cinerea.

Nonvintage: Blended from more than one vintage. This allows the vintner to keep a house style from year to year. Many Champagnes and sparkling wines are nonvintage. Also, Sherry and the nonvintage Ports, the tawnies and the rubies.

Nose: The character of a wine as determined by the olfactory sense. Also called aroma; includes bouquet.

Nouveau: A style of light, fruity, youthful red wine bottled and sold as soon as possible. Applies mostly to Beaujolais.

Nutty: Used to describe oxidized wines. Often a flaw, but when it's close to an oaky flavor it can be a plus.

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O

Oaky: Describes the aroma or taste quality imparted to a wine by the oak barrels or casks in which it was aged. Can be either positive or negative. The terms toasty, vanilla, dill, cedary and smoky indicate the desirable qualities of oak; charred, burnt, green cedar, lumber and plywood describe its unpleasant side. See also American oak, French oak.

Off-dry: Indicates a slightly sweet wine in which the residual sugar is barely perceptible 0.6 percent to 1.4 percent.

Old Ale: A British-style ale that is medium strong and dark.

On The Rocks: A beverage served over ice without adding water or other mixers.

Ouzo: Sweet, Greek licorice-flavored liqueur produced from aniseed. Sweeter than mastic, and stronger than anisette.

Oxidized: Describes wine that has been exposed too long to air and taken on a brownish color, losing its freshness and perhaps beginning to smell and taste like Sherry or old apples. Oxidized wines are also called maderized or sherrified.

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P

Pale Ale: A fruity, milder version of England's India Pale Ale.

Partial Mash: A term used to describe the brewing process in which both malted grist and malt extract are used.

Pasteurization: The process of heating beer after fermentation, which kills any remaining live yeast and bacteria, reducing the risk of contamination or spoilage.

Peach-flavored Brandy: A pure grape brandy flavored with peaches. A type of cordial or liqueur.

Peak: The time when a wine tastes its best--very subjective.

Peppermint Schnapps: A peppermint-flavored liqueur that is less sweet than crème de menthe.

Perfumed: Describes the strong, usually sweet and floral aromas of some white wines.

Petite Syrah: Known for its dark hue and firm tannins, Petite Sirah has often been used as a blending wine to provide color and structure, particularly to Zinfandel. On its own, Petite Sirah can also make intense, peppery, ageworthy wines, but few experts consider it as complex as Syrah itself. There has been much confusion over the years about Petite Sirah's origins. For a long time, the grape was thought to be completely unrelated to Syrah, despite its name. Petite Sirah was believed to actually be Durif, a minor red grape variety first grown in southern France in the late 1800s. However, recent DNA research shows Petite Sirah and Syrah are related after all. A study done at the University of California at Davis determined not only that 90 percent of the Petite Sirah found in California is indeed Durif, but also that Durif is a cross between Peloursin and Syrah. Just to make things more confusing, in France, growers refer to different variants of Syrah as Petite and Grosse, which has to do with the yield of the vines.

PH: A chemical measurement of acidity or alkalinity; the higher the pH the weaker the acid. Used by some wineries as a measurement of ripeness in relation to acidity. Low pH wines taste tart and crisp; higher pH wines are more susceptible to bacterial growth. A range of 3.0 to 3.4 is desirable for white wines, while 3.3 to 3.6 is best for reds.

Phylloxera: Tiny aphids or root lice that attack Vitis vinifera roots. The disease was widespread in both Europe and California during the late 19th century, and returned to California in the 1980s.

Pilsener/Pilsner/Pils: The most imitated style of lager in the world; it was perfected in 1842 in Pilsen, Bohemia. It is pale in color with an assertive hop aroma and is highly carbonated.

Pina: The heart of the agave plant, which resembles a pineapple after its long, spiny leaves have been cut off. Harvested pina, which can weigh as much as 150 pounds each, are trimmed, cut in chunks and either steamed or compressed to extract the aguamiel, which is then fermented and distilled.

Pinot Blanc: Often referred to as a poor man's Chardonnay because of its similar flavor and texture profile, Pinot Blanc is used in Champagne, Burgundy, Alsace, Germany, Italy and California and can make a terrific wine. When well made, it is intense, concentrated and complex, with ripe pear, spice, citrus and honey notes. Can age, but is best early on while its fruit shines through.

Pinot Gris/ Pinot Grigio: Known as Pinot Grigio in Italy, where it is mainly found in the northeast, producing quite a lot of undistinguished dry white wine and Collio's excellent whites. As Pinot Gris, it used to be grown in Burgundy and the Loire, though it has been supplanted, but it comes into its own in Alsace--where it's known as Tokay. Southern Germany plants it as Ruländer. When good, this varietal is soft, gently perfumed and has more color than most whites.

Pinot Noir: Pinot Noir, the great grape of Burgundy, is a touchy variety. The best examples offer the classic black cherry, spice, raspberry and currant flavors, and an aroma that can resemble wilted roses, along with earth, tar, herb and cola notes. It can also be rather ordinary, light, simple, herbal, vegetal and occasionally weedy. It can even be downright funky, with pungent barnyard aromas. In fact, Pinot Noir is the most fickle of all grapes to grow: It reacts strongly to environmental changes such as heat and cold spells, and is notoriously fussy to work with once picked, since its thin skins are easily bruised and broken, setting the juice free. Even after fermentation, Pinot Noir can hide its weaknesses and strengths, making it a most difficult wine to evaluate out of barrel. In the bottle, too, it is often a chameleon, showing poorly one day, brilliantly the next. The emphasis on cooler climates coincides with more rigorous clonal selection, eliminating those clones suited for sparkling wine, which have even thinner skins. These days there is also a greater understanding of and appreciation for different styles of Pinot Noir wine, even if there is less agreement about those styles--should it be rich, concentrated and loaded with flavor, or a wine of elegance, finesse and delicacy? Or can it, in classic Pinot Noir sense, be both? Even varietal character remains subject to debate. Pinot Noir can certainly be tannic, especially when it is fermented with some of its stems, a practice that many vintners around the world believe contributes to the wine's backbone and longevity. Pinot Noir can also be long-lived, but predicting with any precision which wines or vintages will age is often the ultimate challenge in forecasting. Pinot Noir is the classic grape of Burgundy and also of Champagne, where it is pressed immediately after picking in order to yield white juice. It is just about the only red grown in Alsace. In California, it excelled in the late 1980s and early 1990s and seems poised for further progress. Once producers stopped vinifying it as if it were Cabernet, planted vineyards in cooler climates and paid closer attention to tonnage, quality increased substantially. It's fair to say that California and Oregon have a legitimate claim to producing world-class Pinot Noir.

Plata: Literally translated as "silver," refers to a white, or clear, unaged tequila.

Porter: An English-style dark ale that was stout's predecessor. It was first brewed for London laborers like porters.

Potable: Any beverage, particularly those containing alcohol.

Potent: Intense and powerful.

Press Wine (or Pressing): The juice extracted under pressure after pressing for white wines and after fermentation for reds. Press wine has more flavor and aroma, deeper color and often more tannins than free-run juice. Wineries often blend a portion of press wine back into the main cuvée for added backbone.

Private Reserve: This description, along with Reserve, once stood for the best wines a winery produced, but lacking a legal definition many wineries use it or a spin-off (such as Proprietor's Reserve) for rather ordinary wines. Depending upon the producer, it may still signify excellent quality.

Produced And Bottled By: Indicates that the winery crushed, fermented and bottled at least 75 percent of the wine in the bottle.

Proof: The strength of alcohol by volume. The proof number is twice the percentage of alcohol in the bottle. So 80 proof is 40 percent; 100 proof is 50 percent. Usually adjusted by diluting with water before bottling.

Pruny: Having the flavor of overripe, dried-out grapes. Can add complexity in the right dose.

Puckery: Describes highly tannic and very dry wines.

Punches: Citrus juices with two or more liquors or wines. Served cold. Hot punches use milk, eggs and cream.

Pungent: Having a powerful, assertive smell linked to a high level of volatile acidity.

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Q

Quetsch: A brandy distilled from plums. See Mirabelle.

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R

Racking: The practice of moving wine by hose from one container to another, leaving sediment behind. For aeration or clarification.

Raisiny: Having the taste of raisins from ultra-ripe or overripe grapes. Can be pleasant in small doses in some wines.

Raspberry Liqueur: Sweet raspberry-flavored liqueur.

Rauchbier: Literally, "smoke beer" in German. A lager with a strong smoky character popularized in Bamburg. It is brewed with wood-smoked malt.

Raw: Young and undeveloped. A good descriptor of barrel samples of red wine. Raw wines are often tannic and high in alcohol or acidity.

Reduced: Commonly used to describe a wine that has not been exposed to air.

Regional Brewery: A brewery that produces 15,000 to 500,000 barrels of beer a year.

Rehoboam: Oversized bottle equivalent to 4.5 liters or six regular bottles.

Reinheitsgebot: The German beer purity law of 1516 that states that beer shall only be made with grain, hops, yeast and water.

Reposado: Another aging term, meaning "rested." By definition, reposado tequilas have been rested in oak barrels for a period of six months to a year.

Residual Sugar: Unfermented grape sugar in a finished wine.

Rich: Wines with generous, full, pleasant flavors, usually sweet and round in nature, are described as rich. In dry wines, richness may be supplied by high alcohol and glycerin, by complex flavors and by an oaky vanilla character. Decidedly sweet wines are also described as rich when the sweetness is backed up by fruity, ripe flavors.

Rickeys: Made with lime, cracked ice, soda or any carbonated beverage and whiskey, gin, rum or brandy. Served with the rind of lime. Similar to a Collins or sour.

Riesling: One of the world's greatest white wine grapes, the Riesling vine's hardy wood makes it extremely resistant to frost. The variety excels in cooler climates, where its tendency to ripen slowly makes it an excellent source for sweet wines made from grapes attacked by the noble rot Botrytis cinerea, which withers the grapes' skin and concentrates their natural sugar levels. Riesling is best known for producing the wines of Germany's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Pfalz, Rheinhessen and Rheingau wines, but it also achieves brilliance in Alsace and Austria. While the sweet German Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese wines, along with Alsace's famed Selection de Grains Nobles, are often celebrated for their high sugar levels and ability to age almost endlessly, they are rare and expensive. More commonly, Riesling produces dry or just off-dry versions. Its high acidity and distinctive floral, citrus, peach and mineral accents have won dry Riesling many fans. The variety pairs well with food and has an uncanny knack for transmitting the elements of its vineyard source (what the French call terroir).

The wines from Germany's Mosel region are perhaps the purest expression of the grape, offering lime, pie crust, apple, slate and honeysuckle characteristics on a light-bodied and racy frame. Germany's Rheinhessen, Rheingau and Pfalz regions produces wines of similar characteristics, but with increasing body and spice. In Alsace, Riesling is most often made in a dry style, full-bodied, with a distinct petrol aroma. In Austria, Riesling plays second fiddle to Gruner Veltliner in terms of quantity, but when grown on favored sites it offers wines with great focus and clarity allied to the grape's typically racy frame. In other regions, Riesling struggles to maintain its share of vineyard plantings, but it can be found (often under synonyms such as White Riesling, Rhine Riesling or Johannisberg Riesling) in California, Oregon, Washington, New York's Finger Lakes region, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, South America and Canada.

Robust: Means full-bodied, intense and vigorous, perhaps a bit overblown.

Round: Describes a texture that is smooth, not coarse or tannic.

Rum: A type of liquor distilled from the fermented juice of the sugar cane (i.e., molasses). Rum is produced in many Caribbean countries that also produce sugar. Aged in uncharred barrels, Rum picks up very little color. Caramel is added to create dark rums. Most rums are a blend of several kinds.

Rustic: Describes wines made by old-fashioned methods or tasting like wines made in an earlier era. Can be a positive quality in distinctive wines that require aging. Can also be a negative quality when used to describe a young, earthy wine that should be fresh and fruity.

Rye Whiskey: Distilled from a grain mash of 80% corn. It is usually aged in reused, charred oak barrels.

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S

Saison: A Belgian-style ale that is mildly sour with spices or herbs and which usually is brewed for spring.

Salmanazar: An oversized bottle holding 9 liters, the equivalent of 12 regular bottles.

Sangarees: Made with whiskey, gin, rum or brandy, with port wine floated on top, or with wine, ale, porter or stout, with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Actually a tall, sweet, old fashioned (sans bitters).

Sangiovese: Sangiovese is best known for providing the backbone for many superb Italian red wines from Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, as well as the so-called super-Tuscan blends. Sangiovese is distinctive for its supple texture and medium-to full-bodied spice, raspberry, cherry and anise flavors. When blended with a grape such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese gives the resulting wine a smoother texture and lightens up the tannins. It is somewhat surprising that Sangiovese wasn't more popular in California given the strong role Italian immigrants have played in the state's winemaking heritage, but now the grape appears to have a bright future in the state, both as a stand-alone varietal wine and for use in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and maybe even Zinfandel. Expect sweeping stylistic changes as winemakers learn more about how the grape performs in different locales as well as how it marries with different grapes. Worth watching.

Sauvignon Blanc: Another white with a notable aroma, this one "grassy" or "musky." The pure varietal is found mainly in the Loire, at Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, As part of a blend, the grape is all over Bordeaux, in Pessac-Léognan, Graves and the Médoc whites; it also shows up in Sauternes. New Zealand has had striking success with Sauvignon Blanc, producing its own perfumed, fruity style that spread across North America and then back to France. In the United States, Robert Mondavi rescued the varietal in the 1970s by labeling it Fumé Blanc, and he and others have enjoyed success with it. The key to success seems to be in taming its overt varietal intensity, which at its extreme leads to pungent grassy, vegetal and herbaceous flavors. Many winemakers treat it like in a sort of poor man's Chardonnay, employing barrel fermentation, sur lie aging and malolactic fermentation. But its popularity comes as well from the fact that it is a prodigious producer and a highly profitable wine to make. It can be crisp and refreshing, matches well with foods, costs less to produce and grow than Chardonnay and sells for less. It also gets less respect from vintners than perhaps it should. Its popularity ebbs and flows, at times appearing to challenge Chardonnay and at other times appearing to be a cash-flow afterthought. But even at its best, it does not achieve the kind of richness, depth or complexity Chardonnay does and in the end that alone may be the defining difference. Sauvignon Blanc grows well in a variety of appellations. It marries well with oak and Sèmillon, and many vintners are adding a touch of Chardonnay for extra body. The wine drinks best in its youth, but sometimes will benefit from short-term cellaring. As a late-harvest wine, it's often fantastic, capable of yielding amazingly complex and richly flavored wines.

Scotch Ale: A Scottish-style malty, copper-colored strong ale.

Scotch Whisky: A notable whiskey from Scotland that is prepared as a blend of hearty pot-distilled barley malt whiskies and light column-distilled grain whiskies. The smoky flavor comes from drying malted barley over peat fires. Produced only in Scotland. Exported Scotch is at least four years old and is usually 80 to 86 proof.

Scottish Ale: A Scottish-style ale that is less alcoholic than its Scotch ale cousin.

Seasonal Beer: A beer brewed for a specific season of the year, such as an Octoberfest or winter warmer.

Semillon: On its own or in a blend, this white varietal can age. With Sauvignon Blanc, its traditional partner, this is the foundation of Sauternes and most of the great dry whites found in Graves and Pessac-Léognan; these are rich, honeyed wines,. Sémillon is one of the grapes susceptible to Botrytis cinerea. Australia's Hunter Valley uses it solo to make a full-bodied white that used to be known as Hunger Riesling, Chablis or White Burgundy. In South Africa, it used to be so prevalent that it was just called "wine grape," but it has declined drastically in importance there. In the United States, Sémillon enjoys modest success as a varietal wine in California and Washington, but it continues to lose ground in acreage in California. It can make a wonderful late-harvest wine, and those wineries that focus on it can make well balanced wines with complex fig, pear, tobacco and honey notes. When blended into Sauvignon Blanc, it adds body, flavor and texture. When Sauvignon Blanc is added to Sémillon, the latter gains grassy herbal notes. It can also be found blended with Chardonnay, more to fill out the volume of wine than to add anything to the package.

Shelf Life: The length of time after bottling, three to four months for most American beers, before a beer begins to spoil.

Shiraz / Syrah: Hermitage and Côte-Rôtie in France, Penfolds Grange in Australia--the epitome of Syrah is a majestic red that can age for half a century. The grape seems to grow well in a number of areas and is capable of rendering rich, complex and distinctive wines, with pronounced pepper, spice, black cherry, tar, leather and roasted nut flavors, a smooth, supple texture and smooth tannins. In Southern France, it finds its way into various blends, as in Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Languedoc-Roussillon. Known as Shiraz in Australia, it was long used for bread-and-butter blends, but an increasing number of high-quality bottlings are being made, especially from old vines in the Barossa Valley. In the United States., Syrah's rise in quality is most impressive. It appears to have the early-drinking appeal of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel and few of the eccentricities of Merlot, and may well prove far easier to grow and vinify than any other red wines aside from Cabernet.

Shot; Shot Glass: A small amount of alcohol. A shot glass is the drinking glass-shaped container in which such an amount is measured or served.

Simple Syrup: Simple syrup can be made in a saucepan, gradually stir one pound granulated sugar into 13 oz. hot water to make 16 oz. simple/sugar syrup. Used as a mixer/sweetener for drinks.

Single Barrel: Most bourbons are a mixture of liquor from several barrels, allowing the distiller to control the consistency of flavor. (Do not confuse this with "blended.) But premium single barrel bourbons are bottled from one barrel only.

Single Malt: This indicates that the whisky was made in only one distillery and has not been blended with any other product from elsewhere. It may however contain whisky from several production batches over a period of up to a couple of years.

Skunked: See light-struck.

Slings: Made like sangarees with the addition of lemon juice and a twist of lemon peel. Served in an old fashioned glass.

Sloe Gin: A red liqueur with a cherry-like flavor produced from sloe berries and other fruits in a neutral spirit base.

Small Batch: "Everyday" bourbons are produced in large quantities. For example, some bottlers produce 17,000 cases daily. Small batch is a flexible term, but usually means a bottling from 1,000 gallons or fewer.

Smashes: Small juleps, served in old fashioned glasses. Made with muddled sugar, ice cubes, whiskey, gin, rum or brandy and soda. Garnished with sprigs of mint and fruit.

Smoky: Usually an oak barrel byproduct, a smoky quality can add flavor and aromatic complexity to wines.

Snifter: A short-stemmed, pear-shaped glass that is larger at the bottom than at the top.

Soft: Describes wines low in acid or tannin (sometimes both), making for easy drinking. Opposite of hard.

Sour Mash Whiskey: A broad category of whiskey whereby a portion of old mash is mixed with new to help advance the character & smoothness of the flavor.

Sour Mash: A term describing a production process typical of straight whiskies, as opposed to sweet mash. The resulting whiskey itself is not sour in taste.

Sour: A cocktail made by combining liquor with lemon juice and a little sugar. Similar to highly concentrated punch. Garnished with a lemon slice and a cherry.

Spanish Brandy: Brandy distilled from sherry wine; typically less dry than traditional brandy.

Spicy: A descriptor for many wines, indicating the presence of spice flavors such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, mint and pepper which are often present in complex wines.

Stale: Wines that have lost their fresh, youthful qualities are called stale. Opposite of fresh.

Stalky: Smells and tastes of grape stems or has leaf- or hay-like aromas.

Steam Beer: A uniquely American beer that was first introduced in California during the Gold Rush. It is brewed using bottom-fermenting lager yeast at top-fermenting ale temperatures. Anchor Steam beer is the most famous example of this style.

Steinbier: Literally, "stone beer" in German. A lager brewed with hot rocks plunged into the boiling wort to impart a caramelized flavor.

Stout: An English- and Irish-style ale that is opaque black, smooth and creamy. It may be dry or sweet.

Straight Up: Term used to describe cocktails that are served up without ice.

Straight Whiskey: A whiskey that is distilled from grain but not blended with neutral grain spirits or any other whiskey. Aged in a charred oak barrel for at least two years with the addition of only pure water to reduce the proof.

Structure: The interaction of elements such as acid, tannin, glycerin, alcohol and body as it relates to a wine's texture and mouthfeel. Usually proceeded by a modifier, as in "firm structure" or "lacking in structure."

Subtle: Describes delicate wines with finesse, or flavors that are understated rather than full-blown and overt. A positive characteristic.

Supple: Describes texture, mostly with reds, as it relates to tannin, body and oak. A positive characteristic.

Sur Lie: Wines aged sur lie (French for "on the lees") are kept in contact with the dead yeast cells and are not racked or otherwise filtered. This is mainly done for whites, to enrich them (it is a normal part of fermenting red wine, and so is not noted). Originated in Burgundy, with Chardonnay. Popular in Muscadet, Alsace, Germany (Riesling and Pinot Gris) and California. Adds complexity to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc; can occasionally be overdone and lead to a leesy flavor that is off-putting.

Swizzle Stick: A twig with a few forked branches on its end. It is usually inserted into the glass. Used for stirring.

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T

Tannin: The mouth-puckering substance--found mostly in red wines--that is derived primarily from grape skins, seeds and stems, but also from oak barrels. Tannin acts as a natural preservative that helps wine age and develop.

Tart: Sharp-tasting because of acidity. Occasionally used as a synonym for acidic.

Tartaric Acid: The principal acid in wine.

Tartrates: Harmless crystals of potassium bitartrate that may form in cask or bottle (often on the cork) from the tartaric acid naturally present in wine.

Tempranillo: Spain's major contribution to red wine, Tempranillo is indigenous to the country and is rarely grown elsewhere. It is the dominant grape in the red wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero, two of Spain's most important wine regions. In Rioja, Tempranillo is often blended with Garnacha, Mazuelo and a few other minor grapes. When made in a traditional style, Tempranillo can be garnet-hued, with flavors of tea, brown sugar and vanilla. When made in a more modern style, it can display aromas and flavors redolent of plums, tobacco and cassis, along with very dark color and substantial tannins. Whatever the style, Riojas tend to be medium-bodied wines, offering more acidity than tannin. In Ribera del Duero, wines are also divided along traditional and modern styles, and show similarities to Rioja. The more modern styled Riberas, however, can be quite powerful, offering a density and tannic structure similar to that of Cabernet Sauvignon. Tempranillo is known variously throughout Spain as Cencibel, Tinto del Pais, Tinto Fino, Ull de Llebre and Ojo. It's also grown along the Douro River in Portugal under the monikers Tinta Roriz (used in the making of Port) and Tinta Aragonez.

Tennessee Sour Mash Whiskey: A bourbon cousin. The mash bill, proof and aging requirements are the same as for bourbon, but the liquor is leached through sugar maple charcoal before being put in oak barrels.

Tequila: A type of liquor from Mexico distilled from the fermented juice of the Mescal plant (aka the blue agave), which resembles an oversized pineapple and takes years to grow.

Tequilero: A master tequila maker.

Terroir: The overall environment within which a given varietal grows. Derived from the French word for Earth, "Terre." Considered by many to be a defining characteristic of a wine.

Thin: Lacking body and depth.

Tight: Describes a wine's structure, concentration and body, as in a "tightly wound" wine. Closed or compact are similar terms.

Tired: Limp, feeble, lackluster.

Toasty: Describes a flavor derived from the oak barrels in which wines are aged. Also, a character that sometimes develops in sparkling wines.

Toddies: Served hot or cold. A lump or teaspoon of sugar dissolved in a little hot water, with liquor, ice or hot water added and stirred. Served with nutmeg, clove, cinnamon or lemon peel.

Trappist Ale: A strong ale made at one of the last five brewing Trappist monasteries in Belgium and The Netherlands. They are widely regarded as the finest beers in the world.

Trebbiano or Ugni Blanc: This grape is known as Trebbiano in Italy and Ugni Blanc in France. It is tremendously prolific; low in alcohol but high in acidity, it is found in almost any basic white Italian wine. It is so ingrained in Italian winemaking that it is actually a sanctioned ingredient of the blend used for (red) Chianti and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. Most current Tuscan producers do not add it to their wines, however. The French, who also often call this grape St.-Émilion, used it for Cognac and Armagnac brandy; Ugni Blanc grapevines outnumbered Chardonnay by five to one in France during the '80s.

Triple Sec: A white, orange-flavored liqueur. Similar to Curacao, but more tangy and higher in proof.

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V

Vatted Malt: Such a malt is a blend of single malts. This produces a product which is more consistent and can be "tune