Many wine lovers have heard the term “corked” used in reference to a faulty bottle of wine, but what exactly does the term mean? Below is all you need to know about our latest Wine Word of the Week. The term “corked” (aka “cork taint”) does not refer to a crumbly cork or cork bits floating in a wine. The term actually refers to a chemical compound,... Read More
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Our latest Wine Word of the Week is solera which refers to a system of fractional blending and aging associated primarily with fortified wines (i.e. Sherry, Madeira, Port) and non-vintage sparkling wine (i.e. Champagne). The purpose of the solera is to produce wines with a consistent “house style” rather than exhibiting the nuances of vintage variation which is most commonly seen in the majority of wines sold in the US... Read More
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Our latest Wine Word of the Week is “en primeur” which refers to the practice of purchasing wine in advance of its release date, usually while it is still in barrel. Also referred to as “wine futures,” wines purchased in this manner aren’t usually released until 2-3 years after they are sold. Why spend money on wine that far in... Read More
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Our latest Wine Word of the Week is “en primeur” which refers to the practice of purchasing wine in advance of its release date, usually while it is still in barrel. Also referred to as “wine futures,” wines purchased in this manner aren’t usually released until 2-3 years after they are sold. Why spend money on wine that far in advance, you might ask? Purchasing wine en primeur is done primarily for two reasons: (1) to obtain wines which are produced in limited quantities, and (2) to lock in the best pricing of a wine, usually lower than the release price.
The practice of purchasing wines en primeur is most prevalent in France’s Bordeaux region where it has existed for centuries. Every April the grand cru classé properties produce barrel samples of their wines for the international wine trade who gather in Bordeaux to assess them. Based on these tastings, wines are given scores or ratings which reflect what they will taste like once they are bottled and how well they will age. The estates then release a portion of their total production at special pricing to wine brokers, known as négociants, who then sell the en primeur offers. Selling to négociants helps producers mitigate the risk of decreased demand in poor vintages: négociants are obligated to purchase their allocations in poor vintages for fear of not receiving any allocation in good vintages. The en primeur system works best when global demand outstrips supply and with skyrocketing prices of Bordeaux over the past decade due largely to Chinese interest, many US collectors have lost interest in the en primeur process.
Bordeaux is not the only region in the world to sell its wines en primeur; regions such as Burgundy, the Rhône, Port, Italy, and California also implement this practice. Consumers interested in purchasing wines en primeur from any country should consult a reputable wine merchant to handle the transaction since they’ll be waiting 2-3 years to receive their wine.
Thanks for checking out our latest Wine Word of the Week and to see previous “words,” please click here. If there’s a wine word you’d like to learn more about, please leave it in the comment section below – we’d love to hear from you.
Cheers,
Don your beret and grab a glass of Chablis, my fellow wine lovers – it’s time for a little French lesson for our latest Wine Word of the Week! Bâtonnage (bat-un-AJH) is a French term which refers to the stirring of a wine which is being fermented sur lie, or “on the lees.” Lees refers to the dead yeast cells... Read More
The post Wine Word of the Week: Bâtonnage! appeared first on The Glamorous Gourmet.
Don your beret and grab a glass of Chablis, my fellow wine lovers – it’s time for a little French lesson for our latest Wine Word of the Week!
Bâtonnage (bat-un-AJH) is a French term which refers to the stirring of a wine which is being fermented sur lie, or “on the lees.” Lees refers to the dead yeast cells and other matter which collects at the bottom of the barrel as a normal byproduct of fermentation. Allowing the wine to remain in contact with these cells imparts a fuller, richer body and more complexity to the wine. Stirring or bâtonnage facilitates this process by maximizing the wine’s exposure to the lees. The extent to which this technique is employed is determined by the winemaker and the style of wine he or she is trying to produce. The more contact the wine has with the dead yeast cells, the more effect it will have on the wine.
Because they are intrinsically linked, you will usually see the terms “sur lie” and “bâtonnage” used together. These techniques are best known for their role in producing white wines such as White Burgundy as well as New World incarnations of the Chardonnay grape.
I hope you enjoyed our latest Wine Word of the Week, to view previous installments of this segment please click here. If you have a wine word you’d like to learn more about, please tell us in the comment section below – thanks for stopping by!
Cheers,
This week’s Wine Word of the Week is “Botrytis” and was suggested by fellow wine lover, Jim Chard– thanks for the suggestion, Jim! Botrytis (aka Botrytis cinerea) is a type of fruit fungus which can affect wine grapes with delicious results. While fungus is normally thought of as a bad thing, especially when it comes to things we ingest, grapes... Read More
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