Definitions of the 78 wine terms filed under P in the Vinerra wine dictionary, from grape varieties and winemaking to tasting vocabulary.
Italian term for the pale yellow color of some wines
A tasting term for the feel and taste of a wine in the mouth.
A neutrally flavored food, used between tastes of wine to remove the flavors from your palate.
A term without real meaning often used by fans of traditional wines when wines are richer, sweeter, softer and more alcoholic than they prefer. The term is modeled after the wines achieving high scores by Robert Parker, a well known wine critic.
A wine production method used in Italy whereby grapes are dried, either on mats or by hanging, until they become raisinated. As a result, wine made in this manner has a lot more sugar than is typical. Thus these grapes are used mostly for dessert wines which are called "Passito," after the method.
Developed by the famous French scientist Louis Pasteur while investigating the reasons why beer and wine spoil, pasteurization is the process of killing bacteria via heating the fluid then quickly chilling it.
Produced most commonly in southern Spain, Pedro Ximenez is a grape variety used to make white wines. The grape's name is the Spanish translation of Peter Siemens, a German who originally introduced this variety to Spain's wine country.
Wines in peer groups are usually related by the vintage, appellation and/or producer.
Tasting term used to describe wines that have nuanced spiced flavors. Shiraz often presents peppery flavor characteristics.
Term that refers to wine aromas. Wines with bottle age develop secondary, non fruit aromas.
Traditional method for training the vines at high altitude, most commonly used in Italy.
Perlage is a French term to describe the string of "pearls", fine bubbles, in a glass of sparkling wine (think champagne, cremant, etc. Typically, the finer the pearls, the better the quality, and this is essentially the result of the method in use. The Traditional or Methode Champenoise produces smaller, finer bubbles than other methods of making sparkling wine.
Italian term for a wine that has a prolongured finish in mouth
Italian term for a wine that feels too heavy in mouth, or have an excesive amount of alcohol
Pétillant is the French word for sparkling. Lightly effervescent; slightly sparkling. Pétillance is found sometimes in wines not meant to sparkle but which are often bottled with some left-over CO2. It is the French equivalent to frizzante.
Small estates, which can produce fine wine, but the property is not well known, either because it is located in a less famous wine region, or it is a small vineyard that is not renowned.
This grape variety is also known as Durif, after Francois Durif, the Frenchman who developed the grape in the late 19th Century. The result of a chance cross pollination between Syrah and the French grape Peloursin, Petite Sirah is now grown mainly in California and increasingly in Australia.
Natural compounds present in grape skins and seeds.
The changes that occur in the tannins, grape seeds, skins and stems when the fruit is fully ripe. This is the same term as Physiological Ripeness which is when the tannins, grape seeds, skins and stems are fully ripe.
Phenolics are the important compounds produced from the pulp, skins, seeds and stems of the grapes.
A microscopic insect that kills grapevines by attacking their roots.
Called Piemonte in Italian, the name Piedmont translates as "foot of the mountains" and appropriately describes a significant area of wine production in Italy lying at the foot of the Alps where the mountains form natural boundaries between Italy, Switzerland and France.
Italian for a full bodied or rich wine
A winemaking technique of punching down the cap of grape skins that forms during fermentation and submerging it during fermentation to extract color, tannins, flavor and aromas from the grape solids.
Italian term for the crushing process of the grapes
Any red (black) or white grape variety used to make Pinot Noir and Pinot Grigio, respectively. Also refers to any wine made from these grapes.
A wine produced in northern Italy from the grape of the same name. The grape is also called Pinot Gris in France and Rulander in Germany. Most of this popular wine is dry, crisp, and light, and there are a number of appellations in Italy, such as Colli Orientali and Alto-Adige, that are famous for their excellent Pinot Grigio.
Native to Burgundy, France, this grape is now planted all over the New World and has become one of the most successful red wine varietals on the planet. California and Oregon produce tremendous examples. More recently, New Zealand is fast becoming renowned for fine Pinot Noirs.
This grape variety was created as a cross between the Pinot Noir and Cinsault grapes, in an attempt to harness Pinot Noir's great wine producing qualities while increasing its hardiness and yield.
Term that refers to grape seeds.
A cask holding two hogsheads or 126 gallons of wine.
A French word applied to wines that have started to sour or take on a vinegar-like quality. Holds the same meaning as the English tasting term "pricked".
Name for where the buying and selling process from Bordeaux negociants and merchants takes place.
Wines that taste of plums are usually round in texture as well. Pomerol and St. Emilion produce plummy wines.
Plush wines feel polished, rich, opulent or supple in the mouth.
Italian term for a farm or rural wine estate
Italian term for polyphenols
A wine that’s polished is smooth and refined.
Italian term for the pulp of the grape
Once the juice is drained from the vat, what remains is the pomace, which is the seeds, skin and stems. Most innovative producers focus on compost management and pomace is an important input.
Wine that is big, opulent and concentrated.
Common method of opening a wine bottle by the act of simply removing the cork and pouring the wine.
Italian term for a purple or crimson color
A ceramic or glass pitcher used in Spain for consuming wine in a dramatic, celebratory way. Similar in appearance to a small flower watering pot, it has a pointy spout that streams a drink of wine into your mouth.
Rich, alcoholic, sweet, fortified wine produced in the Porto region of Portugal.
Dry red wine that is described as Port like, are very thick, rich, concentrated and ripe.
Dry red wine that is described as Port like, are very thick, rich, concentrated and ripe.
Dry red wine that is described as Port like, are very thick, rich, concentrated and ripe.
Legally, Ports shipped to the U.S. are called "Porto" and the name has to appear somewhere on the label.
A red wine variety grown extensively in Austria, where it is one of the most commonly planted red wine grapes. It is also popular in Germany.
A French dry white wine produced in the Loire region from the Sauvignon Blanc variety.
A term to refer to a wine stabilizer and a preservative.
Italian term for the prunning process of vines
A world-renowned French white wine, produced in southern Burgundy from the Chardonnay variety. Pouilly-Fuissé is an appellation (AOC) for white wine in the Mâconnais subregion of Burgundy in central France.
A term to refer to a wine stabilizer and a preservative.
Powerful wines are concentrated with raw material, flavor and tannin.
Premier Cru wines are one of the highest classed growth wines in France, second only to Premier Grand Cru.
Wines that are the highest classed growth wines in France.
Extreme flaw in supposedly age worthy white wine caused by the premature oxidation of the wine, resulting in dark colors, maderized aromas and off flavors.
Italian term for the second fermentation process, used in sparking wines
A device or machine that squeezes grapes in order to release their juice. There is a wide variety of press options.
Essentially the second pressing of the pomace, which is made from the grape skins, seeds and pulp after the fermented juice is removed from the solid materials. Press wine provides more tannins, color and potential flavors.
Italian term for price
The aromas in wine that are derived from the grapes themselves and are considered part of the varietal character or typicity of the grape variety. This is opposed to the secondary aromas which come from the fermentation and maturation process and the tertiary aromas which come from the aging process in the bottle.
French word for wines meant to be enjoyed soon after harvesting. Beaujolais Nouveau is one such wine that is famous throughout the world.
A red wine grape grown in the Balkans and Italy. For many years it was believed to be the progenitor of California's Zinfandel grape but recent studies indicate that the grapes are different clones of the same original variety, likely Crljenak, a grape from Croatia. Learn more about Zinfandel wines in our comprehensive in-depth profile.
Italian term for wine producer
In 1920 the 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed into law, outlawing the sale of alcohol and heralding the beginning of a thirteen year experiment that failed miserably. Between 1920 and 1933, when the 18th was repealed by the 21st amendment, consumption of alcohol in the U.S. doubled.
In 1920 the 18th amendment to the U.S. Constitution was passed into law, outlawing the sale of alcohol and heralding the beginning of a thirteen year experiment that failed miserably. Between 1920 and 1933, when the 18th was repealed by the 21st amendment, consumption of alcohol in the U.S. doubled.
An Italian white wine varietal grown primarily in the Veneto region. It's also the name of the sparkling wines made from the grape, which can be Spumante, meaning fully carbonated, or Frizzante, meaning lightly carbonated.
A vast and beautiful viticultural region in southern France that lies east of the Rhône River and extends south to the Mediterranean Sea. It is said that wine production there goes back to approximately 600 B.C. Every year, Provence produces over 40 million cases of a wide variety of wines. Perhaps the best known is Cotes du Rhône.
Italian term for provenience or place of origin
Wines produced from grapes that are too ripe and become overly jammy, are said to be pruney.
Pruning involves the cutting and removal of different parts of the vines. It is done to reduce grape yield and direct the vine production.
Pump overs are what takes place when the wine is removed from the bottom of the vat and returned to the of the vat, which adds air and keeps the cap wet and submerged. This is an alternative method to punch downs or pigéage.
The inward depression at the bottom of a Champagne or wine bottle. It is a remnant of history and serves no purpose. It also increases the carbon footprint of the wine.
Purity is a good thing in a wine, and hard to find. Wine with purity allows the true expression of the fruit to come through.