Regional Cellars Wine Terms (B)

A B C D E F G H L M N O P R S T U V Y

Balance – When the varied elements (Alcohol, Acidity, Residual Sugar, Tannins) of a wine combine to make it so no one trait stands out the wine is said to be in balance.

Barrels – Wooden wine storage container, used to impart some of the flavour of the barrel wood (usally oak) into the wine.

Barrel Fermentation - A technique used by winemakers where grape juice is left in the barrel with some of the solid leftovers from pressing.

Barrique – A 225 Lt Barrel.

Basket Press – So called wine press because the shape of the press is basket like in appearance. Not in use so much in modern winemaking although it is still used in some smaller wineries, used widely up to twenty years ago.

Baume - A scale of measurement for determining the concentration of sugar in grape juice.

Big – A description of a style of wine with usually high alcoholic component and strong tannins.

Bilgy – An off flavour like wet wool or wet dog.

Bin – An older term for the storage of wine bottles stacked or in a container.

Bite – A term referring to a younger wine that has a sharper acidic flavour, not necessarily a fault as the wine may mellow with age.

Bland – A descriptive term for the wine that has very little taste.

Blend – A wine made from more than one variety.

Body – Talking about full bodied and light bodied wine we are referring to the perceived weight or density of the wine.

Bottle Deposit – A film that develops on the inside of wine bottles due to the organic process of aging wine, it is generally considered harmless.

Bottle Fermentation – Fermentation that occurs to the wine whilst in the bottle.

Botrytis – An abbreviation of botrytis cinerea, a fungus that can affect grapes such that significant amounts of water in the grape are converted to sugars thus causing much sweeter wine. Botrytis affected wine is most often dessert wine.

Bouquet – The smell of a wine.

Brix – Similar to Baume in that is a measuring system to determine the concentration of sugar in grape juice. Used in the United States.

Budburst – When new shoots emerge from the vine the beginning of the growing season has begun, this is known as budburst.

Burgundy – Famous French wine region, renowned for producing some of the best wines in the world.