Glossary Terms

Crianza is a Spanish labelling term used to indicate that a wine has had a minimum aging (in both barrel and bottle) prior to release. As with Reserva and Gran Reserva, the exact requirements vary by region. In Rioja, a wine labelled Crianza must have had at least one year in 225 litre oak barrels followed by at least one year in bottle prior to release.

Denominación de Origen (abbreviated to DO) is part of Spain’s geographical indication framework and is used across foods, including wine. It is a labelling term protected by Europe’s Protected Designation of Origin (PDO). For wine, it is roughly equivalent to France’s AOC and Italy’s DOC. Each region is governed by a regulator which determines the geographical boundaries, quality standards and production limitations in order for a wine to bear the DO.

Part of Spain’s classification system for wine, Denominación de Origen Calificada (DOCa) is the highest category (above Denominación de Origen (DO)). At present, there are only two DOCas: Priorat and Rioja.

“Controlled designation of origin” in English, is a classification which sits below DOCG, and was originally created to be an equivalent to France’s AOC. Like DOCG, DOC sits parallel to the European-wide PDO. A wine labelled DOC must meet a defined quality standard and have been produced in a specified region. There are usually additional, region-dependent, rules around things such as grape variety, yields and aging.

“Controlled and guaranteed designation of origin” in English, DOCG is the highest classification of wine in Italy. All wines are analysed and tasted prior to bottling. It sits parallel to the European Union’s PDO. There are currently over 70 DOCG wines with the rules varying for each wine.

(French: dégorgement)

Disgorgement is part of the traditional method winemaking process for sparkling wines. Because the wines undergo a secondary fermentation in the bottle, if the wine is not disgorged (see ancestral method) the yeast sediment (lees) would create a hazy wine, which isn’t seen as desirable. The process of riddling allows winemakers to work the lees into the neck of the bottle and the necks of the bottles are then frozen. This creates a pellet or plug of yeast and when the cap is removed, the pressure inside the bottle forces the yeast out.

Dosage is the small amount of sugar (mixed with wine) added to a sparkling wine after the secondary fermentation is complete. For wines made via the traditional method, this happens after disgorgement. In French it is also known as liqueur d’expedition. In some cases, no additional sugar is added, and this is indicated on the label via a variety of terms, including zéro dosage and brut nature.

The chemical process by which grape juice (must) is turned into wine. At a high level, yeast converts the sugars into the grape juice into alcohol (ethanol). By-products include carbon dioxide and warmth (fermentation is an exothermic process).

Flor is a strain of the yeast used in winemaking (saccharomyces cerevisiae) that can emerge on the surface of a wine once all the sugar has been converted to ethanol. Without any sugar to convert, the flor yeast metabolises carbon from the alcohol and creates acetaldehyde and acetic acid (and other compounds). Very specific conditions are required for flor yeast to grow and it is most famously found in Spain in Sherry production. In Fino Sherries, the wines are matured under a layer of Flor yeast and this gives the wines their distinctive nutty and briny character (sometimes described as ‘aldehydic’).

Fortified wines are those which have been fortified (or strengthened, in terms of alcohol content) by the addition of a spirit. This is almost always a grape-derived spirit, such as brandy. Historically, the boost in alcohol helped preserve a wine (as the additional alcohol would help keep bacteria at bay) but the process also adds additional flavours to the finished product. Examples include Sherry, Port and Madeira.