UK Wine Glossary

A standard measure of the percentage of pure ethanol in a wine, shown on every UK bottle label.

The tart, mouth-watering quality of a wine, driven by natural grape acids that are especially important in cool-climate UK winemaking.

The maturation of a wine in barrel, tank or bottle, allowing it to develop complexity and soften.

The botanical study and identification of grapevines, used to distinguish UK vineyard clones and heritage varieties.

A legally defined wine region whose name carries rules about origin, varieties and methods, with PDO and PGI tiers active in the UK.

The smell of a wine, distinct from flavour, shaped by grape variety, fermentation and ageing in UK cellars.

A aromatic German-crossed white grape that has become the signature variety of still English wine.

Fermenting wine inside oak casks rather than stainless steel, used in the UK to add texture and complexity.

A holistic farming method based on Rudolf Steiner's principles, used by a small but growing number of UK vineyards.

A white wine made entirely from white grapes, used in England for top sparkling Chardonnay cuvées.

A white sparkling wine made from black-skinned grapes such as Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, a classic English style.

A fungal disease that appears in two forms: noble rot, used for sweet wines, and grey rot, the most damaging UK vineyard disease.

A dryness classification for sparkling wine indicating less than 12 grams per litre of residual sugar.

The spring moment when grapevine buds open and the new season's shoots begin to grow, a critical time in UK vineyards.

The summer vineyard work of leaf-thinning, shoot-positioning and trimming to balance sun, air and fruit.

A winemaking technique using whole, uncrushed grape clusters in a sealed tank, best known for Beaujolais but explored in the UK.

The addition of sugar to a fermenting must to raise the potential alcohol, restricted in the UK by PDO and PGI rules.

A neutral, widely planted white grape that is the backbone of English sparkling wine and still white wine alike.

A genetically identical variant of a grape variety, selected for specific traits such as yield, ripening or flavour.

A traditional bottle closure made from the bark of the cork oak, valued for still wines but largely replaced in English sparkling.

A traditional method sparkling wine from a French region other than Champagne, now used in the UK as a category name.

A specific blend or batch of wine, often the flagship bottling of a producer, in still and sparkling alike.

Pouring a wine from its bottle into a decanter to separate it from sediment and to let it open up.

A small amount of sweet wine added to a sparkling wine after disgorgement, balancing the final dryness.

The period between fermentation and bottling, when a wine matures in barrel or tank and gains complexity.

Wine produced in England from grapes grown in England, the umbrella category for the country's fast-growing industry.

A winemaking step that uses a binding agent to remove unwanted particles, proteins or off-aromas from a wine.

The combined taste, aroma and mouthfeel of a wine as perceived on the palate.

The addition of a spirit to a wine to raise its alcohol, producing styles such as Port, Sherry and Madeira.

Sub-zero temperatures that damage young vine growth, the most damaging weather risk in UK vineyards.

A distinct type of grapevine producing a wine with characteristic flavour, used in PDO and PGI rules and on UK labels.

The practice of removing unripe grape bunches partway through ripening to concentrate the remaining fruit.

The act of picking the grapes at the end of the growing season, the most labour-intensive moment of the UK wine year.

A grapevine bred from two or more species, often chosen for disease resistance in cool, damp UK sites.

The dead yeast cells and grape particles left after fermentation, ageing on which adds complexity to many UK wines.

A bacterial fermentation that turns sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid, standard for English reds and many whites.

The classic method of making sparkling wine by inducing a second fermentation inside the bottle, the UK industry standard.

An early-ripening German cross once dominant in German wine, now a niche but useful variety in the UK.

The beneficial fungus Botrytis cinerea, which concentrates sugars and flavours in grapes for dessert wines.

The wood of various oak species used to make barrels and other vessels for ageing wine, central to premium English winemaking.

A grapevine typically 25 years or older, valued for its low yields and concentrated fruit in premium English cuvées.

Farming grapes without synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, with a small but growing number of UK certified organic vineyards.

An early-ripening German cross grown in the UK for aromatic, often off-dry white wines with stone fruit character.

A naturally sparkling wine bottled before fermentation finishes, a small but trendy UK category.

A logarithmic measure of acidity strength, alongside total acidity the main way UK winemakers track acid balance.

A tiny aphid-like insect that devastated European vineyards in the 19th century and still requires grafting onto resistant rootstock.

A grey-pink mutation of Pinot Noir producing aromatic, textured whites, increasingly planted in England.

A close relative of Pinot Noir, the third classic Champagne variety and a small but growing UK planting.

A thin-skinned red grape originally from Burgundy, the backbone of English sparkling wine and a key still red variety.

The machine that gently squeezes juice from grapes, central to white and sparkling winemaking in the UK.

The winter task of cutting back the previous season's growth on a grapevine to set the next season's crop.

The cellar process of moving wine off one set of lees to another, used in barrel and tank to clarify the wine.

A German red hybrid bred for disease resistance, producing deeply coloured, structured red wines in the UK.

The natural grape sugar that remains in a finished wine after fermentation, measured in grams per litre.

An aromatic German white grape of the highest quality, planted in small but growing amounts in the UK.

The root system onto which a wine grape is grafted, chosen for phylloxera resistance and soil adaptation.

A pink wine made by limited skin contact with red grapes or by saignée, a growing UK category in still and sparkling form.

A French hybrid white grape well suited to the UK, producing crisp, clean wines in cool, damp conditions.

The mineral and organic layer in which the vine grows, shaping water, nutrients, drainage and ultimately wine flavour.

A wine with significant carbon dioxide, making it fizzy, with the UK famous for its méthode traditionnelle examples.

The astringent, drying compound in red wine, important for structure and ageing, and shaped by skin contact and oak.

The structured sensory evaluation of a wine, used in the UK by winemakers, buyers, judges and curious drinkers.

The combined effect of soil, climate, topography and farming on the character of a wine, central to UK identity.

A wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, with the term also used as a synonym for grape variety.

The mid-summer moment when grapes change colour and start to ripen, a key milestone in the UK growing season.

The year the grapes were harvested, printed on the label and a key indicator of English sparkling quality.

The science and practice of growing grapevines, the foundation of the UK wine industry.

The European species of grapevine that produces almost all the world's quality wine grapes, the basis of UK plantings.

The fermented juice of grapes, the central product of every UK vineyard and the focus of the entire industry.

A defined geographic area where wine is made, with the UK covered by PDO and PGI tiers at regional level.

The person who leads the winemaking process, responsible for the style and quality of every bottle released.

The single-celled fungus that ferments grape sugar into alcohol, crucial to every English wine.

The amount of fruit a vineyard produces per hectare, the key economic and quality measure for UK growers.