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The Cooking Inn : Wine Terminology S Page Select an item from the list to go to it's site


Sauvignon Blanc:
The famous white grape of the Sancerre region of France as well as New Zealand. Sauvignon blanc also grows in Bordeaux (where it is usually blended with semillon), South Africa, and in California and Washington state. Its wonderfully wild, untamed flavors are often reminiscent of grass, herbs, green tea and limes, often overlaid with a smokiness. In California, sauvignon blanc can also take on green fig and white melon flavors.

Scion:
A cutting used in grafting, containing a bud of the desired vine.

Sediment:
Small particles, mostly of color, that drop out of suspension as a wine ages. With considerable age, many great wines throw off a sediment. Sediment is harmless.

Sherry:
The famous fortified wine from the Jerez region of southern Spain. Sherry is made by an extremely complex method of fractional blending called the solera system. The grape variety used is principally Palomino, though small amounts of Pedro Ximenez may also be included. Like Champagne and Port, Sherry is made in a variety of styles and at a variety of sweetness levels. From driest and lightest to sweetest and fullest, the styles of Sherry include manzanilla, fino, amontillado, palo cortado, oloroso, and cream Sherry. The unique flavor of all of these styles is due in part to the fact that the wine is partially intentionally oxidized (exposed to oxygen). Sherry-style wines are also made in California though they usually do not go through a solera system and most are sweet.

Shoot:
The current season's stem growth that bears leaves and buds.

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Smoky:
Usually an oak barrel byproduct, a smoky quality can add flavor and aromatic complexity to wines.

Sommelier:
The French term for a wine steward.

Spicy:
A descriptor for many wines, indicating the presence of spice flavors such as anise, cinnamon, cloves, mint and pepper which are often present in complex wines.

Stable:
When wine is in a state in which it will not develop negative characteristics in the bottle, due, for example, to re-fermentation, premature browning or protein haze.

Structure:
The interaction of elements such as acid, tannin, glycerin, alcohol and body as it relates to a wine's texture and mouthfeel. Usually preceded by a modifier, as in firm structure or lacking in structure.

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Sulfites:
Wines with no added sulfite contain 6 to 40ppm of sulfite. only a small percentage of the population are really allergic to sulfites approx .01% thats 1 out of every 10,000 people, this small precentage is also asthmatic. These people typically know they are allergic since childhood and know to avoid all foods and beverages that contain sulfites such as lunchmeats, processed salami, processed fruit juices, packaged seafood and dried fruits.

Most people dont realize that white wines actually contain more sulfites than reds, there is some speculation that histamines are the culprit also those who are allergic to fish can have a reaction to some wines due to clarifying agents that are a derivitive of fish used in the winemaking process of some wines.

Now in a nutshell there are so many things going on in the evoloution of wine from fermentation to aging in the bottle that it is hard to nail down one thing that could cause some people to have reactions, there are hydrogen ions due to acid in the fruit to sulphites , clarifying agents, anti microbials carbon dioxide and of course we cannot forget alcohohl .

Probably the number one thing that causes these headaches is oxidation "the wine killer" in comercial wines after 3 or four years of age they will start to detiorate as air passes thru the cork especially in red wines if you pour a glass of red wine and look at it in a bright light tip the glass as if pouring if you see a brown ring at the edge of the wine this is a sign of oxidation buaranteed to give you a headache

Sulfur (Sulphur) Dioxide:
A small amount of sulfur dioxide, a preservative, may be used both in the vineyard and during winemaking to protect grapes and wine from spoilage. Sulfites are a form of sulfur that occur naturally as a by-product of fermentation. Because a tiny percentage of the population is allergic to sulfur, wine labels must carry the message "contains sulfites" if the wine contains more than 10 parts per million (ppm) sulfites (which most wines do).

Sur Lie:
Translated "aging on the lees," and often referred to as "yeast contact." Wine is aged in the barrel with the yeast retained, rather than being clarified before aging. Aging on the lees increases the complexity and creaminess of the wine.

Syrah (Shiraz):
The classic red grape of the northern Rhone Valley of France and also grown throughout southern France, syrah is also the leading grape of Australia (where it is known as shiraz). In the late 1980s and 1990s, California vintners also became increasingly fascinated by the grape which is now grown in many parts of California. The wine often has an unmistakable whiff of white pepper along with wild gamey, boysenberry flavors.


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