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SOME TECHNICAL TERMS IN WINE-TASTING. 



There exists amongst wine-growers, merchants, tasters, and 

 connoisseurs, like in every art and science, a language of their own, 

 which serves to express the qualities or the defects of wines, and 

 which is composed of terms somewhat technical, some of which will 

 be better understood when explained. 



QUALITIES AND DEFECTS WHICH AFFECT THE SIGHT. 



First, says Professor G-. Grazzi-Soneini, notice the Foam which 

 forms on the surface of the glass, small beads which burst more or 

 less rapidly. 



FOAM. An agglomeration of gaseous bubbles, which float 

 and move about on the surface of freshly poured-out 

 wine, and adheres in a ring round the edge of the glass 

 or floats in patches in the centre of the glass. 



Persistant Foam is the reverse of evanescent foam, and is 

 the characteristic of a wine of low alcoholic strength, kept 

 at a low temperature ; it may also be a sign that the 

 wine wants racking, or it may be due to the fact that 

 there is a secondary fermentation either of a healthy or 

 an unhealthy nature that is taking place. It may, when 

 it forms a nail on the surface of the wine be a symptom 

 of what the French call the Maladie de la Tourne. 



Sharp Pungent Foam. It may go on briskly, and in that case 

 when drunk has a smarting or prickling effect on the 

 palate. 



Foaming. Formed by an accumulation of gas bubbles which 



forms on the surface, especially wine bottled too young, 



or in which there was a small amount of sugar left. 

 Sparkling is an evanescent foam, the bubbles of which burst 



and are as quickly renewed, forming sort of pearls on 



the surface, as occurs in champagne. 

 White Foam. Generally associated with matured or old red 



wine, but in some localities occurs in young wine. 

 Hose Foam.- Accompanies matured wine, but occasionally 



pale young wines. 

 Bed Ruby Foam indicates full-bodied young wines deep in 



colour. 

 Bluish. In wines poor in acid, as in some blending wines, 



containing only 3 to 4 p. 1,000 of acidity. 



The LIMPIDITY of the wine is next observed : 



Clear. A transparent wine, without cloudiness. There are 



in clearness, degrees of comparison which can be noted. 

 Bright, Brilliant as when the degree of clearness is such as 



to be perfect. This may be the result of fining, filtering 



or standing still for a long time in a cool and an even 



temperature. 



