South Africans are wine lovers. While many people know exactly what distinguishes Shiraz from another red wine, there are times when someone mentions "Merlot tasting notes" and others are left feeling a little lost. From the "body" of a good Merlot to its "legs", there is no need to panic, Hazendal Wine Estate's comprehensive wine dictionary has everything anyone needs to know about wine tasting, granting confidence to join in any wine conversation.

A

Aftertaste - The taste that remains in the mouth after swallowing any wine from a Shiraz red wine to a good Merlot.

Aging on Dead Yeast - As the fermentation proceeds, the Champagne can continue to age in the cool cellar for several more years resulting in a toasty, yeasty characteristic. The best and most expensive Champagne is aged for at least two years. Hazendal's White Night is kept anything between 2 and 4 years on the yeast.

B

Blanc de Noir - This is a light pink wine that is actually made from red grapes - literally "white from red".

Body - The overall texture or weight of wine in the mouth. The body is mostly influenced by the alcohol and glycerine levels and can be "light-bodied," "medium-bodied" or "full-bodied".

Bouquet - A French term for the aroma of a wine and is often considered the first indicator of a wine's quality during wine tasting. Common aromas include fruit and spice, for instance Merlot tasting notes often include aromas of raspberry and blackcurrant.

Breathing - This means to allow a wine to mix with the air before you drink it and is particularly vital to the enjoyment of a good Merlot or red wine.

Brut - A very dry wine that usually refers to champagne or sparkling wine.

C

Cabernet - A traditional French wine with characteristic blueberry aromas, this wine is often used as the base for a blend, such as the Cabernet Merlot or a Cabernet Shiraz red wine.

Chardonnay - This the world's most well-known type of grape and makes a common wine found in most homes. Classic aromas include apple and tropical fruits with a touch of vanilla.

Chenin Blanc - This French grape can make both extremely dry wines as well as slightly sweet varieties. Pleasant honeydew, melon flavours and light muskiness are common.

Corked - A flaw in a wine, this means that the wine has been afflicted by an undetectable cork fungus which destroys all the aromas and flavours, leaving only a musty, damp cardboard taste.

Cultivars - A grape variety or type of grape like Chardonnay or Pinotage.

The Cuvée (La Cuvée) - The cuvée is the base wine selected to make the Champagne. Cuvées can be from a pure grape variety, such as Chardonnay or Pinot Noir, or can be a mixture of several grape varieties. Pinot Meunier, a relative of Pinot Noir, also is used extensively.

D

Demi Sec - An off dry wine that usually refers to champagne or sparkling wine.

Dessert Wines - This could either be a fortified wine like sherry where a spirit alcohol is added or a particularly sweet wine that is drunk with dessert or as a dessert and usually in very small quantities.

Diners Club - An annual award given out to the winemaker and young winemaker of the year in a pre-selected category. Considered an incredible honour, this award was won by Hazendal's own winemaker Ronell Wiid in 1999.

Doux - A sweet wine that usually refers to champagne or sparkling wine

Dry - A wine with a required sugar level of less than 4g per litre.

Disgorging - The Champagne bottle is kept upside down while the neck is frozen in an ice-salt bath. This procedure results in the formation of a plug of frozen wine containing the dead yeast cells. The bottle cap is then removed and the pressure of the carbon dioxide gas in the bottle forces the plug of frozen wine out leaving behind clear Champagne. At this point the DOSAGE is added. The bottle is then corked and the cork wired down to secure the high internal pressure of the carbon dioxide.

Dosage - The dosage is a mixture of white wine, brandy, and sugar. The amount of sugar in the dosage will determine the sweetness level of the Champagne. The sweetness level can range from very dry (ultra brut) to very sweet (doux). Hazendal's White Nights is a brut.

L

Legs - This refers to the rivulets that form on the inside of a glass after the wine is swirled. Used to test the alcohol levels in any Shiraz or red wine, the more impressive the rivulets, the higher the alcohol concentration.

M

MCC - Method Cap Classique Sparkling Wine made in the traditional way.

Merlot - Often considered a "good" red wine, a smooth and mellow Merlot is often an excellent introduction to red wine drinking. Usually with black cherry and herbal flavours.

Mulled Wine - This warm wine is a winter treat and is usually made up of red wine, like a good Merlot that has been mixed with sugar, lemon and spices like cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.

N

Nose - The aroma or bouquet of the wine. For example if a Merlot's tasting notes detect a floral aroma upon opening, it is said to have a Floral Nose.

NV - A wine without an explicit vintage.

O

Off Dry - Wine with a sugar content of between 4g and 12g per litre.

P

Pinotage - This type of grape is native to South Africa and makes a fruity, dark red wine. Its odd, earthy character is often referred to as a "paintbox".

R

Rose - A light pink wine made from red grapes or a blend of red and white grapes.

Riddling (Le Remuage) - After the aging process is complete, the dead yeast cells are removed through a process known as riddling. The Champagne bottle is placed upside down in a holder at a 75' angle. Each day the riddler comes through the cellar and turns the bottle 1/8th of a turn while keeping it upside down. This procedure forces the dead yeast cells into the neck of the bottle where they are subsequently removed.

S

Sauvignon Blanc - This classic white grape is now grown around the world and its resulting wine differs depending on the canopy, leaf pruning and ageing. This wine is a favourite to accompany meals.

Semi Sweet - A wine with a restricted sugar content of between 12g and 30g per litre.

Shiraz - A classic Rhone red grape that makes a tannic wine with a characteristic floral and black pepper fragrance. Shiraz red wine is also a popular base upon which many wine blends are created.

Stein - A semi-sweet style of wine usually made up of a blend.

Straw Wine - Unique to Hazendal, this wine is made from 30 year-old Chenin Blanc bushvines. The grapes are dried on beds of straw and matured in French oak barrels. The result is a medley of melons, citrus, honey and vanilla and is often referred to as the caramel pudding of dessert wines.

T

Tannin - Substances that occur naturally in the stems, pips and skins of grapes and add to the tart taste of a wine.

Terroir - This French term describes the characteristic aromas and flavours of wine from grapes grown in a particular vineyard or region, incorporating the contributions of the soil and climate as well as the wine's own unique style.

The Tirage - After the cuvée is selected, sugar, yeast, and yeast nutrients are added and the entire concoction, called the tirage, is put in a thick walled glass bottle and sealed with a bottle cap. The tirage is placed in a cool cellar (55-60'F), and allowed to slowly ferment, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Since the bottle is sealed, the carbon dioxide cannot escape, and, thereby producing the sparkle of Champagne.

V

Veritas - This is an annual award given out in South Africa when outstanding wines are give double gold, gold, silver or bronze medals.

Vintage - The year in which the grapes were harvested, but not necessarily the year that the wine was finally bottled. All grapes used in the production of a particular wine must have been harvested at the same time.

W

Wooded - A wine that has been matured in wooden barrels.

With new wine expertise, choose an ideal Hazendal white or red wine.