B
Barbera
Baron Herzog
Bonarda
Bordeaux
Burgundy
Brandy
Brut
Balthazar
A large bottle containing 12 litres, the equivalent of 16
regular wine bottles.
Ban de Vendage
The official start of the harvest season in France.
Barbera is a red Italian
wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third
most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and
Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep
color, low tannins and high levels of acid (which is unusual
for a warm climate red grape). Century-old vines still exist
in many regional vineyards and allow for the production of
long-aging, robust red wines with intense fruit and enhanced
tannic content. The best known appellation is the DOCG (Denominazione
di Origine Controllata e Garantita) Barbera d'Asti in the
Piedmont region. When young, the wines offer a very intense
aroma of fresh red and blackberries. In the lightest versions
notes of cherries, raspberries and blueberries and with notes
of blackberry and black cherries in wines made of more ripe
grapes. Many producers employ the use of toasted (seared over
a fire) oak barrels, which provides for increased complexity,
aging potential, and hints of vanilla notes. The lightest
versions are generally known for flavors and aromas of fresh
fruit and dried fruits, and are not recommended for cellaring.
Wines with better balance between acid and fruit, often with
the addition of oak and having a high alcohol content are more
capable of cellaring; these wines often result from reduced
yield viticultural methods.
Barrique
The French name for a 225 litre Bordeaux style barrel
(Bordeaux hogshead). Will yield 24 cases of 12 bottles each.
Basic
A low cost entry level offering from a winery as opposed to
its more expensive premium wine offerings.
Beerenauslese
A German term meaning approximately "harvest of selected
berries". A Prädikat in Germany and Austria.
Bereich
A district within a German wine region (Anbaugebiet). Contains
smaller Grosslagen vineyard designations.
The Berthomeau Report
Commissioned by French Ministry of Agriculture to better
position the wine industry for the future.
Blind tasting
Tasting and evaluating wine without knowing what it is.
B.O.B.
An acronym for "Buyer's Own Brand" which refers to a private
label wine owned by the restaurant or retailer that sells the
wine.
Bodega
A Spanish wine cellar. Also refers to a seller of alcoholic
beverage.
Bota
A cask of wine used to store Sherry with a capacity between
159 to 172 gallons (600-650 liters)
Bottle
A bottle is a small container with a neck that is narrower
than the body and a "mouth." Modern wine bottles are nearly
always made of glass because it is nonporous, strong, and
aesthetically pleasing.
Breathing
The interaction between air and wine after a wine has been
opened. Breathing may take place while the wine is decanting. |
