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Glossary
of wine making terms

Zero dosage

Sparkling wine made in the méthode traditionelle (the traditional method associated with the Champagne region in France), sometimes have a very small amount of what is known as dosage added to the bottle. In this context a dose is a sweet wine or spirit, and the larger the dose - the sweeter the wine will be. If a dosage is not added, the term zero-dosage can be applied. Other terms could be brut nature or sauvage. Sometimes zero-dosage sparkling wines are marketed as sugar-free.

Lees {on the}

On the Lees is a phrase used in the wine world to describe a stage in a wine's maturation phase: Lees are the dead yeast cells and other particles which naturally remain in a wine after the fermentation process. The lees settle as a sediment at the bottom of the fermenting container.

Élevage

Élevage is a French term used for the progression of a wine from fermentation to bottling. Translated to English, it is similar to the term raising, rather like the wine's adolescence or education. The raw fermented juice is developed through the processes of barrel aging, filtering and fining. Good wine making decisions during élevage can ensure the wine achieves full potential.

Sui Generis

Sui Generis is a Latin phrase that means unique - in a class by itself. Ancre Hill Estates have three wines which are indeed in a class of their own; Orange Wine and Pét Nat red and pink.

Albariño

The thick skinned Albariño grape was traditionally grown in Galicia, Spain. It is known to flourish in the rainy north-west region and also the Vinho Verde region of Portugal. In Wales, the climate yields small bunches of deliciously sweet fruit primarily used as a blend in Ancre Hill’s Orange Wines.

Pet Nat

Pet Nat (Pétillant Naturel) is a naturally sparkling wine made using the méthode ancestrale, where the wine is bottled before primary fermentation is finished and without the addition of secondary yeasts or sugars. There is no intervention from the winemaker and the result is a low alcohol wine with no added sugars or preservatives. This method of creating sparkling wines is centuries old, pre-dating the French méthode champenoise used to make Champagne.

MLF {Malolactic fermentation}

MLF is a process in wine making in which the malic acid, naturally present in the grape must, is converted to lactic acid. MLF is most often performed as a secondary fermentation shortly after the end of the primary fermentation. This process is usual for red wine production and common for some white grape varieties such as Chardonnay.