A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Saignée
A French term meaning literally “to bleed,” saignée refers to the process of bleeding or pulling juice from a tank of red must that is just beginning fermentation. The goal is two-fold. First, the lightly-colored juice that is bled out of the tank produces a rosé. Second, the must remaining in the tank has a higher proportion of grape skins to juice; the resulting wine will be richer and more concentrated.

Salmanazar
An oversized bottle holding 9 liters, the equivalent of 12 regular bottles.

Sec
French term for dry, not sweet.

Second Label
Estate wineries often bottle excess production, lesser wines or purchased wines under a label other than the one that made them famous, often at a lower price.

Secondary Fermentation
The process that creates the bubbles in sparkling wine. As the wine is bottled, a small amount of yeast and sugar is added before the bottle is sealed with a sturdy crown cap. The yeasts quickly start fermenting the sugars, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Since the gas cannot escape, it dissolves into the wine.

Sediment
As red wines age, color pigments and tannins bond together and fall out of solution, producing a natural sediment. While the sediment is not harmful, it tastes bitter and adversely affects the wine’s mouthfeel. Sediment is most frequently found in older (10-plus years), darker red wines, which typically have more color pigments and tannins, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux and Port. Rarely will lighter reds throw sediment.

Sensory Threshold
For any given aroma, flavor or taste, there is a concentration below which we are no longer able to detect it. This point is called the sensory threshold, and where it occurs varies considerably from person to person, determining our ability to taste and explaining why tasting wine is such a personal, highly subjective experience.

Shoulder
The area where the bottle slopes outwards, just below the narrow, straight neck.

Sin Crianza
A Spanish quality classification indicating that the wines are not aged in wood, but may be bottle-aged.

Skin Contact
Refers to the process of grape skins steeping in juice or fermenting must to impart color and flavor to the wine.

Smoky
Usually the result of fermenting or aging in oak barrel, a smoky quality can add flavor and aromatic complexity to a wine.

Smudge Pot
Oil-burning heaters used to prevent or reduce frost damage in orchards and vineyards. Typically consisting of a wide base topped by a chimney, smudge pots may be lit when frost threatens. They offer some protection by creating air currents that can disrupt settled colder air at ground level. Due to their consumption of oil and smoke production, as well as labor requirements, use of smudge pots is in decline in favor of other frost-protection methods such as wind machines and aspersion.

Soft
Describes wines low in acid or tannin (sometimes both), making for easy drinking. Opposite of hard.

Sommelier
In a restaurant, the server responsible for wine. Often this is a manager who buys wine, organizes the wine list, maintains the cellar and recommends wines to customers.

Sorting
Checking the grape clusters for soundness during harvest. When bins loaded with grapes come in from the vineyard, they may contain overripe grapes, underripe grapes, moldy grapes, leaves and other debris. Many quality-oriented wineries sort through the grape bunches to remove these unwanted items.

Soutirage
French term for racking, or moving wine from one container to another for aeration or clarification, leaving sediment behind.

Spätlese
German classification based on the ripeness level and sugar content of the grapes. Meaning “late harvest,” spätlesen are usually richer than kabinette-level wines because the grapes contain a higher concentration of sugar at harvest. The wines can be dry or sweet.

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.

Spumante
Italian term for sparkling wine.

Stale
Wines that have lost their fresh, youthful qualities are called stale. Opposite of fresh.

Stalky
Smells and tastes of grape stems or has leaf- or hay-like aromas.

Stemmy
Describes a wine with green flavors of unripe fruit or wood, frequently a result of a wine being fermented too long with the grape stems.

Structure
Related to the mouthfeel of a wine, provided by acidity, tannin, alcohol, sugar and the way these components are balanced. Wines with low, unbalanced levels of acidity or tannin can be described as “lacking in structure” or “flabby.” When the acidity or tannin levels are sufficiently high, a “firm structure” is the result.

Style
Refers to the character, not the quality, of a wine, which is determined in the vineyard and in the winery. Common styles at two ends of a continuum are fresh and fruity at one end and big and oaky at the other end. Style is not strictly correlated with quality; one style is not inherently better than another. Rather, style is a matter of personal preference for both the winemaker and the wine lover.

Subtle
Describes delicate wines with finesse, or flavors that are understated rather than full-blown and overt. A positive characteristic.

Sulfites
Winemakers all over the world use sulfur dioxide to clean equipment, kill unwanted organisms on the grapes and protect wines from spoilage. A tiny amount remains in the bottle, and U.S. label laws require a statement to announce its presence. Sulfites also occur naturally during fermentation process.

Super Second
Bordeaux’s 1855 Classification, which established a five-tiered system of Grands Crus Classées, or growths, has remained relatively unchanged. In recent years, the quality of several second-growths has improved to the point that they can now challenge the first-growths in every way but price. These super seconds include Cos-d’Estournel, Ducru-Beaucaillou, Léoville Las Cases, Palmer (actually a third-growth) and Pichon-Longueville-Lalande.

Super Tuscan
Wines from Tuscany made using international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah rather than relying primarily on local varieties such as Sangiovese. Although their quality can be outstanding, these wines must be labeled with the lower levels of Italy’s classification system, Vino da Tavola or Indicazione Geografica Tipica, since they do not conform to Tuscany’s traditional winemaking practices.

Supple
Describes texture, mostly with reds, as it relates to tannin, body and oak. A positive characteristic.

Sur Lie
Wines aged sur lie (French for “on the lees”) are kept in contact with the dead yeast cells and are not racked or otherwise filtered. This is mainly done for whites, to enrich them. (It is a normal part of fermenting red wine, and so is not noted.) The concept originated in Burgundy, with Chardonnay, but is now popular around the world with numerous white grape varieties. Sur lie aging can be overdone, leading to an off-putting leesy flavor.

Sweet
Sweet describes the sugar content in a wine, found at higher levels in late-harvest and sweet wines. Not to be confused with fruity wines. Most people begin to perceive sweetness at concentrations of 0.3 to 0.7 percent residual sugar.