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Wine Glossary: C

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Cane pruning
A method of pruning vines. More details may be found in my advice page on vine pruning techniques.

Canopy management
This term describes the processes used in the care of the leaf canopy, such as pruning, trimming and leaf thinning. There can be a number of benefits in altering the microclimate in this way, such as increased exposure of foliage to the sun which improves photosynthesis, and reduced moisture within the canopy, therefore protecting against rot.

Cantina (Italy)
A winery or cellar.

Cantina Sociale (Italy)
A wine co-operative.

Cap
The mass of skins, pips and other solid matter that rises to the surface of the wine during alcoholic fermentation. Pigeage helps to keep the solid matter mixed in with the wine, imparting colour, flavour and tannin. See cuvaison.

Carbonic maceration
A method of vinification which produces wines with fruit flavours and colour, but little tannin, and therefore immediately drinkable. Because of this effect it is widely used in Beaujolais. The technique involves fermenting whole bunches of uncrushed grapes.

Centrifuge
A centrifuge is a rapidly spinning device for the purpose of separating out mixed materials. It has found in use in the winery as it may be used to clarify the must. It may also be used to separate out fractions of the liquid must, which has led to its use as a dealcoholisation tool. Also known as a spinning cone.

Cépage (France)
Grape variety.

Cépage améliorateur (France)
An "improving variety", as this translates, is one encouraged for viticulture in order to improve the quality of a region's wines. In the Languedoc the term refers to varieties such as Mourvèdre, Syrah and Grenache, which are encouraged in place of Carignan, Cinsaut and other lesser grapes. The minimum quantity of "improving varieties" is laid down in appellation regulations.

Champagne
See my Champagne guide.

Chaptalisation (France)
The process of adding sugar to the fermenting vat, which is converted to ethyl alcohol by the yeast. The intent is to increase the final alcohol content. A surprisingly widespread practice in many French wine regions, but particularly in Burgundy. So much so that French sugar sales absolutely rocket at harvest time.

Chile
See my South American wine guide.

Classed growth
A literal translation of Cru Classé.

Clos (France)
Traditionally, a  walled vineyard, although the term is much abused on wine labels.

Closed
A tasting term to describe a wine where there is no, or very little, aroma or flavour. Many wines, after the exuberant flavours they offer in youth, 'close down' in this way before they 'open out' again as they enter a mature phase.

Cold stabilisation
This process merely involves chilling wine prior to bottling. This causes tartaric acid to crystallise out, thereby avoiding the formation of tartrate crystals, specifically potassium hydrogen tartrate, when the wine is in the bottle.

Colheita (Portugal)
An aged tawny Port from a single vintage which will be declared on the label.

Commune (France)
Refers to a village and the surrounding vineyards, for example, the communes of the left bank of Bordeaux include Pauillac, St Julien, St Estèphe and so on.

Confected
A tasting term to describe a sweet aroma/flavour, but more manufactured (like candy) than honey. I generally find it a negative aspect of a wine.

Co-operative
A winery run and owned by a group of local winemakers. Quality varies - some can turn out high quality wines, others produce little of interest.

Cordon
That part of the vine that is permanent - that is it to say it is left from year to year, whereas other parts are pruned away.

Cordon training
A vine training method. More details may be found in my advice page on vine training techniques.

Corked
A tasting term used to describe wines contaminated by trichloroanisole (a corked wine is not one with bits of cork floating in it). This chemical compound is the product of mould infection in the cork. Said to affect 5% of bottles (some say more, some less) it is one of the main reasons behind the drive towards the increasing use of screwcaps and synthetic closures. It may result in a wine that simply lacks fruit and can be difficult to spot, or it may be horribly obvious, with cardboardy, musty, mushroomy, dank aromas and flavours, rendering the wine completely undrinkable. See my advice page on faulty wine for more information. I also keep a record of corked wines experienced, mainly because it is so annoying.

Cosecha (Spain)
Vintage.

Côte (France)
A côte is a slope or hillside. The term is used in many regions of France - Côte Rôtie (Rhône Valley), Côte d'Or (Burgundy), Côte de Brouilly (Beaujolais).

Coteau (France)
Like côte, this also refers to a slope or hillside.

Coulure (France)
Once the vine has flowered, there should develop a small fruit (the grape) in place of each flower. Failure of the fruit to set in this way is coulure. It is often worst when the weather is particularly cold or wet. Some coulure is beneficial as a vine would have difficulty in ripening a full crop, resulting in a reduction in quality - although this can be adjusted for with a green harvest. Heavy coulure will result in a very small crop.

Crémant (France)
A sparkling wine made by the Méthode Champenoise.

Crianza (Spain)
A term describing the ageing that a wine has undergone. This is the youngest category, which is aged for two years, with at least six months in barrel. Related terms include Reserva and Gran Reserva.

Crossing
A crossing is the result of breeding two Vitis vinifera plants. This is distinct from a hybrid which involves using American vines.

Cru (France)
A term meaning 'growth' which is used in a number of French regions as a means of classifying wines. In Burgundy the best vineyards are Grands Crus, although in Bordeaux the term relates to the châteaux that own the land; they are the Cru Classé estates. In Champagne the term is applied to whole villages.

Cru Bourgeois (France)
Bordeaux châteaux that are classified below the Cru Classé. More details may be found here: Bordeaux classifications.

Cru Classé (France)
The upper classification for the châteaux of the Médoc, laid down in 1855. It is divided into five tiers, from Premier Cru Classé to Cinquieme Cru Classé. More details may be found here: Bordeaux classifications.

Crust
The sediment formed by vintage Port.

Cryo-extraction
A process whereby grapes are frozen in order to extract ice, thereby concentrating the sugars, flavours and other components that remain.

Cuvaison (France)
The period of time when the solid matter such as pips, skin, stalks and so on is left to macerate in the wine during alcoholic fermentation in order to extract colour, flavour and tannin.

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