Home > Wine Glossary > S: Saignee to Szamoridni

Wine Glossary: S

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Saignée (France)
This winemaking process involved bleeding off a portion of red wine after only a short period of contact of the juice with the grape skins. Because the colour of red wine is derived from pigments in the skins, the juice is only pink not red. This process is how rosé wines are made, the only exception being Champagne where rosé may also be made by blending red and white wines, although I think the best wines are made by the saignée method. The process may also be used to improve the quality of red wines, as it increases the ratio of skins to juice in the vat, so a more deeply coloured wine may be obtained.

Salmanazar
A large format Champagne bottle, equivalent to twelve standard bottles. See my advisory page on Champagne bottle sizes for more information.

Scott Henry
A vine training method. More details may be found in my advisory feature on vine training.

Screwcaps
The new alternative to sealing a wine with cork which, in case you hadn't realised, is tree bark. Another alternative is to use a synthetic cork. Why? Because cork, being a biological material, cannot be sterilised, and the fungal infections it harbours result in tainted ('corked') aromas which ruin about (figures vary) 5% of all bottles. One popular brand is the Stelvin. For more information see my information pages on corks and screwcaps and faulty wines. I keep a record of corked wines experienced, mainly because it is so annoying.

Sec (France)
This term describes a dry wine.

Second wine
The introduction of second wines - primarily in Bordeaux - was an important step in improving quality. The second wine allows the best grapes to be used for the first wine - the grand vin - whereas the lesser grapes, which may, for instance, be from young vines, are used for the second wine. The quality of the grand vin improves as a result, whereas the second wine offers earlier drinking or an option for those on a budget.

Smart Dyson
A vine training method. More details may be found in my advisory feature on vine training.

Solera (Spain)
Primarily a method employed in the production of Sherry, the solera system may also be found in use in Languedoc-Roussillon and anywhere else involved in the production of fortified wines such as Madeira, Marsala and Rutherglen (Australia). Barrels of wine are arranged in a vertical system, at least three barrels high. The lowest barrels contain the oldest wine. As this is drawn off for bottling and sale, each barrel is topped up with younger wine from the barrel above. In the uppermost barrel the latest vintage enters the system, keeping it fully topped up.

South Africa
See my South African wine guide.

Spain
See my Spanish wine guide.

Spätlese (Germany, Austria)
A Prädikat classification based on must weight.

Specific Gravity
The density of any substance, such as fermenting must, relative to the density of water. Measuring specific gravity provides information about the must weight. My article on must weight in my Sweet Wine series gives more information.

Spinning cone
Another term used to describe a centrifuge.

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

Structure
A tasting term. When a wine is described as having structure, the taster is referring to the tannin and acidity levels. These elements give the wine a presence in the mouth; without them wine would tend towards a flabby, fruit flavoured drink.

Sugar
A large collection of organic compounds present in grapes as a result of photosynthesis. Sugar is the substrate utilised by yeast in the production of alcohol, a process known as fermentation.

Sugar ripeness
When the grapes reach a certain sugar concentration, sufficient for alcoholic fermentation and meeting the demands of the winemaker, this is sugar ripeness. It is distinct from physiological ripeness which involves other aspects of grape maturity.

Sulphur
This is an important element in winemaking, with a wide variety of uses, often as part of the compound sulphur dioxide. It is widely used in the vineyard as a prophylactic for Oidium, whereas in the winery it may be used as a disinfectant in between vintages, and may be added to must and finished wines as an antibacterial agent to prevent spoilage. It may also be used in winemaking as a method of terminating fermentation. Excessive use may result in an unpleasant mothball or burnt match aroma from the wine. See my advice page on faulty wine for more information.

Sur lie (France)
This term describes a wine that has been allowed to lie on its lees for some time before being racked off. The intention is to add extra richness and flavour to the wine.

Süssreserve (Germany)
Unfermented grape juice which may be added to wines of QbA classification in order to increase the sugar content. The addition of süssreserve is not permitted for QmP wines.

Synthetic closure
The posh phrase for plastic cork. The intention is to prevent cork taint. For more information see my information pages on corks and screwcaps and faulty wines

Szamoridni (Hungary)
A Tokay Szamoridni is one where no distinction has been made between healthy and nobly rotten grapes. They are all fermented together, and as the proportion of the latter grapes is usually small the wines are most commonly dry.

Glossary pages: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ