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
Palate
Palate refers to a wine drinker's sense of taste - to include taste, smell and feel. Phylloxera: Phylloxera is a tiny insect that kills grape vines by sucking the nutrients out of the roots. In the 1860s, the insect was transferred to Europe on U.S. vine cuttings and destroyed vast amounts of vitis vinifera vineyards. To counter the insect, vitis vinefera vines are usually grafted onto indigenous American, phylloxera-resistant vitis labrusca rootstock. Non-grafted vines can still be found in places such as eastern Washington, where the climate and high levels of sand in the soil limit the impact of the insect.
Physiological Ripeness
Physiological ripeness, also known as phenolic ripeness, refers to the ripening of a grape's skins, seeds and stems. When physiological ripeness is not attained, the grapes tannins will result in harsh, herbaceous flavors. Physiological ripeness is related to, but separate from, sugar ripeness. In warm areas, grapes often reach sugar ripeness prior to physiological ripeness. To ensure physiological ripeness, winemakers are sometimes forced to allow sugar levels to continue to increase beyond optimal levels. The resulting wine is normally full-bodied with very high-alcohol levels and low acidity.
Pierce's Disease
Pierce's disease is a bacterium spread by insects such as the glassy-winged sharpshooter. The bacteria is inject into the sap of grapevines, and other plants, by the sharpshooter as it feeds on vine vegetation. The bacterium eventually blocks the movement of water and kills the vine. In recent years, the disease has caused the replanting of hundreds of acres of Californian grape vines and has caused tens of millions of dollars of damage in the Temecula Valley.
Plonk
The term "plonk" refers to cheap, inexpensive, low quality and poor tasting wine.
Plump
Plump wines are soft and full-bodied, but not quite fat.
Port
Port is a fortified wine produced from grapes grown in the terraced vineyards of Portugal's Douro region. During England's war with France in the late 17th century, England began shipping wines from Portugal. It was found that adding brandy during fermentation halted fermentation and resulted in a wine with about 10% residual sugar and an alcohol content of approximately 20%. The wine not only tasted good but was also better able to survive the journey to England. Ports come in several different styles and are copied the world over. Pump-Over: Pumping over is a red wine fermentation cap management technique that involves the use of a pump to push fermenting must from the bottom of the vessel over the top of the fermentation cap. Pumping over, similar to other cap management techniques such as punch-downs, keep the cap cool and wet enough to complete fermentation and maintain sufficient contact between the grape skins and the fermenting must.
Punt
The indentation at the base of a wine bottle. The origins and original purpose of the punt are still in dispute, and their continued presence is more a matter of tradition and consistency than anything else.
Phylloxera
Phylloxera is a tiny insect that kills grape vines by sucking the nutrients out of the roots. In the 1860s, the insect was transferred to Europe on U.S. vine cuttings and destroyed vast amounts of vitis vinifera vineyards. To counter the insect, vitis vinefera vines are usually grafted onto indigenous American, phylloxera-resistant vitis labrusca rootstock. Non-grafted vines can still be found in places such as eastern Washington, where the climate and high levels of sand in the soil limit the impact of the insect.
Pump-Over
Pumping over is a red wine fermentation cap management technique that involves the use of a pump to push fermenting must from the bottom of the vessel over the top of the fermentation cap. Pumping over, similar to other cap management techniques such as punch-downs, keep the cap cool and wet enough to complete fermentation and maintain sufficient contact between the grape skins and the fermenting must.
