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Wine glossary
M
Maceration
The process of allowing grape juice and skins to ferment together, thereby imparting color, tannins, and aromas.
Made and Bottled By
On U.S. labels, this indicates only that the winery crushed, fermented and bottled a minimum of 10 percent of the wine in the bottle.
Madeira
A fortified wine that has been made on a Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco since the fifteenth century.
Maderized
Stemming from the word Madeira, this term means oxidization in a hot environment.
Magnum
A bottle equal to two regular 750 ml bottles.
Malic acid
One of the three predominate acids in grapes. Tart-tasting malic acid occurs naturally in a number of fruits, including, apples, cherries, plums, and tomatoes.
Malolactic Fermentation
A secondary fermentation, often occurring in barrels, whereby harsher malic acid is converted into creamier lactic acid.
Manzanilla
Manzanilla is a category of fino Sherry made only in Sanlúcar de Barrameda. It is lighter and drier than most finos.
Marc
See Pomace.
Masculine
Strong, powerful, concentrated, tannic wines.
Massive
Is a difficult term. For some wines like Californian or Rhone, it can be a positive trait. For other appellations, this is not positive.
Mature
Ready to drink.
Meaty
Describes red wines that show plenty of concentration and a chewy quality. They may even have an aroma of cooked meat.
Medium Bodied
Term for wines lacking the same level of concentration found in full bodied wines.
Medium Plus Barrel Toast
A moderately well-singed oak barrel (wood is burned to release oak lactone).
Medoc
The Medoc is a large area in the Left Bank of Bordeaux that is the home to Margaux, St. Julien, Pauillac and St. Estephe.
Melchoir
An 18 liter wine bottle. Equal to 24 standard bottles (aka Solomon).
Meniscus
The thin rim at the edge of a wine’s surface where the wine meets the glass.
Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive (M.G.A.)
The Italian classification for a designated area within an existing appellation in Piedmont.
Mercaptans
Also known chemically as thiols, mercaptans are organosulfur compounds that emit unpleasant, skunky aromas of rubber, sulfur or garlic. Mercaptans are often encountered in wines suffering from reduction (in which case exposure to oxygen may alleviate the flaw) as well as in very old white wines.
Meritage
The term was created by California winemakers for wines made from Bordeaux style blends that contain various amounts of any, or all of the 6 main Bordeaux grape varieties.
Methode Ancestrale
French term for Ancestral Method.
Methode Champenoise
See Méthode Traditionnelle.
Methode Classique
See Méthode Traditionnelle.
Methode Traditionnelle
The labor-intensive process whereby wine undergoes a secondary fermentation inside the bottle, creating bubbles. The process begins with the addition of a liqueur de tirage (a wine solution of sugar and yeast) to a bottle of still base wine, triggering a secondary fermentation inside the bottle which produces both carbon dioxide and spent yeast cells, or lees, which are collected in the neck of the bottle during the riddling process. The lees are then disgorged from the bottle, and replaced with a solution of wine and sugar, giving the sparkling wine its sweetness. All Champagne and most high-quality sparkling wine is made by this process. Also known as méthode Champenoise, méthode classique and metodo classico.
Methuselah
A 6 liter wine bottle. Equal to 8 standard bottles (aka Imperial).
Metodo Classico
See Méthode Traditionnelle.
Microclimate
Climate conditions that take place is small, localized, specific areas, for example a single vineyard in a larger region or appellation.
Micro Oxygenation
A technique developed to help wines taste better younger, especially during barrel tasting. Micro oxygenation, used most of with grapes from warm weather climates involves adding small amounts of oxygen into the wine.
Micro-Vinification
Wines made using micro vinification are barrel fermented. This term is used when red wines are vinified in barrel.
Mid-Palate
The mid-palate is the middle of the wine tasting sensation that takes place after the initial taste and the finish. This is the point in time where the majority of the flavors are released and experienced.
Millerandage
French term for what happens when an irregular fruit set takes place and the berries in each cluster are not uniform in size and have developed at different stages and rates of maturity. This is also known as hens and chicks.
Minerality
This aroma or flavor comes from grapes gown in intense, rocky, mineral laden soils. The sensation is of crushed rocks, stone or cement. This is a unique and desirable quality. This term can be used instead of stone.
Mis en bouteille
French term meaning «put in bottle.» Featured on the back of a wine label, succeeded by the name of the estate where the wine was bottled.
Mistral
A strong northwesterly wind current that is active in southern France. It has a cooling and moisture-mitigating effect on grapegrowing.
Monocepage
This term describes a wine made from only one specific grape varietal.
Monopole
Wine that are monopoles come from a single vineyard.
Mousse
The frothy head that forms at the surface of sparkling wine.
Mouth-feel (Mouthfeel)
How a wine feels on the palate; it can be rough, smooth, velvety, or furry.
Multi-Vintage
See Non-Vintage.
Murky
More than deeply colored; lacking brightness, turbid and sometimes a bit swampy. Mainly a fault of red wines.
Must
Crushed grapes about to go or going through fermentation.
Must Weight
Measurement of the sugar content in grape must, or unfermented grape juice, which indicates the potential alcohol of the juice were all of the sugar to be converted to alcohol during fermentation. Like Brix, Baumé and Oechsle, must weight is more accurately a measurement of the must’s density or specific gravity.
Musty
Old wines from bottles can show musty flavors. Corked wines can be moldy as well.
MW
A prestigious title for a person that has studied and passed the Masters of Wine examination.