Earthy
A characteristic smell that suggests the soil in which the grapes were grown.
Edes (Hungary)
Sweet.
Egrappage (France)
The process of destemming - removing stems/stalks from the grape bunches before fermentation
Eiswein
The German word for icewine.
Elegant
When a wine exhibits refined character, distinguished quality, stylish, not heavy.
Élevage (France)
An umbrella term describing all the winery processes after alcoholic fermentation up to bottling - such as fining, filtration and barrel ageing. It literally describes the 'bringing up' of the wine.
Elevation
The height the vineyard is, either above sea level or above some local landmark, such as that of a valley floor.
En primeur
A method of purchasing wine before it has been bottled. Payment (not including duty or VAT) is made generally a year or so before bottling (the exact time depends on the region. The wines most common offered en primeur are from Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Rhone Valley and Port, although many other regions, including some New World wineries, are following suit. Once the wine enters the UK, it may be stored in bond or, after payment of taxes, be delivered. There is an in-depth exploration of all the aspects of this method for purchasing wine, in five instalments, here: En Primeur.
Enology
The science of wine production.
Entry
A tasting term. Describing the wine on 'entry' is to describe your impression of the wine as it lands in your mouth. Followed by midpalate, finish and length.
Erzeugerabfüllung (Germany)
Means bottled by the producer. Related terms include abfüllung and gutsabfüllung.
Essence
Refers to "odor kits" containing vials of representative flavor essences.
Essencia (Hungary)
The free run juice of the Aszú. See Aszú Essencia.
Estate Bottled
Wines that are estate-bottled ("mise en bouteille" in French) are bottled at the winery where the grapes were grown and made under the control of the winemaker. Most wineries originally sold their wines in barrels to merchants for bottling, however they started bottling their own wines as a measure of both control and of quality assurance against tampering, dilution or substitution.
Estufa (Portugal)
The estufa are the hothouses where Madiera is made. The heating of the wine is an essential part in the development of the character and flavour of Madeira wine.
Ethyl Acetate
Acid and alcohol combine during fermentation to produce esters, one of which is ethyl acetate. It has a sweet, vinegary smell like nail polish remover and it’s considered a fault in wine.
Expectorate
Before giving any fancy definition, let’s just call this what it is: spitting. It may seem socially aberrant, but when you’re tasting many wines, you need to do it unless you’re sleeping overnight at the tasting room. Simply form your mouth into a circle and lean over the spittoon (spit bucket) and let go. Practice in the shower will reduce the incidence of unsightly dribbles and carpet stains.
Extra Dry
A sparkling wine that is slightly sweet. This term often leads to confusion since Dry means without sweetness, but Extra Dry means slightly sweet.
Extract
This refers to the solid compounds in wine, such as tannins. Increasing the level of extract results in more colour and body. It may be increased by leaving the wine in contact with the skins for longer during cuvaison, although too long will result in an unbalanced wine that seems 'over-extracted'.
Extracted/Extraction
Extraction is the process of taking the flavor, color and tannin out of the grape skins during maceration when the grape skins are steeped in the grape juice during fermentation. It's a similar process to steeping tea and gives wine the color, flavor and structure that the winemaker desires. The challenge is to extract the right amount of these compounds so that the wine is still balanced. Highly extracted wines are described as full-bodied, intense and alcoholic, with powerful fruit flavors and tannins. This can be a criticism if it means that the wine is out of balance. These wines are often referred to as fruit bombs.
