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Hungarian for “sparkling.”

A round wooden cask holding 600 liters (about 158 U.S. gallons) that’s traditionally used by German winemakers along the Rhine River, particularly in the Rheingau region. These casks are slowly disappearing because some winemakers no longer use them in wine production for certain grape varieties like Müller-Thurgau.

German for “half sweet,” referring to wines with a residual sugar content of between 1 and 3 percent.

German for “half-dry” or “medium-dry,” pertaining to wines that are sweeter than troken (dry) wines. In most parts of Germany, halbtrocken applies to wines containing between 9 and 18 grams of residual sugar per liter (0.9 to 1.8 percent), although the official definition also states that the residual sugar cannot be more than 10 grams greater than the total acidity (see acids). For example, if the residual sugar is 18 grams, then the total acidity must be at least 8 grams; if … (view more)

An important village situated in the steep slopes above the Rhine River in Germany’s Rheingau region. The best vineyard sites (einzellagen) get good exposure to the sun, which results in Riesling wines that are rich, full-bodied (see body), and capable of longer aging. The primary Einzellagen are Hendelberg, Jungfer, Schönhell, and Würzgarten.

This California region is located in the far southern end of the larger montery AVA just north of the Paso Robles AVA. The Hames Valley AVA was established in 1994 and encompasses approximately 10,000 acres just west of the town of Bradley and north of Lake Nacimiento. Currently there are only vineyards here, no wineries. Although this region is cooled by the Monterey Bay, it’s protected from the strong winds common in the Salinas Valley and is therefore warmer than many parts of the … (view more)

see Long Island AVA

see Muscat

The time from veraison until the grapes are harvested. The longer the hang time the greater the fruit’s depth and complexity—perfectly ripe grapes produce superior, long-aging wines. On the other hand, if the hang time is too long, the grapes will become overripe, which will affect both flavor and aroma of the finished wine.

A colorful man who played an important part in California’s viticultural history. Agoston Haraszthy, sometimes called Count and other times Colonel, was a Hungarian who arrived in California in the mid-1800s. Although he’s often called the father of California viticulture, he wasn’t the first to bring the Vitis vinifera species to the state. He did, however, significantly influence the course of the California wine industry. In 1851, he successfully planted a small sampling of … (view more)