Glossary of Winemaking Terms - E

E

Egg white fining

A technique of fining that uses the whites of eggs to attract negatively charged matter.

Enology

American English spelling of oenology, the study of wine.

En Tirage

French for "in pulling", refers to the period of time in which bottled sparkling wine is rested in contact with lees generated during secondary fermentation. Part of the Méthode Champenoise process.

Enzyme

A protein created by yeast that act as a bio-chemical catalysts in grape or wine development. An example would be the enzyme invertase which aids the storage of sugars within individual grape berries.

Esters

Compounds formed in wine either during fermentation or the wine's aging development that contribute to a wine's aroma.

Estufagem

Portuguese term for the process where Madeira is heated in estufas (ovens) and then cooled to create the unique flavors and texture of the wine.

Ethanoic acid

Another name for acetic acid

Ethanol

Also known as "ethyl alcohol". The primary alcohol in wine and most other alcoholic beverages. The alcohol content of a wine contributes to its body.

Extract

Everything in a wine except for water, sugar, alcohol, and acidity, the term refers to the solid compounds such as tannins. High levels of extract results in more colour and body, which may be increased by prolonging the wine's contact with the skins during cuvaison.

Extra dry

A champagne or sparkling wine with a small amount of residual sugar (slightly sweet). Not as dry as Brut.