Gallo of Sonoma - Glossary

Canopy Management

Techniques that include winter pruning, shoot thinning, summer pruning, shoot devigoration, shoot positioning, leaf removal, and trellis systems. Canopy management aims to balance the vine for optimal fruit development.

Cap

Grape skins that rise to the top of the fermentation tank during fermentation. Cap management is essential in the winemaking process to ensure optimum skin-to-juice ratio.

Chewy

A wine descriptor used to describe the texture of the wine. Typically related to wines with higher levels of tannin extraction.

Clarity

There are three categories of clarity:

Brilliant: Absolutely free of sediment and crystal clear.
Clear: Free of sediment, but not brilliant.
Cloudy: Visible sediment or a muddy look.

Climate

Climate consists of temperature, moisture, sunlight, and wind. It is one of the most important factors in determining the quality and balance of a grape’s aroma, flavor, texture, and color.

Clonal selection

The practice of selecting a single superior plant in the vineyard and then taking cuttings from this vine for propagation.

Color

Wines are basically described in one of three colors: red, white, or rosé. Other descriptors of a wine’s color are typically referred to as “hue.”

Red wines derive their color from pigments in the grape skins. Factors influencing color intensity include grape size, variety, ripeness, and the length and type of fermentation technique.

Corked

Wine with a negative odor of mold or rot. A compound in faulty wine referred to as TCA, trichloroanisole.