The A

The specific gravity scale usually reads from 0.990 to 1.120 and the S.G. of water is 1. When you fill your test jar with water and float your hydrometer in it, the water surface should rest at the 1.000 mark. As you dissolve sugar in the water, the hydrometer will float higher. One pound of sugar dissolved in one U.S. gallon* of water will float the hydrometer to the 1.045 level.** Some vintners use a shorthand and simply call this level 45. Don’t use shorthand. Call it 1.045, as it actually reads. Shorthand can cause mistakes.

Some information to remember:

One U.S. gallon equals 128 fluid ounces, or 3.7853 liters, or 0.833 Imperial gallons, while one Imperial gallon equals 160 fluid ounces, or 4.5459 liters, or 1.2 U.S. gallons. All liquid measurements specified in these articles use U.S. measurements unless otherwise stated. For those who use the Imperial measures or are used to converting to metric from Imperial measures, just remember the following: five U.S. gallons equal four and one-sixth Imperial gallons, and five Imperial gallons equal six U.S. gallons.

Another thing to remember is that one pound of sugar dissolved in one gallon of water is not the same as one pound of sugar added to one gallon of water. In the first instance, you have one gallon of liquid. In the second instance, you have one gallon ten fluid ounces of liquid.

Here is some other pertinent information:

1. Table wines are generally started at an S.G. of 1.090 or higher and fermented to dryness- 0.990 to 1.000.

2. Sweeter wines are started at a higher S.G. and stabilized at the desired sweetness, or more commonly, started at 1.090 or higher, fermented to dryness, stabilized, and sugar added back to the wine to sweeten it.

3. The 1.090 specific gravity is a rather magical number. It produces an alcohol level of about 12.3%, a level that ensures the wine's preservation. One should start at 1.095, or about 13% alcohol, because one will lose some volume racking and add water to make it up, thereby diluting the wine and the percent alcohol by volume. In truth, a hair over 10% alcohol is all that's required to preserve grape wine. But some fruit wines actually require the 12% level for un-refrigerated preservation, so using 12% as a rule of thumb keeps you in a pretty good safety zone.

4. Sugar can be measured as ounces per gallon or as degrees Balling or Brix.

5. Ounces per gallon are measured on a numeric scale in which an S.G. of 1.045 equals 16 oz. (one pound) sugar per U.S. gallon. Brix is measured as a percentage of sugar by which pure water has a Brix of 0 (or 0% sugar), an S.G. of 1.045 equals a Brix of 11.7 (11.7% sugar), and an S.G. of 1.095 equals a Brix of 23.1 (23.1% sugar). I would recommend the one buy a hydrometer that measures sugar by ounces per gallon. It is far easier to figure out that a must with an S.G. of 1.050 (18 oz sugar) requires 14 additional ounces of sugar to be raised to an S.G. of 1.090 (32 oz sugar) that converting percentages of volume to ounces of sugar.

6. Don't get confused with the terms Brix or Balling. They are both the same. Just some manufactures or books call the scale that measures Brix a Balling scale and others call it a Brix scale after the inventor, Adolf F. Brix who calibrated it in 1970. I prefer calling it a Brix Scale.

7. P.A. or potential alcohol scale typically reads from 9 to 16%. One can not measure alcohol in a finished wine. However, you can measure the P.A. before you add the yeast and then measure it again after the fermentation is complete. You subtract one figure from the other and the result of the P.A. lost is the percentage of your finished alsohol. Accurate alcohol content cannot be calculated using a hydrometer alone because the actual S.G. of pure alcohol is 0.792, not 0.990 as most hydrometers read. However, itf you accurately measured your must's S.G. before yeast was introduced and fermented it to an S.G. of 0.990, racking is required, your calculation should be accurate to 1%. Which in my book is "close enough"!

8. Most hydrometers are calibrated to give correct readings at 59 - 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Higher temperatures thin the liquid slightly and result in lower readings than you'd get at the correct temperature. At 70 degrees F, the reading will be 0.001 low. To correct it, add 0.001 to the reading. At 77 degrees F., add 0.002. At 84 degrees F., add 0.003. At 95 degrees F., add 0.005. At temperatures above 95 degrees F., you risk killing your yeast and losing your wine. This was one of the reasons I did my primary fermentors in the kitchen and the secondary fermentors in a different room of our home and finally after the bottling put them into the underground wine room.

9. One can usually pick up specific gravity chart at your wine supply dealer when you pick up your hydrometer.

Pick the flowers just before starting, so they're fresh. You do not need to pick the petals off the flower heads, but the heads should be trimmed of any stalk. Put the flowers in a large bowl and bring the water to a boil. Pour the boiling water over the dandelion flowers and cover tightly with cloth or plastic wrap. Leave for two days, stirring twice daily. Do not exceed this time. Pour flowers and water in large pot and bring to a low boil. Add the sugar and the peels (peel thinly and avoid any of the white pith) of the lemons and orange. Boil for one hour, then pour into a crock or plastic pail. Add the juice and pulp of the lemons and orange. Allow to stand until cool (70-75 degrees F.). Add yeast and yeast nutrient, cover, and put in a warm place for three days. Strain and pour into a secondary fermentation vessel (bottle or jug). Add the raisins and fit a fermentation trap to the vessel. Strain and rack after wine clears. Leave until fermentation ceases completely, then rack again and bottle. This wine must age six months in the bottle before tasting, but will improve remarkably if allowed a year. Your must will look murky yellow to start with. Do not worry. If you do everything right, it will clear up.

Lastly, dandelion wine is well-suited to make into a sparkling wine and may even do splendid if kept semi-dry to semi-sweet. In that case do not use no more than 3/4 lb of raisins per gallon if you use that recipe -- you don't want too much body weighing it down.

Now on to our wine glossary. Here are lots of “M”’s!

Maceration - During fermentation, the process of the steeping of the grape skins and solids in the wine, where alcohol acts as a solvent to extract color, tannin and aroma from the skins.

Macon - A large region of Burgundy that is known for good, modest table wines.

Madeira - Portuguese island in the Atlantic, about 400 miles off the coast of Morocco that produces an interesting fortified wine of the same name.

Maderized - Usually pertaining to white wines that have oxidized, and describing the brownish color and slightly sweet, somewhat caramelized and often nutty character found in mature dessert-style wines.

Madiran - A small but well-known appellation in the Languedoc region of France that produces robust red wines.

Magnum - An oversize bottle that holds 1.5 liters, twice the size of a regular 750 ml bottle.

Malbec - A red-wine grape used, both in California and France, and other parts of the world, for blending in many Bordeaux wines, where its intense color and extracts add to the wine's body; also used as primary grape in the inky red wines of the Cahors region of France and in some Argentine reds. Malbecs can be fairly deep in color with dark berry flavors and a fair amount of tannin.

Malic - Used to describe the green apple-like flavor found in young grapes which diminishes as they ripen and mature.

Malolactic Fermentation - A secondary fermentation occurring in most bottled wines, this process converts the naturally occurring malic acid into softer lactic acid plus carbon dioxide gas, thus reducing the wine's total acidity. Adds complexity to whites such as Chardonnay and softens reds such as Cabernet and Merlot.

Malvasia - One of the most ancient of Italy's white-wine grape varieties and it said by some to be a member of the Muscat family, which is often blended with other grapes, including the traditional Chianti; also seen as a 100 percent varietal. As finished wines Malvasias vary widely in style and color, from crisp, bone-dry whites to rich, unctuous dessert wines.

Manzanilla - Dry style Sherry, similar to Fino, made in a seaside town where it is said a saltwater tang from the air is actually added to the wine.

Marc - A distilled spirit made in all parts of the world from pomace, and is generally consumed after dinner. (In Italy same as grappa)

Marechal Foch - A French hybrid grape used to make red wines, mostly in the Eastern United States.

Margaux - One of the most well known sub regions of the Medoc region of Bordeaux, France.

Marsanne - Excellent white-wine grape from the Rhone Valley of France, that produces medium-body to rich wines, and now enjoying some successful plantings in California regions.

Master of Wine - A title bestowed by the Institute of Masters of Wine which was founded in 1953 in England, and is an exclusive organization requiring those qualified to pass a rigorous three-day exam. Part of the exam includes blind-tasting about 36 wines with the aim of correctly identifying them. A person with this title may put the abbreviation M.W. after his or her name.

Mataro - Spanish name for Mourvedre.

Matchstick - Descriptive of the odor of sulphur dioxide gas, not unlike the smell of burnt matches and found, very occasionally, in negligible amounts trapped in bottled white wine. With careful decanting can be dissipated.

Mature - Fully developed, ready to drink.

Mead - A wine common in medieval Britain and Europe, made by fermenting honey and water.

Meager - Descriptive of a wine that is somewhat insipid, that lacks body and depth.

Meaty - A red wine that is sturdy, full-bodied, and chewy.

Mellow - Soft, smooth without harshness.

Mercaptan - Unpleasant, sulphur-like rubbery smell that may be present in very old white wines.

Meritage - An invented term, used by California wineries, for Bordeaux-style red and white blended wines. Combines "merit" with "heritage."

Merlot - Very good red-wine grape that produces smooth, plummy, mellow reds, often a key component of Bordeaux blends, and in California successfully grown as a varietal of its own accord. Black cherry and herbal flavors are also typical.

Methode Champenoise - French term for the costly, labor intensive method to make champagne, whereby wine undergoes a secondary fermentation inside the bottle, creating bubbles. The monk Dom Pérignon is credited with inventing this method.

Methuselah - An extra-large bottle holding 6 liters; the equivalent of eight standard bottles.

Microclimate - Refers to the climate within a small, defined area, possibly different from the area directly surrounding this area that can dramatically affect the character of the wine produced there.

Mid-Palate - When you take a sip of good wine there is often a sequence of flavor and texture impressions, of which the mid-palate is the impression registered as you hold the wine in your mouth for a moment but before you swallow.

Minervois - In the Languedoc wine region which produces fairly inexpensive, fruity red wines.

Minty - Sometimes refers to an aroma from certain Cabernet Sauvignon wines grown in warm climates.

Mise en bouteille - French term which literally means 'put in bottle'.

Mise en bouteille au Chateau - French term, meaning 'estate bottled'; with some legal significance and referring to a wine produced and bottled at the property where the grapes are grown.

Monopole - A label used on some French wines to indicate sole ownership, or monopoly, of the wine's name, with no bearing on the wine's quality.

Montepulciano - Well known, quality red grape from the Abruzzi region of Italy used to produce medium to full-body wines with good structure and color, such as Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. It is also the official grape used in Rosso Cónero and Rosso Piceno.

Moscato - The Italian word for Muscat, referring to the family of white wine grapes used to produce still and sparkling, medium sweet to sweet wines.

Mosel/Moselle - The scenic river valley in Germany, a tributary of the Rhine and the source of some of the best German white wines produced from Riesling grapes.

Mourvedre - A late-ripening red grape variety widely planted in southern France, Spain and increasingly California that is rich in color and extract producing dark, fruity wines that are sometimes said to have earthy bouquets, likened to tree bark.

Mulled Wine - Any red wine, served hot, that has been mixed with any combination of sugar, fresh orange or lemon, even fresh apple, spices, usually including cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

Muller-Thurgau - Modern grape variety that is a mainstay of England's small vineyard industry, and is widely planted in Germany used to produce a straightforward, lighter wine than the more common Riesling.

Murky - Mainly a fault in red wines that are lacking brightness; somewhat swampy.

Muscadet - A light, dry, French white wine made from grapes of the same name, sometimes said to have a slightly musky, cantaloupe quality and typically served with seafood.

Muscat - Ancient, aromatic white wine grape with a very extended family and said by some to be the ancestor of most other vitis vinifera grapes, which produces fruity, softly perfumed wines, some fine Italian sparkling wines and some enticing dessert wines from Austria and other parts of the world.

Must - Mixture of grapes - grape juice, skins and pulp that is fermented into wine.

Musty - Having a stale, moldy or mildewy smell. The result of a wine being made from moldy grapes, stored in improperly cleaned tanks and barrels, or contaminated by a poor cork.

Just email me with any questions or if you are in the area, stop in and say hello. Please remember to ……

“Tread the Earth Lightly”… and in the meantime… may your day be filled with…

Peace, Light and Love,

Arlene W. Correll