C

Cabernet Franc - A v. vinfera species of grape. The somewhat leaner sister of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc is often grown in the same places and is usually blended with cabernet sauvignon and merlot. The one noteworthy exception to this is the Loire Valley of France where cabernet franc alone makes the well known wines Chinon and Bourgeuil. Cabernet franc often has a unique violet aroma and a slightly spicy flavor.

Cabernet Sauvignon - A v. vinfera species of grape. Often called the "king" of red grapes, cabernet sauvignon is, along with merlot, the famous grape of Bordeaux, and is also grown in other renowned wine regions throughout the world including California, Washington state, Italy, Australia, and Chile. Cabernet sauvignon possesses what can be an impressive structure along with deep, rich cassis flavors.

Capsule - The covering at the top of the neck of a wine bottle that protects the cork. Capsules, which come in many colors and designs, are considered part the wine's overall design. Recently, some wineries have forgone capsules in favor of a small wax dot on the top of the cork.

Carboy - A glass bottle, 5 to 7 gallons, used to ferment and wine.

Cask - A wooden container used for wine aging or storage.

Catawba - An American hybrid wine grape grown in the eastern U.S. and Canada which produces sweet white, red and rose' wines.

Cayuga - A French/American hybrid grape.

Cepage - French term meaning "grape variety".

Chablis - Wine region in central France named for the main village.

Chambourcin - A French/American hybrid grape.

Champagne - Sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France. The famous sparkling wine produced in the Champagne region of France, about 90 miles northeast of Paris. Champagne is generally a blend of three grapes­--two red: pinot noir and pinot meunier, and one white: chardonnay. It is made by a labor-intensive method known as methode Champenoise in which the secondary bubble-causing fermentation takes place inside each individual bottle. Made in a variety of sweetness levels, Champagnes range from bone-dry to sweet. The most popular of these is Brut. The sweetness levels are as follows: Extra Brut: very, very dry, O to .6% residual sugar. Brut: dry, less than 1.5% residual sugar. Extra Dry: off-dry, 1.2 to 2% residual sugar. Sec: lightly sweet, 1.7 to 3.5% residual sugar. Demi-Sec: quite sweet, 3.3 to 5% residual sugar. and Doux: sweet, more than 5% residual sugar. Most Champagne firms make at least three categories of wine: non-vintage, vintage, and prestige cuvée. The vast majority of the Champagne produced each year is designated non vintage (that is, the blend may contain wines from several different vintages). The wines in a vintage Champagne come only from the year designated on the label. Vintage Champagnes are only made in top years. Prestige cuvées are each firm's top-of-the-line wine. It too will only be made in great years and the grapes will come only from the firm's best vineyards. Finally, there are two special styles of Champagne: rosé Champagne, a pink Champagne usually made by adding a small bit of red pinot noir wine to the bottle before the second fermentation, and blanc de blancs, a Champagne in which all of the wines in the blend are chardonnay.

Chancellor - A French/American hybrid grape.

Chaptalization - The act of adding sugar to grape juice or must early in the fermentation to correct for natural deficiencies.

Character - Referring to the wine's type of taste.

Chardonnay - A v. vinfera species of grape. One of the most popular white grape varieties in America and throughout the New World, as well as the white grape of the Burgundy region of France. Very easy to enjoy thanks to its full, round body and buttery, appley flavors laced with toastiness (the latter comes from the oak barrels used in the making of most chardonnays).

Château (Chateaux, pl.) - In the Bordeaux wine-producing region, "château" (or alternatively Clos, Cru, or Domaine) specifically means a vineyard of a regulated size that has winemaking and storage facilities on the property. Château-bottled wines ("mis en bouteille au château," which you will see on the label and sometimes on the cork) means the wines were bottled at the estate. There are over 9,000 individual châteaux in Bordeaux.

Chianti - A red table wine, medium to full bodied and blended, of Tuscany, Italy. Medium to full bodied red table wine of Tuscany in Italy. Chiantis are blends, but the primary grape variety used is Sangiovese.

Clairet (Claret) - Red wine of Bordeaux. A little known Bordeaux wine made like a red wine from red-wine grapes, but the juice (called "must," see below) is left on the skins for a very short time yielding a pale red color wine slightly darker than a rosé with light tannin qualities

Clarity - The absence of cloudiness or sediment in wine.

Clos - A French term meaning an "enclosed vineyard". Also used in other countries as part of a name for a winery or wine label.

Cloying - A tasting term meaning the wine is difficult to enjoy because of excessive sweetness which "stays in your mouth" after the wine is gone.

Coarse - Referring to an unfinished or crude wine which is difficult to drink.

Concord - An American hybrid wine grape grown in the eastern and mid-western U.S. and Canada. It produces sweet wines and is also used for grape juice and jellies.

Coonawarra - Australian wine region in the southeast of South Australia, not far from the Victorian border. Cool, and produces some of the best red wines in Australia, especially cabernet sauvignon.

Cooper - One that makes or repairs wooden barrels and tubs.

Cooperage - Common term in general use to describe any container used for aging and storing wine. Cooperage includes barrels and tanks of all sizes.

Cordon - A French word (roughly translated means 'arm') which refers to the permanent wood of (usually horizontal) a grapevine from which the fruiting wood is grown.

Cork - Cylinder-shaped piece cut from the thick bark of a cork-oak tree and used as a stopper in wine bottles. Cork is especially well suited for this purpose because of its waxy composition and springiness.

Corky - A corky wine has an unpleasant odor and flavor of moldy cork.

Corolla - An individual grape flower before it blossoms.

Côtes and Coteaux - Hillsides planted with vineyards.

Cream of tartar - A natural component of grape juice and wine. The chemical name is potassium bi-tartrate. Removed from wine as a by-product, cream of tartar is used in cooking.

Cremant - A category of champagne which contains less carbonation than standard champagnes. Cremant Champagnes are usually light and fruity.

Crisp - Tasting term to describe good acidity and pleasant taste without excessive sweetness.

Cru - French word for growth. It refers to a vineyard of especially high quality, such as a classified growth or "cru classe."

Cru Bourgeois - This classification on the label indicates a château-bottled wine from the Médoc district that has met specific technical and qualitative standards. These wines are good value because they are fine wines that don't fetch 1855 classification prices.

Crush tank - Wine tank which receives the newly crushed must -- pumped directly from the crusher.

Crush - The process of crushing and destemming wine grapes just prior to fermentation. "The crush" refers to the autumn season when grapes ripen and are fermented.

Crust - The sediment, often crystalline, which forms inside wine bottles during long bottle aging. It is often brittle and can break into pieces as the wine is being poured.

Cultivar - A cultivated variety of grape.

Cuvaison - The period of time when grape juice is kept in contact with the skins and seeds during fermentation.

Cuvee - (koo-VAY) A batch of wine usually held in a single tank or large cask. Cuvee often refers to a specific blend of still wines which was blended purposely for later champagne making.