Glossary

Wild Yeasts

Wild yeasts are those that find their way into the must without any intervention from the winemaker – from the grape skins, from the vineyard and from the cellar itself, where they have become established over the years in the equipment and on the walls.

They are not a single species, but a community. Non-Saccharomyces yeasts such as Kloeckera and Candida tolerate low levels of alcohol and are active at the outset; as the alcohol content rises, Saccharomyces cerevisiae takes over. The cellar's yeast population is considered characteristic of the winery and changes over the years. – SUPERIORE.DE

→ See also Spontaneous Fermentation · Cultured Yeasts · Fermentation

Wine Ageing

Ageing refers to the changes a wine undergoes over time during maturation and bottle ageing, right through to its deterioration. The term is broader in scope than "bottle ageing", which describes only the changes that occur after bottling.

This dual nature explains the varying usage of the terms. "Age-worthy" is a compliment and refers to the ability to improve over the years; "aged" is a description and usually implies that the wine has passed its peak. Both terms refer to the same process, but at different stages. The chemical process is described under the glossary term "development", whilst the role of the closure is covered under "bottle ageing". – SUPERIORE.DE

→ See also Evolution · Bottle Ageing · Drinking window