Glossary

Feminine

Describe wine that is elegant and light, as opposed to structured and tannic.

Fermentation

Wine goes through two types of fermentation. The first is alcoholic fermentation, when yeast transforms sugar into alcohol. This is followed by malolactic fermentation when bacteria soften the wine by transforming its malic acid into lactic acid.

Fête de la Fleur

Every year in June, the winemaking brotherhoods of the Bordeaux region celebrate the beginning of the vineyards' flowering.

Filtration

A mechanical process to rid wine of its suspended particles. This is a very delicate process that requires considerable skill: too much filtration strips wine of its flavours and aromas. Numerous winemakers in Bordeaux refuse to filter their wine and instead subject it to clarification (fining) in order to preserve all of its richness.

Fine (Grand)

Describes a superior, high quality wine that is balanced, complex and persistent.

Fining (Collage)

A process that involves adding a substance to the wine that binds with particles in suspension that affect the wine's clarity, causing them to fall to the bottom of the vat or barrel. Egg whites are still used in the barrels of major Bordeaux châteaux.

Flat (Plat)

Describes wine with no bouquet or acidity.

Flavour

The sum of what is detected by the mouth and nose. Taste designates what is sensed in the mouth, whereas aroma designates what is sensed by the nose, or in the back of the mouth (retro-olfaction).

Fleshy (Chair, Charnu)

Describes wine that gives an impression of smooth fullness and density in the mouth (a fleshy wine).

Frank (Franc, Net)

Describes the whole wine, or one of its aspects (colour, bouquet, taste, etc.) that is faultless and straightforward.

Free-run wine (Goutte, vin de)

During the red wine vinification process, this is the wine obtained by gravity during devatting.

Fresh

Describes a slightly acidic wine that creates an appealing sensation of freshness that is sought-after for its thirst-quenching properties.

Full-bodied (1) (Ample)

Describes balanced wine that fills the mouth and has a long finish.

Full-bodied (2) (Plein)

Describes wine with all the qualities of a good wine that procures a sensation of fullness in the mouth.