Racking

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to vineyards to provide the necessary 25-35 inches of annual water in dry climates.

Assemblage is the French term for the process where winemakers combine different base wines that vary by grape variety, vintage or vineyard parcel, to create a balanced and complex final wine.

TCA stands for 2,4,6-trichloroanisole, a chemical compound that causes "cork taint". It forms when natural fungi in corks or wooden barrels interact with chlorine in cleaning products, resulting in musty, moldy or wet cardboard aromas in wines.

Maceration in wine is the process of soaking crushed grape skins, seeds and stems in the juice (must) to extract color, tannins and aroma compounds.

Malic acid is a naturally occuring organic acid in wine grapes, primarily found in unripe or cool climate berries. It gives a sharp acidity, tartness and freshness to wine.

The Crush refers to the period in late summer or fall when harvested grapes are mechanically broken to rupture their skins and release the juice, initiating the winemaking process.

Fermentation is a natural biochemichal process where yeast consumes the natural sugars in grape juice and converts them into alcohol, carbon dioxide and heat. At the end of fermentation, grape juice is converted into wine.

The harvest marks the end of the vine growing cycle, typically occuring between August and October in the Northern hemisphere. It is the stage where ripe grapes are picked from the vineyard to begin winemaking.