N

Nebuchadnezzar
A large bottle holding 15 litres, the equivalent of 20 regular wine bottles.
Négociant
French for “trader“. A wine merchant who assembles the produce of smaller growers and winemakers and sells the result under its own name.
New World wine
Wines produced outside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa.
Noble rot
Another name for the Botrytis cinerea mould that can pierce grape skins causing dehydration. The resulting grapes produce a highly prized sweet wine, generally dessert wine.
Nose
A tasting term for the aroma or bouquet of a wine.

O

Oak chips
Small pieces of oak wood used in place of oak barrels in fermenting and/or ageing wine.
Oenology
The science of wine and winemaking.
Oenophile
A wine aficionado or connoisseur.
Off-dry
A wine that has the barest hint of sweetness; a slightly sweet wine in which the residual sugar is barely perceptible.
Old vine
Wine produced from vines that are notably old.
Old World wine
Wines produced inside of the traditional wine growing areas of Europe and North Africa.

P

Palate
A tasting term for the feel and taste of a wine in the mouth.
pH
An acronym for “potential hydrogen” a measure of acidity. The lower the pH, the higher the acidity.However pH is actually a shorthand for its mathematical approximation: in chemistry a small p is used in place of writing – log10 and the H here represents [H+], the concentration of hydrogen ions.
Phylloxera
A microscopic underground insect that kills grape vines by attacking their roots.
Pip
Grape seeds.
Pipe
A cask holding two hogsheads or 126 U.S. gallons of wine.
Plan Bordeaux
A proposal for enhancing the economic status of the wine industry in Bordeaux.
Plonk
British English slang for an inexpensive bottle of wine. The term is thought to originate from the French word for white wine, “blanc“.
Pomace
The skins, stalks, and seeds that remain after making wine. Also called marc.
Port
A sweet fortified wine, which is produced from grapes grown and processed in the Douro region of Portugal. This wine is fortified with the addition of distilled grape spirits in order to boost the alcohol content and stop fermentation thus preserving some of the natural grape sugars. Several imitations are made throughout the world.
Porto
The legal name for a true Port wines sold in the United States since imitation ports may be labeled as a “port” there .
Potassium sorbate
A wine stabilizer and preservative.
Proof
Refers to the alcohol content of a beverage. In the United States, proof represents twice the alcohol content as a percentage of volume. Thus, a 100 proof beverage is 50% alcohol by volume and a 150 proof beverage is 75% alcohol. In the Imperial system, proof, (or 100% proof), equals 57.06% ethanol by volume, or 48.24% by weight. Absolute or pure ethanol is 75.25 over proof, or 175.25 proof.
Puncheon
A wine barrel that holds approximately 84 U.S. gallons (318 litres) .
Punt
The indentation found in the base of a wine bottle. Punt depth is often thought to be related to wine quality, with better quality wines having a deeper punt.