Culinary Conversations

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Have ever wondered what some of those fancy terms chefs or vintners use during their demonstrations or discussions mean?  Well, you don’t have to be a chef or winemaker to talk the talk and so we put together our “Culinary Conversations” list of words and terms that you can look at whenever you need to so that you can appear to know what you are talking about…even when you really don’t.

Got a question that you have been dying to ask a chef or wine professional?  Ask away below and we’ll make sure it is answered.

Measurement Terms

• Cup – c, C
• Teaspoon – t, tsp
• Tablespoon – T, tbs, tbsp
• Quart – q, qt
• Ounce – oz
• Pound – lb.
• Pint – p, pt

Food Terms

• Al dente – An Italian expression which describes pasta that has been cooked so as to be firm but not hard.
• Al fresco – Eating outside
• Amuse -Bouche- A single, bite-sized hors d’oeurve.
• Aubergine – The French word for eggplant.
• Aus Jus – To serve food with natural juices or gravy.
• Basting – To pour a remaining drippings or liquids over food before or while cooking to add flavor or prevent dryness.
• Blanching – To plunge food into boiling water briefly and then into cold water to stop cooking.
• Braising – To brown meat or vegetables in small quantity of hot fat, then to cook slowly in small amount of liquid either in the oven or on top of the stove.
• Butterfly – To split a food horizontally in half to form a butterfly shape which helps to cook food, especially meat, evenly and quicker.
• Canapé – Slice of fried or buttered toast cut into a shape and used as a base for finger food.
• Caramelize – To melt sugar or sugary foods by cooking over low heat until contents become brown.  Can also mean to brown meat over high heat as to create a tasty crust.
• Chevre - The French word for goat, generally referring to goat’s milk cheeses.
• Chiffonade – To cut herbs or lettuces into thin strips or shreds which look like rags.
• Crudités – Traditional French appetizers composed of a selection of raw vegetables served with some sort of dip.
• Deglaze – To use the remaining food bits left in the pan usually after frying meat to make a pan sauce or gravy.
• Demi-Glace- A rich, glossy brown sauce from which the liquid has been partly evaporated, typically flavored with wine and served with meat.
• Dot – To cover food with small amounts of butter before baking or broiling.
• Emulsify – To combine two ingredients that normally do not mix together by slowly adding one to the other while mixing rapidly.
• En Coquille – When a seafood dish is presented in a scallop shell.
• Ferment – To bring about a chemical change in foods or beverages which can develop distinctive flavors.
• Flambé’ – A cooking technique in which liquid is added to a hot pan to create a burst of flames.
• Fleuron - A small decorative puff pastry shape used to garnish pie crust.
• Garnish – To use food as a decoration.
• Julienne Cut – To cut food into thin slices.
• Marinate – To let foods stand in a liquid often flavored with spices and herbs.
• Parboil – To cook into partially cook.
• Pasteurize – To sterilize milk by heating, then rapidly cooling it.
• Poaching – To gently cooking poultry, fish or eggs in a simmering liquid such as water, stock or wine.
• Prefix- A full meal at a fixed price.
• Puree – To process vegetables, fruits and other foods through a fine sieve, food mill, ricer, electric blender or food processor to produce a fine-textured substance.
• Reconstitute – A procedure used for preparing dried foods by soaking the product in fresh water for a time.
• Render – To heat meat fat, cut into small pieces until fat is separated from connective tissues. The clear fat is strained before being used in cooking and the crisp, brown bits left in the skillet are called cracklings.
• Scald – To heat liquid just before the boiling point.
• Score –To cut narrow grooves or gashes in meats before cooking to prevent curling.
• Shirr – To break eggs into a dish with cream or crumbs and then proceed with baking.
• Steep – To allow food to stand in hot liquid so that the flavor and/or color can be extracted.
• Sous Vide - A method of treating food by partial cooking followed by vacuum-sealing and chilling.
• Sweat – To sauté over low heat with the lid on.
• Tapas- Small Spanish savory dishes, typically served with drinks at a bar.
• Temper – To heat food gently before adding it to a hot mixture to prevent separation or curdling.
• Truss – To tie meat with wooden pins, skewers or string during cooking to help mold its shape.
• Zest – To remove the colored peel of a citrus fruit.

Wine and Drink Terms

 Just due to the complex nature of understanding wine, terms are a little more detailed here.

•  Acidity – In tasting, this generally refers to the amount of acid in a wine. Wines lacking in acid can taste flat, wines with too much acid will taste overly bitter, although some acid, especially in crisp whites, is desirable. Warm regions with high amounts of sunlight tend to produce grapes with lower acid levels as the sun will evaporate acid from the berries before harvesting.
• American Viticultural Area (AVA) – A legally defined and recognized wine grape-growing region that is approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). An AVA has unique characteristics related to soil type, sun exposure, climate, elevation, rainfall, etc. In order to claim a particular AVA, at least 85% of the grapes used in the wine must come from vineyards in that AVA. There are approximately 200 AVAs in the United States, and the AVA will be indicated on the wine label. (see also: Appellation and Terroir)
•  Appellation – A wine region. What constitutes a wine region varies per country, but most specifically, it refers to a region of unique soil type, climate, rainfall, land slope, etc. In some countries (such as France), an appellation may limit the type of grapes that can be grown there. In the United States, appellations pre-existed the introduction of American Viticultural Areas (AVAs), although appellations in the US are not recognized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. (see also: American Viticultural Area and Terroir)
• Blush – (see: Rosé)
• Bordeaux – A wine region in southwest France that has several appellations. Primary rivers are the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne. Bordeaux is also the name used for wines from Bordeaux. As with most French wine regions, the grapes that can be grown there are limited to the varietals that perform best in the region. A Bordeaux wine can have any mixture of the allowable grapes, and consumers should read the wine label to know which grapes are used in what percentages. The primary red Bordeaux grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Lesser used red Bordeaux grapes are Malbec and Petit Verdot. White Bordeaux blends are made primarily from Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillion and Merlot Blanc. (see also: Meritage)
• Brix – [pronounced like “Bricks”] The sugar content of a wine grape and measured in degrees. The brix is tested before harvesting. Desirable levels vary depending on the type of grape, the wine region, and the type of wine to be produced. Sunny regions produce grapes with higher sugar levels.
• Burgundy – A wine region in eastern France that has several appellations. The primary river is the Saône. The most common white varietal is Chardonnay, with smaller plantings of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc. The most common red grapes are Pinot Noir and Gamay. For a time, Burgundy was commonly used to describe inexpensive table wines in the United States. Internationally, “American Burgundy” is not recognized and its exportation in prohibited by law.
• Chablis – An appellation of France. Chablis wine is made from Chardonnay grapes (as French wines are usually named for region, not varietal). In the United States, Chablis was a common term used for white jug wine that was made from the juice of any white grape, sometimes including Thompson Seedless grapes. Internationally, “American Chablis” is not recognized and its exportation in prohibited by law.
• Champagne – Wine from the Champagne region of France. The primary grapes in Champagne are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. This term is often misused for all sparkling wine, however because of the French naming system, only sparkling wine from the Champagne region may use this name. (Although a few American producers use this term, they are not allowed to distribute outside of the United States, and therefore, the more credible American producers use the term “sparkling wine.”) This term is also often misunderstood to mean sparkling wine of a higher quality, but again, the term is one of location, not quality. To help consumers, many US restaurants will label their sparkling wine lists as “champagne and sparkling wine” or simply “champagne” believing that Americans will assume that “champagne” indicates a better quality product.
• Chianti – Wine that comes from the Chianti region of Italy (in Tuscany), made mostly from Sangiovese grapes, although other regional varietals are allowed so long as they make up less than 15% of the total. The traditional Chianti bottle is short and round-ish, and enclosed in a straw basket called a fiasco.
• Corked – A wine flaw also known as “cork taint.” This is a dank smell coming from wine after opening. It is generally caused by the wine coming into contact with trichloroanisole (TCA), which is used to sterilize wine corks. The aroma can be described as that of moldy newspapers. Cork taint affects a very low percentage of wine, with estimates ranging from less than one percent to five percent. Well trained servers in most restaurants can identify cork taint immediately after opening, and will replace the bottle of wine. While cork taint will damage the smell of the wine and dull the taste of the wine, drinking corked wine is not harmful to humans.
• Crush – A term that generally refers to the harvest of wine grapes. It can also more specifically relate to the gentle breaking of the grape to release the juice.
• Cultivar – (see: variety)
• Dry – A term that refers to the lack of sweetness (residual sugar) in a wine. Still wines range from sweet to dry. Dryness is not a synonym for bitterness, and dry wines can be very flavorful and fruity.
• Enology – The science of making wine.
• Estate – A winery that owns all of its vineyards, and makes and bottles its own wine on the premises. Similar terms are Domaine and Chateau. A winery may buy grapes from other vineyards to produce wine, but the term “estate” cannot be used on the label for those wines. “Estate” is not necessarily an indicator of quality, although it is typically marketed as such. Grapes purchased from another vineyard, for example, may result in a better quality wine.
• Fermentation – The process that turns sugar in grape juice into alcohol. Wine is made from a fermentation process, although the exact steps in this process vary considerably depending on the type of wine (still vs. sparking, white vs. red, dry vs. sweet, etc.).
• Fortified Wine – Wine that has been blended with alcohol made from a distillation process, usually brandy, which is distilled from wine grapes. Fortified wines are usually sweet and include port, madeira, sherry, marsala and vermouth. Fortified wine can also refer to low-end products such as Thunderbird, Wild Irish Rose, Ripple and Cisco.
• Fruit Forward – Describes a wine with a noticeable fruity or “jammy” taste. Novice wine tasters often confuse a fruity taste with a “sweet” taste. Sweet refers to an actual sugar taste, while fruity wines can taste like currants, cantaloupes, raspberries, mangoes, etc. Riesling wines tend to have a strong fruit-forward component, as do Gamay wines. The Noble Wine Aroma Wheel can help wine tasters define the type of fruit they are tasting to help distinguish this from a “sweet” taste.
• Fruit Wine – To be called “wine” a product must be made from fermented grape juice. If the juice of other fruits is fermented in a process similar to wine, it must be labeled as “fruit wine.” While rare in the western United States, the Great Lakes region of the country produces several wines made from strawberries and blackberries. In Florida, one can find wine made from grapefruits, and in Hawaii, there is even a pineapple wine. Because of the higher sugar content of wine grapes, wines made from other fruits will have lower alcohol levels than wines made from grapes.
• Ice Wine – Wine made from grapes that have frozen on the vine before harvesting. The water in the berries freezes, but the sugars and other parts of the juice do not. This results in a very concentrated must that can produce very sweet wines. While not common in California, consumers will find ice wines made from wineries in south eastern Canada and the north eastern United States. (see also: Must)
• Legs – Streaks of liquid that cling to the glass when swirled. Contrary to popular belief, legs are not an indication of wine quality, but merely a reaction caused by the different evaporation speeds of alcohol and water. 
• Meritage – [pronounced to rhyme with “heritage”] This is the name used in California (and other parts of the United States) for Bordeaux blend wines. The term “Bordeaux” is limited to wines that come from the Bordeaux region of France. The wine is usually red, and the primary grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, although like Bordeaux blends, Malbec and Petit Verdot may be used. The term “meritage” is a combination of the words “merit” and “heritage” and one should be careful to pronounce it to rhyme with heritage (and not rhyme with garage or corsage).
• Must – Grape juice that has yet to be fermented.
• Napa Valley – The most famous wine region in North America. Napa County has fifteen separate AVAs (see: American Viticultural Area).
• Noble Grape – The noble grapes are the grapes that have consistently produced the world’s highest quality wine. Traditionally, these six Varietals include three reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir), and three whites (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling). While somewhat outdated (all of these grapes are common in France, and therefore exclude other popular varietals such as Zinfandel, Sangiovese, Syrah/Shiraz, Nebbiolo or Tempranillo), it still does most wine novices well to start their wine journeys by becoming familiar with these six varieties.
• Noble Wine Aroma Wheel – Invented by Ann Noble of the University of California, Davis, the Wine Aroma Wheel breaks down the aromas (and resulting tastes) in wine and gives specific terms for these scents. Fruity, for example, is sub-divided into citrus, berry, (tree) fruit, etc.  (Tree) fruit is then divided into cherry, peach, apricot and apple. By using this process, it is possible to describe a wine’s aroma very specifically.  
• NV – Common abbreviation for “non vintage” wines. Sparkling wines are typically non-vintage as are some of the fortified wines such as sherry. Still table wines may also be non-vintage. (see also: Vintage)
• Oak – Oak barrels are used at various steps along the wine making process, including fermenting, aging and storing. Wineries typically use one of three types of oak, French Oak, American Oak or European Oak. Each type of oak has its own characteristics (and price range), and these factors will help a wine maker decide what type of oak, if any, to use. Oak is not always considered desirable in a wine, and some wines have been criticized for being “over-oaked” if the flavor of the wood is too strong.
• Oenology – ( See: Enology)
• Port – A Portuguese fortified wine that is made by blending wine with brandy. The adding of the alcohol during the fermentation process kills the yeast and leaves a greater portion of sugar in the wine, thus making it sweeter (although ports can be made dry as well). Port can be made from any wine, but traditional port grapes are the Portuguese Varietals of Francesa, Roriz (called Tempranillo in Spain) and Barroca. Tawny ports are aged extensively in oak barrels before bottling.
• Red Wine – Red wine is wine that is made from red, purple or black grapes in which the juice has remained in contact with the skin of the grape for an extended period. The juice from almost all Vitis Vinifera grapes is clear and the color comes from the skin. If the skin is removed immediately, white wine can be made from red grapes (champagne, for example, is made from Pinot Noir; and Zinfandel, while red, can produce a deep red wine, a rosé, or a white wine). The skins also contain much of the flavor and the tannins, which not only gives red wines an ability to age longer than white wines, but often an increased complexity. (see also: Tannins and Vitis Vinifera).
• Rhône – A wine region in southeastern France, and also the name of a wine that comes from that region (regardless of the Varietals used). The primary river is the Rhône. The leading Rhône variety is Syrah (called Shiraz in Australia), but Rhône wines are also made from Grenache and Mourvèdre. White Rhône wines are made primarily from Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne.
• Rioja – A wine region in northern Spain. The primary grape is Tempranillo. In recent years, this region has also become known for its famous architecture, with wineries and hotels designed by the worlds leading architects, including, Santiago Calatrava, Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid.
• Rosé – Rosé and blush wines are made typically like white wine, but the skins remain in contact with the juice for a short period of time (usually between ten and thirty hours) before removal. Any red grape variety can be used to make a rosé wine. In the United States, rosé and blush wines have received a negative stereotype due to their sweet, simple flavors, but recently, many wineries have started to produce rosé wines that are dry in character.
• Sangria – A Spanish wine punch that includes inexpensive, fruit-forward red wine, chopped fruit, sugar or syrup, carbonated soda and some spirit such as brandy.
• Sherry – A fortified wine of Spanish origin. Brandy is typically added to wine that has finished fermentation (unlike ports, where the brandy is added to stop fermentation). Because the brandy is added after fermentation is complete, sherries are initially dry, but sugar is usually added to make them sweet. (see also: Port)
• Sommelier - A formally trained wine expert that specializes in wine and food pairing. A sommelier should not be confused with the term, Master Sommelier. This exceptional title is one that fewer than two hundred people have attained world wide.
• Sparkling Wine – The term used for wine that has bubbles (carbonation). Contrary to popular belief, sparkling wine is not an inferior product to champagne, and champagne is, in fact, sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France. Sparkling wines produced outside of Champagne must call themselves sparkling wine, or another appropriate regional name such as cava (Spanish) or spumante (Italian). There are three general processes for making sparkling wine, the méthod Champenoise (Champagne method, traditional method), the metodo Italiano (Charmat method), and the low-end gas injection method (not allowed in Europe).
• Still Wine – Wine that is not sparkling. Most wines are still wines.
• Sulfites – Sulfur dioxide (sulfites) is used in many foods and wine as a preservative. It is also produced naturally by the body. It should be noted that all wine contains sulfites as it is a natural product of yeast fermentation. The United States requires sulfur dioxide warning labels, but sulfites are also found in wines from all countries, even if those countries do not require the warning label. The sulfites in wine are not a problem for most people, although a small percentage of the population lacks the enzyme necessary to digest additional sulfites. Contrary to popular belief, there has been no scientific or medical evidence to suggest that sulfites cause headaches.  
• Sweet – The opposite end of the wine spectrum from “dry.” Sweet wines have residual sugar. This occurs usually because the wine maker chose to stop the fermentation of sugar into alcohol, therefore leaving the wine sweeter.
• Tannin – A plant polyphenol. Tannins are found most commonly in red wine as they are not in the juice of the grape, but in the skin and stems. Most wine drinkers perceive tannins to be bitter, although tannins themselves are actually tasteless. When drinking wine, tannins feel almost like a mild static sensation on the back of the tongue. This gives the wine a tactile sensation in the mouth. A strongly tannic character can be undesirable in a wine, but over time, tannins will soften. Because of their complex structure, tannins are beneficial in wines that are intended to age for long periods. Grapes such as Petite Sirah are very high in tannins, and for that reason, Petite Sirah is often blended with other grapes to give the wine structure and to help it age. 
• Terroir – A French wine term that has no direct English equivalent. Terroir is essentially the wine geography of a very specific location. It includes soil drainage, the ability of the land to retain heat, climate (macro, meso and micro climates), altitude, land slope, rainfall, wind direction and speeds, and other plants in the region. This is the reason the French traditionally name wine for the region – the terroir, as it is the French belief that the grape is of the region. (Americans, in contrast, believe that the character of the grape lies in the varietal and that regardless of where you plant it, the grape variety will maintain those characteristics).
• Urban Winery – A location in an urban setting where wine is actually made. Urban wineries lack vineyards, but can purchase grapes or must and create wine. A new phenomenon, most of the urban wineries in the United States can be found on the west coast in San Francisco, Oakland, Seattle, Portland and Sacramento. An urban winery may or may not have a tasting room and should not be confused with a wine bar.
• Varietal/Variety – An extremely complex term with many uses in the wine world. (1) Wine varieties are actually cultivars. A variety of a species occurs naturally in nature, a cultivar (cultivated variety) is one that is man-made and controlled. The wine grapes humans use have been developed by man and are all propagated by clippings, not by flower fertilization. (2) Varietal is a Californization of variety, and consequently, the term varietal is used in many New World wine regions, while variety is used in many Old World wine regions. In this case, the two words have become synonyms for each other (although technically, varietal is an adjective of the noun, variety, meaning it is the description of the variety, but again, common use has made varietal a noun itself).  (3) Varietal can be used to describe a wine named for a grape variety. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Tempranillo, Cabernet Franc – all are varietal wines as opposed to blended wines. The rules for using a varietal name vary, but in the United States, a wine must contain at least 75% of the named varietal. In California, it is at least 85%, and in Oregon, at least 95%. In general, Americans lean towards varietal wines while Europeans lean towards blended wines – but this is a very general rule.
• Vermouth – A fortified wine made from white wine and brandy, which is then aromatized with herbs. It is commonly used in the American and British version of the martini, although in many parts of the world, vermouth is a drink all its own.
• Vintage – The year used on a wine label. This is the year that the grapes were grown and harvested. Because the wine making process (including aging) can take a few to several years, the “new” vintage will typically be two to three years before the current year. (For example, many wineries in 2010 are releasing their 2007s or 2008s.) In the United States, in order to claim a vintage, at least 85% of the grapes must have been harvested during the claimed year. In some AVAs, this can go as high as 95% or 100%. (The popular use of the word “vintage” to mean “old” does not necessarily apply to wine.) (see also: NV)
• Viticulture – The growing of (wine) grapes or the study of growing grapes. (see also: Enology)
• Vitis Labrusca – The primary North American grape species. Wines made from Vitis Labrusca can be found in the Midwest, Northeast and Southeast. Wines made from these grapes have a very distinguishable “foxy” characteristic, which is used to describe a taste and aroma similar to grape jelly. It is not a favorable wine term, and can be considered a wine flaw. Vitis Labrusca grapes can also be used as table grapes, and common varieties include Concord, Delaware, Niagara, Catawba and Noah. A popular non-alcoholic, sparkling beverage is made from Catawba grapes, and Concord grapes are often used in jellies and jams. Vitis Labrusca can also be made into hybrid varieties with Vitis Vinifera. Common Labrusca/Vinifera hybrids are Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc, Baco Noir, Chambourcin, Chancellor, Chardonel, Frontenac, Regent and Vignoles. Because Vitis Labrusca is better suited to colder winters and summer humidity, many regions of the country still use this grape species for making wine. (see also: Vitis Vinifera)
• Vitis Vinifera – The wine grape species from the Middle East, North Africa and Southern Europe. Vinifera does well in dry climates without extreme winters or summer heat. All of the noble grapes are Varietals of Vitis Vinifera, as are many other popular wine grapes such as Petite Sirah, Syrah, Tempranillo, Zinfandel/Primativo, Barbera, Sangiovese, Albariño, Pinot Grigio and Gewürztraminer. Because of its Mediterranean climate, California excels in the making of wine form Vitis Vinifera.
• White Wine – Wine made from the juice of both white and red grapes. White wine has the skins separated from the grapes before pressing, producing clear liquid that is low in tannins. White wines are usually higher in acidity than red wines, and white wines typically do not age as well as red wine. (see also: Red Wine and Rosé)
•  Wine Aroma Wheel – (See: Noble Wine Aroma Wheel)

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