Early Harvest
Early Harvest wines are produced in the coolest years when grape ripeness doesn't achieve full maturity. The wines are low in alcohol, light and easy to drink despite having high natural acidity. The German equivalent is trocken or halbtroken.
Earthy
Earthy is a sensory evaluation term for beverages with a taste or smell reminiscent of soil, mushrooms or mustiness. Sometimes earthy aromas and flavors like soil or sugar beets are indicative of a fault cause by contaminated water or storage in damp areas.
East India Company
The East India Company was the late 18th-century company of traders known for exporting heavily-hopped beers to India which later became known as IPAs.
Ebulliometer
A ebulliometer is a laboratory apparatus used to determine the alcohol content of dry wine. It measures the precise boiling point of the wine; then, taking into consideration the atmospheric pressure at the time, the analyst determines the alcohol content from the relative boiling points of pure alcohol, water and the wine. The boiling point of any wine is always somewhere in between that of pure alcohol and pure water since wine itself always contains both.
Edelfaule
Edelfaule is the German word for "Noble Rot", or Botrytis cinerea.
Eden Valley
The Eden Valley is actually a sub-district of the Barossa, located in the southeastern quadrant and differentiated by being located in rolling hills up to 1,600 feet in elevation as opposed to the baking valley floor. The Eden is a cooler sub-region with vineyards situated high on exposed hillsides. The wines here tend to show a bit more elegance and finesse due to the longer growing season.
Indeed, like the Clare Valley to the north, parts of the Eden Valley are capable of producing concentrated, age-worthy, bone dry Rieslings, and this has become a bit of a specialty. The region also houses a number of historic and iconic Shiraz vineyards, the most prominent being Henschke's Hill of Grace.
Edna Valley
The Edna Valley AVA is sandwiched between the towns of San Luis Obispo and Pismo Beach in the southwest corner of San Luis Obispo County. Thanks to the brisk influence of winds that travel up the 10-mile long valley from the coast, the climate is much cooler than regions further inland.
Spanish Missionaries initiated Edna Valley’s history of vineyard development and wine production during the late 18th century. But it was not until the 1960s that the modern wine industry got off the ground. The Niven Family was instrumental in the renaissance of the wine region. They planted Paragon, which is now the estate property of Edna Valley Vineyard. In 1982, Edna Valley was made an official AVA, which was a huge step for Edna Valley Wineries.
To date, Edna Valley producers have had most success producing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Viognier, and Roussanne. Baileyana Winery and Domaine Alfred excel at vinifying Burgundian varietals while John Alban, of Alban Vineyards, is one of the original Rhone Rangers.
Edna Valley Wine is produced in a climate that is significantly influenced by the nearby Pacific Ocean. Mornings are often cool and foggy, followed by sunny and warm afternoons. Edna Valley Wineries are subject to an extremely long growing season and a moderate climate, allowing their grapes to develop distinctive varietal characteristics.
Edna Valley Vineyards are grown in uplifted, sedimentary terrain that used to be part of the ocean floor. There are a number of rolling hills in the valley that create different microclimates. Soils are made of chalk, loam, and clay. The subsoil is made of calcareous materials deposited by ancient sea-life that resembles the subsoil of Burgundy’s many famous vineyards and provides excellent drainage.
Eger
Eger is a wine region in Hungary, about 100 miles east of Budapest. There are 10,000 acres planted in the Eger region; this is land of long, cold winters, although there is little precipitation.
Eger is best known for the red wine Egri Bikavér, known informally as "bulls' blood", a hearty, medium-bodied, tangy blend of several local varieties including Kadarka and Kekfrankos. There is a wide variation of styles, from mass-produced to more age worthy; the examples that offer greater structure and richness also include Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The best wines are aged for more than a year in wooden casks and deliver impressive richness, with flavors of black fruit and spice, with medium-weight tannins. Best served with stews (Hungarian goulash) and game, this is a value-priced red that has been a staple on retail shelves for years.
There are some notable white wines produced here as well, with Italian Riesling and Traminer being the principal varieties.
Egg White
Egg whites, or the albumin obtained by discarding the yolks from eggs, is used in fining red wines during or after barrel aging to remove excessive (and usually bitter) tannin.
Eiswein
Eiswein is a highly limited German wine made from grapes that are frozen; they are usually harvest after the first frost. This is often after Christmas and can even take place after the first of the year.
An eiswein is quite lush and sweet with tremendous complexity and aging potential; fifty years is not out of the question. Because wines such as this can only be made in extreme years and because it is such a time-consuming and difficult wine to make (fermentation take many weeks to finish), it is a very expensive wine; it is not unusual to find an Eiswein priced at $100 or $150 per half-bottle.
Eiswein can be produced from a variety of grapes, from Riesling to Chardonnay. While Eiswein is most famously produced in Germany, it is also produced in Austria and the name can be used for similar wines in Canada.
El Diablo
El Diablo is a popular and simple tequila cocktail that is a favorite for many. The sweetness of the cassis takes some of the bite out of the ginger beer and both fair well with the vegetal spiciness of the tequila. This is also a fun drink to experiment with. An example would be to use half the cassis in the shaker, build the drink, then drizzle the remaining cassis into the drink over the back of twists of a bar spoon. You get a purple haze that slowly dissolves and looks neat.
El Dorado
The El Dorado AVA is comprised of rugged, mountainous terroir. The thin, austere soils of the region are ideal for Zinfandel. While best known for Zinfandel, El Dorado wineries excel at producing several other grapes as well.
During growing season, the climate of El Dorado is generally sunny with warm days and cool nights. Like most wine growing regions in the Sierra Foothills, the terrain of El Dorado is composed of very unfertile soil that is suited for high quality grape growing. El Dorado Wineries grow their vines in decomposed granite soil on elevated mountain slopes. Local wines are quite robust and have strong personalities. Flavor concentration is rarely an issue here, but balance can be.
The history of wine production in El Dorado Wine Country dates to the mid 19th century. In 1848, gold was discovered near one of John Sutter’s sawmills. This caused an enormous influx of young single men to arrive in the region. After a long day searching for gold, they wanted something to drink. A number of El Dorado Wineries were established to cater to this market.
El Dorado
Bittering & Aroma hop with tropical flavors of mango & pineapple and aromas of watermelon, pear, and candied stone fruit used in IPAs, APAs, DIPAs, and American Wheat beers. Similar to Simcoe and Galena. Commercial examples of El Dorado include: Firestone Walker Helldorado, Stone Go To IPA.
El Dorado County
El Dorado County, once the site of the Gold Rush, back in the 1840s, is now the home of 50 wineries; it is an AVA that was approved in 1983. Situated in northeast central California, this AVA is defined by its vineyards in the sky, so to speak, as plantings are situated between 1200 and 3500 feet. There are slightly ore than 2000 acres of vines, divided among more than varieties, with leading examples being Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Barbera and Chardonnay; there are even a few plantings of Gewurztraminer, Roussanne, Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo. The El Dorado County AVA is part of the larger Sierra Hills AVA, which includes land in eight California counties.
El Presidente
From the 1924 Manual del Cantinero, a recipe handbook for cuban bartenders. The El Presidente was named not for President Machado, as some would have it, but for one of his predecessors, Mario Garcia Menocal (who also cozied up to U.S. business interests during his 1913-1921 presidency). This American-style cocktail falls outside of the Caribbean Trinity of rum, lime, and sugar, but it was invented in Cuba. Cocktail historian Eric Felten traces its likely origin to the Vista Alegre Club in Santiago; the drink became very popular with Yanqui tourists, who made it a standard call in the U.S. after Repeal.
Elqui Valley
The Elqui Valley is the northernmost wine valley of Chile, located at the southern tip of the Atacama desert, some 250 miles north of Santiago. This is an area with little rainfall, so irrigation is necessary, it is also quite arid. Necessarily, vineyards in the Elqui Valley must be sited at very high elevations; some of them are more than 6000 feet above sea level. Naturally at these heights, temperatures are just fine for successful viticulture. 700 acres of vines are planted here; leading varieties include Syrah, Carmenere, Sauvignon Blanc and even a bit of Pedro Ximenez.
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna is a wine growing region of north central Italy, south of the Po River and well north of Tuscany. The wines produced are evenly red and white. The main grape varieties are sangiovese, lambrusco, malvasia, trebbiano, and barbera. Sparkling wines make up a large portion of production, the frizzante red lambrusco being the most famous. Lambrusco is commonly made into a sweet wine but its pairing possibilities are not limited by its sugar content. The wine is just as beautiful with hard cheeses and pizza as it is with almond cookies. Other regional specialties to seek out are the prestigious Pignoletto, and the first white wines to receive DOCG status, Albana di Romagna.
Endosperm
Endosperm is a tissue inside barley grains that provides most of the starches and sugars for fermentation.
English Hops
English hops are hops grown in England, primarily used for English-style ales and associated with earthy or stone fruit flavors/aromas (e.g., Golding, Fuggless, etc.)
Enology
Enology is the science and technical study of wine.
Entre-Deux-Mers
Entre-Deux-Mers, as the name suggests, refers to the wine-growing regions located between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers in Bordeaux. Geographically, this is the largest sub-region of Bordeaux, but much of the area is forested and only 3,700 acres is under vine, that being split between 250-odd producers.
Only white wines are entitled to use the Entre-Deux-Mers name on the label with reds being sold as straight Bordeaux Rouge or Bordeaux Superieur. The blend is typically dominated by Sauvignon Blanc.
Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc
Entre-Deux-Mers, as the name suggests, refers to the wine-growing regions located between the Garonne and Dordogne rivers in Bordeaux. Geographically, this is the largest sub-region of Bordeaux, but much of the area is forested and only 3,700 acres is under vine, that being split between 250-odd producers.
Only white wines are entitled to use the Entre-Deux-Mers name on the label with reds being sold as straight Bordeaux Rouge or Bordeaux Superieur. The blend is typically dominated by Sauvignon Blanc.
Enzymes
Enzymes are proteins occurring in all plant and animal tissue which act as organic catalysts to control the reactions which take place during metabolism. The reason yeast produces alcohol from sugars in base materials for beverages, turning it into wine, beer, or spirit, is that yeast produces enzymes which catalyze and control the reactions involved. Whether or not a given enzyme occurs in a given organism is determined by that organism's genetic makeup.
Eola-Amity Hills
The Eola-Amity Hills AVA is located in the Willamette Valley, Oregon, just west of the city of Salem. This is a very cool climate, as winds blow in from the Van Duzer corridor, keeping conditions cool even in the middle of summer. Vines are planted from 400 to 850 feet; soils are a mix of shallow sedimentary, basalt and volcanic. Pinot Noir is the overwhelming variety planted here, while there is also a bit of Riesling and Pinot Gris. A typical Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir has very good natural acidity, a distinct herbal streak, flavors of wild and dark cherry and rhubarb, often with a subtle medicinal note. The finest are most definitely terroir-driven and have the stuffing and structure to age for a decade or more.
Epernay
Epernay is the town, generally considered to be at the center of the Champagne region of northeastern France. The city of Reims is much larger, but Epernay is located more centrally to the vineyards. Epernay is located on the Marne river in an area that is also famous for major World War I battles.
Escondido Valley
This viticultural area is located in Pecos County Texas and covers approximately 32,000 acres along Interstate highway 10. The landscape of this AVA is dominated by higher elevations in the south and considerably lower elevation in the north and northeast. The topography of the Escondido Valley AVA is unique, as the valley floor is about 2,700 feet above sea level.
The area has approximately 250 acres of vineyards. Soils in this region can be described as calcerous, very deep, well-drained and moderately permeable. They are loamy, with a terrain ranging from nearly level to gently sloping. The climate here is quite warm during the long growing season, although there are seldom extremes of temperature. Due to its elevation, it is also very dry, making irrigation paramount for successful viticulture.
Espalier
Espalier is a method of training small fruit trees and grapevines in which the vine or tree is "flattened" by tying all the shoots and branches outwards from opposite sides of the trunk. Most of the common methods of vine trellising in use today are variations of the espalier.
Espresso Martini
This Espresso Martini is just one of many coffee-flavored Martini recipes being made today. We like this one because it uses chilled espresso that gives it a caffeinated kick which you just can't duplicate with coffee liqueurs alone. If you want to step it up another notch, use an espresso-flavored vodka. This is a fantastic before or after dinner drink, happy hour cocktail, or, really, anytime you desire a great coffee-flavored cocktail.
1 oz. Fresh Espresso
1.5 oz. Vodka
1.5 oz. Coffee Liqueur
Pour ingredients into shaker filled with ice.
Shake vigorously, and strain into chilled martini glass.
It should be somewhat frothy.
Espumoso
Espumoso is a Spanish term meaning "sparkling" wine. Like most European countries, Spain recognzes France's right to exclusive use of the term "Champagne" for sparkling wines produced only inside the champagne region of northeastern France. Thus, Spain uses "Espumoso" for its sparkling wines.
Est! Est! Est!
Est! Est! Est! is the most famous white wine of Montefiascone, Italy. It got its name from the story of a German Bishop who sent his servant ahead to taste the wines along his route of travel, leaving messages on the walls of inns and taverns to tell his master whether he should drink the wine or avoid it. "Est" (it is) meant the wine was good, while "Non est" (it isn't) told the Bishop to move on. It is clear that the servant saw considerable virtue in the wines of Montefiascone, as indicated by his "Est! Est! Est!!! scrawled on the wall.
Today's Est! Est! Est! is based on Trebbiana and Mavasia bianca. They are typically dry but can be made in a sweeter style. The wines are mildly aromatic and are classically paired with fritto misto or deep-fried artichokes.
Estate Bottled
Estate Bottled is a quality-implying label phrase meaning that the wine was produced and bottled at the winery from grapes owned (and farmed) by the winery owners. The term has lost its importance in the U.S. because of many relaxations of the original, rigid BATF rules.
Estate-Bottled
Estate-bottled is a wine label term which classically means that the grapes for the wine in the bottle were grown on the property of those that bottled the wine (and raised, tended, and picked the grapes, as well).
Esters
Esters are a chemically-specific class of aromatic flavor compounds which give wines, spirits, beers, meads and sakes much of their flavors.
Ethanol
Ethanol is the type of alcohol produced by yeast fermentation of sugar under ordinary conditions. The primary alcohol in alcoholic beverages is always ethanol.
Ethyl Acetate
Ethyl acetate has the unmistakable and objectionable aroma of nail polish remover. In beer the culprit of this flaw is usually wort composition and yeast growth. In wine it's sometimes due to wounded grapes prematurely and volitiley fermenting and that alcohol converting to acetic acid.
Etna Bianco
Etna Bianco refers to white wines of the Etna DOC zone in northeastern Sicily; the appellation is named for Mount Etna, the famed volcano. The dominant white variety used in these wines is Carricante, which loosely translated means "consistent." Other white varieties include Riesling and the indigenous variety Minella.
Soils are volcanic in nature, while the weather fluctuates from hot to cold (winters can be particularly harsh), while rainfall total are high. Most of the white wines are meant for short term consumption, but a few producers do make age worthy examples, some of which are fermented and/or aged in oak.
Etna Rosso
The Etna wine district, located in northeastern Sicily,is of course, named for Mount Etna, the famous volcano that dominates this area. As you might imagine, the soils here are volcanic, giving the wines a vibrant minerality. Etna Rosso wines are made primarily with a local variety known as Nerello Mascalese, (80% minimum), while Nerello Cappuccio is the other major red variety (as much as 20% of an Etna Rosso).
While these wines have a rugged quality to them, there are a few dozen small producers in Etna that have specialized in crafting examples of Etna Rosso that are world class. The greatest compliment that these wines have received is that they are Burgundian in style; indeed Etna has been called "the Burgundy of Italy." The top wines, from small vineyards, some 800-1000 feet above Mount Etna, from vines that are often more than 100 years old, are multilayered and quite rich, yet offer a sensual elegance, with very fine tannins. These wines should be able to age for two decades or more; they are limited production offerings and retail in the $60-$75 price range and up.
Eugenol
Eugenol is often detected in beverages that have been aged in oak. Euginol imparts a spicy aroma of cloves or allspice. Especially in beer, if eugenol levels are noticeably high this is indicative of a flaw. In this case microbial contamination is most likely to blame.
Eureka!
Bittering & Finishing hop with intense bittering qualities. Robust flavors of tropical fruits, peach, and pine along with aromas of dank pine, grapefruit & tangerine rinds, mandarin orange, and "black currant"; used in IPAs, APAs, DIPAs, Saisons, and some German Ales. Also known as Experimental Pine Fruit. Similar to Simcoe and Summit. Commercial examples of Eureka! include: Port/LostAbbey Hop Concept Mosaic & Eureka IPA, Bear Republic Canyonero.
Excise Tax
An excise tax is an indirect tax placed on goods and service. Often these taxes are collected from the producer or retailer and not the consumer. The primary (alcohol) tax on beer, wine and spirits, is an excise tax.
Extra Dry
In Champagne this Extra-Dry usually means "extra sweet." In Sherry the term means that wine is dry.