The language of wine contains a wealth of meanings that are not all too familiar, particularly the technical interpretations. The glossary describes and offers an explanation to the most common terms.
- half bottle
-
bottle format size
A half bottle with a capacity of 0.375 litres, very popular for high quality sweet wines.
- harmony
Refers to the balanced taste, particularly when the alcohol, acidity and residual sugar are well balanced with each other.
- Harvest
-
picking the grapes
The harvest of the ripe grapes usually takes place in Austria during September and October. We differentiate between the grapes picked beginning of the vintage, the preliminary harvest, the main harvest, the late harvest as well as harvesting by hand or machine.
- harvest
-
picking, or collection of the (ripe) grapes
The harvest of the ripe grapes usually takes place in Austria during September and October. We differentiate between the grapes picked beginning of the vintage, the preliminary harvest, the main harvest, the late harvest as well as harvesting by hand or machine.
- hazy or cloudy wine
-
haze caused by the heat-unstable proteins
If the wine has a high concentration of heat-unstable proteins, or is stored in too warm an environment, protein particles fall out and the wine becomes hazy.
- heady
The description of a wine with a high, yet well integrated alcohol level, but is not sharp or brandy-like.
- health and wine
Health and wine is quite a controversial topic. In the Ancient world and during the Middle Ages, wine was a highly regarded medicine or healing potion, and event the latest studies confirm that if a healthy person consumes a moderate measure of wine, it can be benefitial to their health and well-being. The content matter responsible for these effects are resveratrol and the polyphenols (vitamin 'P'). Scientists agree that the regular consumption of red wine can reduce cardiovascular disease.
- heating the must
The wine-making operation of the gentle and gradual heating of the must to kick-off fermentation, and especially when some yeast strains only become active at a certain temperature.
- hectare
-
metric unit of measurement
Metric measurement, where 10,000 square metres equates to 100 Ar or "are". The suffice -are is applied to hect-are, i.e. hectare. There is no direct equivalent in imperial measurement.
- Heuriger/Buschenschank
The traditional German description for a Buschenschank or Heuriger wine tavern..
- high vine training system
-
type of vine trellis or training system
The high culture vine wire training system was developed by Lenz Moser in the 1930s, to facilitate the use of machinery in the vineyards.
- histamine
-
belongs to the biogenic amines
Belongs to the biogenic amines, and often responsible for sudden headaches. Histamines are found in a large number of foodstuffs, yet Austrian wine and Sekt are generally low in histamines.