- Earthy
- A term used to describe aromas or flavours resembling the earth (e.g. fresh soil or rock, "forest floor" etc). More often used to describe European red wines. Sometimes associated with brettanomyces, but can also result from oak ageing or the nature of specific grapes.
- Eiswein (‘ice-vine’)
- Wine made from grapes that have been allowed to freeze on the vine. The grapes are then picked and pressed so that the frozen water crystals are separated out, leaving grape pulps with a high sugar content. The frozen grapes retain their high, giving the resultant sweet wine a pleasing freshness. Eiswein is an official German classification; such wines from other regions (in particular, Ontario in Canada) are called “ice wine”. Discover more about Eiswein here.
- Elegant
- A term used to describe balanced, harmonious, refined wines; having complexity and finesse without being aggressive or heavy.
- En Primeur (‘on-prom-yur’)
- A winery’s first offer of a particular vintage, when the initial price is set, and offers buyers the opportunity to purchase wines before they are released. Also known as "futures" in the Australian and American market, en primeur sales typically refer to Bordeaux, but not exclusively.
- Extra Brut
- The driest Champagne or sparkling wine. The scale, from driest to sweetest, is: Extra Brut, Brut, Extra-Dry, Sec, Demi-Sec and Doux.
- Extra-Dry
- A term (not to be taken too literally) referring to a Champagne or sparkling wine with a small amount of residual sugar (slightly sweet). Not as dry as Brut.
- Extract
- Refers to the richness, depth, tannins and concentration of fruit flavours in a wine. Usually a positive quality, extract adds to a wine’s colour and body, yet highly extracted wine can also be very tannic. Extract may be increased by prolonging the wine’s contact with the grape skins during fermentation.
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