- Ice wine
- 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. Canada and Germany are most famous for this wine. In Germany it is called ‘Eiswein‘. Discover more about Icewine here.
- Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT)
- Italian quality classification meaning “wine typical of a region.” Indicazione Geografica Tipica is one level above the base category, Vino da Tavola. It can also be used by Super Tuscans.
- Integrated
- Describes when the individual components of wine, such as tannin, oak and acidity merge or knit together (usually as a wine develops).
- Intensity
- A term used to describe the concentration of colour, aroma and flavour in a wine. The more pronounced or evident a characteristic, the more intense the wine and the more this adds to the character of the wine. Intensely concentrated, and well balanced, wines are alive, vibrant, aromatic, layered, and texturally compelling.
- Irrigation
- Supplying the grape vines with water. The practice is banned in some regions, yet is indispensable to establishing and maintaining vineyards in arid regions, especially where soils retain little moisture.
- Isinglass
- A protein derived from the bladders of sturgeon and other fish and used in the fining process. The protein binds with excess tannins, pulling them from overly harsh wines.