- Sagrantino (‘sah-gran-teeno’)
- A red wine grape variety from Central Italy, which produces powerful, full-bodied wines showing spicy fruit aromas and flavours. The most famous expression of this variety is Sagrantino di Montefalco, named after the town of Montefalco in Umbria. The variety is starting to gain a following in Australia as an alternative Italian red to Sangiovese.
- Saignée (‘sen-yay’)
- A French term meaning literally “to bleed” and refers to the process of bleeding or removing juice from a tank of red must that is just beginning fermentation. This process can be employed to either produce a rosé wine from the lightly-coloured juice that is bled out of the tank or produce a richer and more concentrated red wine from the remaining must in the tank (due to the higher proportion of grape skins to juice).
- Saint-Emilion (‘san-tay-meel-yon’)
- The oldest wine region in Bordeaux, situated on the right bank of the Dordogne (upriver from Pomerol) and famous for its generous red wines based on Merlot, or sometimes Cabernet Franc.
- Salmanazar
- A crazily, big bottle holding 9 litres of wine, or the equivalent of 12 standard, 750ml wine bottles (a whole carton!).
- Sancerre (‘sahn-sair’)
- A village in the Loire region, in France, renown for dry, tart, acidic white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc and a classic match with oysters or soft, sharp goat’s cheese.
- Sangiovese (‘san-joh-vay-zee’)
- The most widely planted red wine grape variety in Italy and originating in Tuscany.
Sangiovese is the primary ingredient Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montipulciano (not to be confused with Montepulciano d’Abruzzo), Morellino di Scansano and in Tuscany’s famed Chianti wines (as well as many of the ‘Super Tuscans‘). The grape has also been grown successfully in Australia as it ripens slowly and has a thin skin allowing it to thrive in warm, dry climates. Sangiovese’s signature aromas and flavours include dark sour cherries, raspberries, clove, thyme, anise and a dusty, rustic savouriness. The wine is generally medium-bodied, with a grainy texture, pronounced acidity and a pleasant bitter-tinged finish. Sangiovese is a terrific food wine and pairs well with most Italian dishes.
- Saperavi (‘sa-per-AV-ee’)
- A red wine grape variety, which is native to Georgia in the former Soviet Union. Saperavi produces deeply coloured wines with high levels of acidity, which can age extremely well in bottle.
The variety is also capable of surviving extremely cold winters and, consequently, has attracted the attention of producers in high altitude locations and cold inland regions.
Saperavi is planted in small amounts in Australia and a few wineries are starting to produce some exciting wines from the variety.
- Sauternes (‘soh-tern’)
- A region in the Graves district of southern Bordeaux, France as well as the namesake of the dessert wine made there. Sauternes wine is made by blending Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle grapes, which all have concentrated sweetness due to the affect of botrytis cinerea. The result is a wine that is a smooth and unctuous with rich flavours of apricot, peach, pineapple and vanilla. Sauternes is a classic match with foie gras.
- Sauvignon Blanc (‘soh-vin-yohn blonk’)
- A white wine grape variety from the Loire Valley in France, which makes one of the most consumed white wines around the world. Sauvignon Blanc is renown for its zesty acidity and fresh aromas and flavours, which include freshly cut grass, passionfruit, lemongrass, gooseberry, green capsicum/pepper, asparagus, banana and herbal notes. In the Loire Valley, Sauvignon Blanc is used to make the wines, Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre, named after their respective villages. It is the leading white wine of New Zealand, where it is used to produce a popular style of dry wine, which is made to drink young when it is crisp and fresh with mouth-watering acidity. In the Graves district of Bordeaux, Sauvignon Blanc is blended with Semillon to add richness and complexity to their dry white wines. This blend is also used to create the legendary dessert wine Château d’Yquem in the Sauternes region. Australia is generally too warm to maintain Sauvignon Blanc’s vibrant acidity, however notable single varietal examples are produced in Tasmania and the Adelaide Hills and the Magaret River is home to well-regarded Sauvignon Blanc-Semillon blends. Discover more about Sauvignon Blanc here.
- Savagnin (‘sah-van-yahn’)
- A white wine grape variety from the Jura region, in eastern France, where it is used to produce the unique, sherry-like Vin Jaune ("yellow wine"). Until very recently Savagnin was not known to be used commercially in Australia (or, indeed, outside of France). However, DNA testing in Aussie vineyards 2008 revealed that grapes believed to be the Spanish variety, Albariño, were in fact Savagnin. The wines are still being produced (and are excellent), however they must now be marketed under the new (and correct) name, Savagnin. Discover more about Savagnin here.
- Schonburger (‘sh-ron-burger’)
- A red wine grape variety from Germany, which is more commonly grown in England. The wines have a floral muscat bouquet. There are small plantings in Australia, particularly Tasmania where it is sometimes blended with Riesling and also used to create a late harvest wine.
- Sec
- The French term for dry, except in the case of Champagne, where it means semi-sweet.
- Secondary Fermentation
- The process that creates the bubbles in sparkling wine. A small amount of yeast and sugar is added to the bottle containing the base wine before the bottle is sealed. The yeasts start fermenting the sugars, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide. Since the carbon dioxide gas cannot escape, it dissolves into the wine, creating the bubbles. The process is also called "tirage". Discover more about sparkling wines here.
- Sediment
- The small particles in wine from the grape skins, seeds, and other grape particles. As red wines age, colour pigments and tannins bond together and fall out of the wine, producing a natural sediment, which usually falls to the bottom of the bottle. Sediment is most frequently found in older, darker red wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon. While the sediment is not harmful, it tastes bitter and adversely affects the wine’s mouthfeel and is usually removed from the wine through the process of decanting.
- Sekt
- The German term for sparkling wine, which is mostly produced using the Charmat or tank method. Deutscher Sekt is made solely from German-based wine.
- Semillon (‘seh-me-yohn’)
- A white wine grape variety originating in Bordeaux (France), where it is often blended with Sauvignon Blanc to produce the fine dry whites of Pessac-Leognan in the Graves region.
This blend is also used to produce the illustrious dessert wines of Sauternes and Barsac (both also in Bordeaux), where Semillon’s susceptibility to noble rot concentrates the fruit sugars and acids in the grapes to produce a luscious sweet wine, of which Chateau d’Yquem is the most notable. On its own, Semillon is responsible for some of Australia’s most iconic dry white wines, in particular those from the Hunter Valley. Semillon varies in character considerably according to its region of origin. However, it typically has a rich, voluptuous, waxy texture and low acidity, which is why it’s often blended with the zippy Sauvignon Blanc. Signature flavours and aromas include lemon, lime, fig, asparagus, grass and tinned sweet corn. Oak ageing adds notes of lanolin, toast, honey and marmalade. Discover more about Semillon here. - Sherry
- A fortified wine made (mostly) from white Palomino grapes in the Jerez region, in southern Spain. The base wine is fortified with brandy spirit after fermentation is complete; resulting in wines which are initially dry, with any sweetness being added later. Sherries are also subjected to controlled oxidation, to produce a distinctive flavour, and are produced in many different styles. Fino is the driest style; fresh and light and a great apéritif or match with tapas. Manzanilla is similar to Fino, but slightly more tangy. Amontillado is a little richer and nuttier (medium-dry). Oloroso is darker and richer again with complex nutty flavours, and Pedro Ximenez (PX) is the sweetest and richest style with raisiny flavours. Amoroso and Cream style Sherry is Oloroso sweetened with added PX and sweet grape juice, respectively. The word “sherry” is an anglicization of Jerez.
- Shiraz (‘sher-as’)
- An alternative name for Syrah, a red wine grape variety originating in the Rhône region, in France. The variety produces wines that are rich and robust with a smooth texture and aromas and flavours of purple fruit, raspberries, pepper, spice, clove, licorice, chocolate,vanilla, truffle and earth. Shiraz is solely responsible for the legendary wines of the Rhône Valley’s Côte Rotie and Hermitage and are also an integral part of other Rhône wines, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape (which often includes Grenache, Mouvèdre and up to nine other grapes). Shiraz is the flagship red wine grape of Australia where it is responsible for the iconic Penfold’s Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace wines and is also often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Australia’s Barossa Valley is particularly famous for its big and robust, yet complex Shiraz; the greatest of which can age for 25 years or more. The variety is also grown extensively in South Africa and California. Discover more about Shiraz here.
- Skin Contact
- The process of grape skins steeping in juice or fermenting must in order to impart colour and flavour to the wine.
- Soave (‘So-ah-vay’)
- A dry white wine from the Veneto region in north east Italy, made primarily from the Garganega grape variety, however varying amounts of Pinot Bianco, Trebbiano and Chardonnay are also permitted to be included in the blend.
- Solera
- A system for ageing sherry, consisting of a series of barrels (known as butts), arranged next to and top of each other. In its simplest terms, once wine is drawn out of one of the older barrels for bottling, this barrel is then topped-up with younger wine from another barrel. Therefore, if a solera was set up 100 years ago, the wine that is bottled today would technically contain some wine that was 100 years old.
- Sommelier
- The server responsible for wine in a restaurant. Often this is also a manager who sources the wine, organises the wine list, maintains the cellar and recommends wines to customers.
- Sparkling Wine
- A wine containing significant levels of carbon dioxide to produce bubbles or ‘fizziness’ in the wine. The carbon dioxide may result from natural fermentation, either in the bottle (as with the méthode champenoise) or in a large tank (as in the charmat process); or as a result of carbon dioxide injection. The sparkling wine, Champagne is named after the northern region of France where it’s produced. Other regions of France, as well as other countries, make sparkling wine, but only those from Champagne may be called Champagne. Bubbly wines made in Burgundy, France, are called Crémants de Bourgogne while those from Alsace are Crémant d’Alsace. Spain makes a sparkling wine called, Cava (“cave”), Italy makes either Prosecco (lightly sparkling) or Spumante (fully sparkling and sweet), Germany makes Sekt or Deutscher and Australia (and elsewhere) make fizzies which are simply called, sparkling wine.
- Spätlese (‘SHPAT-lay-zuh’)
- A German wine classification based on quality and the ripeness level and sugar content of the grapes at harvest. Spätlesen are usually richer than kabinett wines because the grapes contain a higher concentration of sugar at harvest (but not as high as auslesen).
- Spumante
- An Italian term for sparkling wine.
- Stelvin cap
- A metal screw-cap developed by the Alcan Packaging company to replace wine corks and to reduce the occurrence of cork tainting. It also incorporates a small ventilation system to allow tiny amounts of air into the wine bottle to aid wine maturation.
- Structure
- A term used to describe the mouthfeel of a wine. Structure is provided by acidity, tannin, alcohol, sugar and the way these components are integrated and balanced. Wines with low or unbalanced levels of these components are often described as “lacking in structure” or “flabby“. However, when these elements are balanced with each other, the wine has good structure and will likely age well.
- Style
- A term used to describe the character, not the quality, of a wine. The style of a wine is largely determined by the winemaker or the winery and is a matter of personal preference for the winemaker as well as the consumer. Common styles may range from fresh and fruity to big and oaky.
- Sulfites
- Compounds (typically potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite) used throughout the winemaking world to clean equipment, kill unwanted organisms on the grapes and protect wines from spoilage and oxidation. A tiny amount remains in the bottle, and most country’s labelling laws require a statement to announce the presence of sulfites in wine. Sulfites also occur naturally during the fermentation process.
- Super Tuscan
- A premium wine produced in Tuscany by blending the local Sangiovese variety with varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These wines are not permitted the D.O.C. quality designation, however, they can command prices much higher than the traditional wines from Tuscany (such as Chianti). The most famous, Sassacia, was actually granted its own D.O.C. status.
- Sur Lie
- A French term meaning, "on the lees" and refers to a wine that was aged on the lees. Wines aged sur lie are kept in contact with the lees, or dead yeast cells, and are not racked or otherwise filtered. It is used to add richness and complexity to a white wine. The concept originated in Burgundy, with Chardonnay, but is now popular around the world with numerous white grape varieties. It is a normal part of fermenting red wine.
- Sylvaner (‘sihl-vah-ner’)
- A white wine grape variety from Germany (where it is spelled, Silvaner), which is planted widely throughout that country as a blending grape. As a single varietal, it makes a light, fruity wine with sharp acidity and can also be used to make sweet style wines. It is also grown in France (Alsace), Italy, Switzerland and Australia, albeit in small quanities.
- Syrah (‘sih-rah’)
- A red wine grape variety originating in the Rhône region, in France. The variety produces wines that are rich and robust with a smooth texture and aromas and flavours of purple fruit, raspberries, pepper, spice, clove, licorice, chocolate,vanilla, truffle and earth. Syrah is solely responsible for the legendary wines of the Rhône Valley’s Côte Rotie and Hermitage and are also an integral part of other Rhône wines, including Châteauneuf-du-Pape (which often includes Grenache, Mouvèdre and up to nine other grapes). Syrah is the flagship red wine grape of Australia (where it’s called Shiraz) and is responsible for the iconic Penfold’s Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace wines and is also often blended with Cabernet Sauvignon. Australia’s Barossa Valley is particularly famous for its big and robust, yet complex Shiraz; the greatest of which can age for 25 years or more. The variety is also grown extensively in South Africa and California. Discover more about Syrah here.