Diacetyl

/dy-AS-uh-til/

🍷Winemaking 👃Tasting

Compound creating buttery, creamy aromas.

Full Definition

Diacetyl is a chemical compound produced during malolactic fermentation that creates buttery, butterscotch, or creamy aromas. Common in oaked Chardonnay. At low levels it adds richness; excessive amounts can seem artificial. Some winemakers encourage it, others minimize it through technique.

Related Terms

malolactic fermentation buttery creamy

See Also

Dessert Wine Back to Glossary Dirty

More terms starting with D

Decanting

Pouring wine into another vessel for aeration or sediment removal.

Delestage

Rack-and-return technique for gentle extraction.

Demi-Sec

Medium-sweet sparkling wine.

Density

In tasting, the concentration of a wine; in viticulture, vine spacing.

Depth

Layers of flavor that reveal themselves over time.

Disgorgement

Removing sediment from sparkling wine after secondary fermentation.