Glossary
Skin Contact
/SKIN KON-takt/
Leaving juice in contact with grape skins.
Full Definition
Skin contact describes leaving crushed grapes' juice touching the skins. For red wines, extended skin contact extracts color and tannin during maceration. For whites, brief skin contact (a few hours) can add texture and complexity. Extended skin contact on white grapes produces orange wine.
Related Terms
See Also
Reference
More terms starting with S
Saignee
Bleeding off juice from red wine tanks to make rose.
Sangiovese
Italy's most planted red grape, the base of Chianti.
Savory
Non-fruit flavors like herbs, earth, and umami.
Screwcap
Metal closure alternative to cork.
Secondary Aromas
Aromas from fermentation and winemaking.
Sediment
Solid particles that settle in wine over time.