Glossary of wine-terms used in the Rioja - PART I - FROM A TO C

Alambrado: A fine wire mesh used around bottles of "reserva" and "gran reserva" wines
Aparcería: A traditional system of land tenure
Arroba: A variable liquid meseaure. A weight of about 25 lb.
Arrope: A syrup made by evaporating down must.
Barrica: A wine cask of 225 litres capacity.
Basuqueador: A pole used for breaking yo the floatin "cap" in a fermentation vat.

BOCOY: A large barrel of variable capacity; in the Rioja it contains 530 litres.

Bodega: Literally, a wine cellar. Used to describe 1 A wine shop, 2 The establishment where wine is made and/or blended and matured, 3 A firm engaged in making, maturing and/or shipping wine.
Bomba: A pump.
Borracha: A wine skin.
Bota: A small leather wine bag.
Brazo: One of the main branches of a vine.
Calado: An underground wine-cellar.
Catado: A wine-taster.

Capataz:The cellar master of a bodega.
Cava: An establishment making sparkling wine. A term used to describe such wine made by the Champagne method.

CAVALTA: The operating of digging around the vines.

Cepa: A wine stock.
Clara de huevo: An egg-white.Claro: Clear.
Cola de pescado: Isinglass. A form of collagen used mainly for the clarification of wine

COMPORTÓN: A wooden tub of 80 to 120 kg capacity used for transportating the grapes to the bodega.

Coñac: Spanish brandy.
Consejo Regulador: The regional supervisory body controlling the making of wine conforming to the "Denominación de Origen".
Cooperativa: A co-operative winery.

CORQUETE: A curved knife used for harvesting the grapes.

Cosecha: Harvest, vintage.
Cosechero: Owner of a vineyard, often used of the small independent producers.
Crianza: The maturing of wine in oak.
Cuadrilla forastera: A group of grape-pickers.
Cuba: A fermentation vat.
Cuero: A wine skin.
Cunacho: A wicker container for picking grapes.
Cuva: A large barrel of 25.000 litres capacity.




Glossary of wine-terms used in the Rioja - PART II - FROM D TO M
Glossary of wine-terms used in the Rioja - PART III - FROM O TO S
Glossary of wine-terms used in the Rioja - PART IV- FROM T TO Z