Wineries glossary

Short, plain-English definitions of the terms you'll meet when choosing a winery provider in Swan Valley.

What is a cellar door?: A cellar door is a winery's on-site facility where visitors taste wines produced at the vineyard and buy bottles directly from the producer.
What is a cheese and wine platter?: A shared serving board featuring an assortment of cheeses, charcuterie, and accompaniments designed to pair with wine tastings at wineries.
What is a geographical indication?: A geographical indication is a protected label that certifies wine comes from a specific registered Australian wine region, guaranteeing origin and production standards.
What is a tasting fee?: A tasting fee is a charge paid by visitors to sample wines at a winery's cellar door, often waived or credited against a purchase.
What is a tasting flight?: A tasting flight is a series of small wine pours arranged in a deliberate order, usually progressing from white wines through reds to dessert or fortified wines, designed to let drinkers compare styles and taste profiles in one sitting.
What is a vintage?: A vintage is the year the grapes were harvested for a particular wine, which significantly influences the wine's flavor profile and aging potential due to weather and growing conditions that year.
What is a wine club?: A wine club is a membership program through which a winery delivers wine to members on a regular schedule, typically at a discount compared to retail prices, often with exclusive access to limited releases.
What is BYO and corkage?: BYO (bring your own) allows diners to bring wine to a venue, while corkage is the fee charged to open and serve that bottle.
What is Chenin blanc?: Chenin blanc is a white wine grape variety grown in Swan Valley that produces wines ranging from bone-dry to medium-sweet, with characteristic stone fruit and floral notes.
What is crush in winemaking?: Crush refers to the harvesting period when grapes arrive at the winery and are processed through destemming and pressing to begin fermentation.
What is degustation?: A degustation is a multi-course tasting menu featuring small portions of dishes, often paired with wines to highlight flavors and technique.
What is dessert wine?: Dessert wine is a naturally sweet wine made from grapes with higher residual sugar, served with or after dessert, differing from fortified wines which have added spirits.
What is estate grown wine?: Estate grown wine is produced from grapes harvested exclusively from vineyards owned and operated by the winery itself.
What is fortified wine?: Fortified wine is a wine to which distilled spirit (usually brandy) has been added during or after fermentation, raising its alcohol content to between 17 and 22 percent.
What is Grenache?: Grenache is a red grape variety that thrives in warm climates and produces soft, approachable wines with ripe fruit characters and low tannin structure.
What is liqueur muscat?: A sweet fortified wine made from Muscat grapes and aged in barrel, typically high in alcohol and residual sugar.
What is matched wine pairing?: Matched wine pairing is the deliberate selection of wine to complement a specific dish, balancing the wine's acidity, tannins, body, and flavors with the food's flavors and textures.
What is rosé?: Rosé is a wine made from dark-coloured grape varieties where the skins remain in contact with the juice for a limited time during fermentation, imparting its distinctive pink hue.
What is Shiraz?: Shiraz is a dark-skinned red wine grape that produces full-bodied wines with bold fruit flavours, spice, and peppery notes, particularly in warm growing regions.
What is single vineyard wine?: Single vineyard wine is produced entirely from grapes harvested within one specific vineyard block or estate, rather than blended fruit from multiple vineyard sources across a region.
What is sparkling wine?: Sparkling wine is any wine containing significant carbonation, produced either through a secondary fermentation process that traps CO2 in the bottle or through direct carbonation.
What is tannin?: Tannin is a natural compound found in grape skins, seeds, and stems that creates a dry, astringent mouthfeel in red wines and ages over time.
What is the Swan Valley wine region?: Swan Valley is Western Australia's oldest wine region, located northeast of Perth, known for its warm Mediterranean-style climate and heritage vineyard estates.
What is Verdelho?: Verdelho is a white grape variety widely planted in Swan Valley, producing dry white wines with crisp acidity, citrus, and tropical stone fruit flavours.