We frequently get questions from our readers and customers on everything about wine from terms, to the wine-making methods, to individual wines so here are some we have gotten since the last time we addressed them.

What is veraison? This is actually a farming term that refers to when red wine grapes start to change their color from the unripe green color to the deep purples seen at harvest. While red grapes obviously change their color one white varietal, Pinot Gris, also goes through veraison. Grape growers use this process too as a mid-season measuring stick of how the vintage is coming along and to gauge when harvest might be.

We occasionally get a question on the "legs" that wine shows and what it means. The "legs" are the streams of wine that run down the side of a wine glass. It used to be perceived that the more "legs" and the longer they lasted was an indication of the quality of the wine. Actually they are nothing more than an indication of the alcohol level in the wine; the higher the alcohol the thicker and more "legs" there are. Like always the quality of a wine is very much an individual assessment between you and the wine.

When we describe the flavors and aromas in wine we use all kinds of terms referring to spices, fruit flavors, food aromas, environmental descriptors and even my personal favorite "bacon fat" when describing Syrah. We frequently get asked how those flavors and aromas are developed in wines, are they actually derived from spices and other fruits being added to the wine?

They are not from any additive. Most spices like cinnamon, vanilla or pepper actually come from the oak barreling used in ageing the wines. Everything from the type of oak to how many vintages it has been used and the level the wood is toasted affects the flavors and aromas you perceive. Fruit flavors on the other hand come from the grape varietals themselves, harvest decisions like sugar and acid levels, and from clonal differences within the varietals.

Wine-making decisions too like how long the grape juice is left in contact with the grape solids meaning skins and seeds will also affect flavors as will how often these solids are pushed through the juice called a "punch down." Also having an effect is how long the wine is left on the "lees" or dead yeast cells and how often those cells are stirred during aging will change the wine.

Still the most common question we get involves the designations of sweet and dry. Consumers will frequently say they don't like a certain wine or varietal because it is "too sweet." The threshold where the human palate detects sweetness for most of us is around 1.5 percent residual sugar in wine. It is a range though and some folks will not identify the sweetness of residual sugar until it reaches 3 percent, others who are very sensitive to sugar may pick it up as low as 1 percent. By this standard the vast majority of wines are classified as dry, meaning all of the sugar has been fermented out of the wine, consumed by the yeast cells and converted to alcohol. Sugar levels in off-dry and sweet wines are generated by the fermentation process being stopped, not by sugar being added.

So what to make of the perception of sweetness in a wine we know is fermented dry? It actually comes from varietal differences and the fruit character of them. Pinot Noir is a great example of a red wine that is always fermented dry but some people call sweet. It is however a fruit-forward varietal that shows a lot of cherry flavors. Similarly in white wine Viognier is a very fruity varietal exhibiting loads of peach and nectarine flavors, it is most times fermented dry but the fruity character causes some of us to think sweet.

Champagne too will frequently be categorized as sweet, and folks will say they do not drink champagne as the sugar gives them headaches. The designation on champagne and sparkling wine will help a lot here as those that have sugar left in them are designated as demi-sec and sec, while a brut designation indicates it is dry. In the manufacture of champagne though sugar is added to kick off the secondary bottle fermentation that give the wine its effervescence; however with a brut champagne or sparkling that sugar is fully consumed before the fermentation is stopped producing a dry sparkler. One final note while sugar in inexpensive sparkling wine may be the culprit in causing headaches it is more likely another allergy that is causing them.

Whether it be the differences between sweet, dry and fruity or any other questions about wine and wine-making stop by the shop and ask or check with your favorite wine professional to better ensure you are purchasing a wine you will like, and to understand the terminology.

If there is a topic you would like to read about or questions on wine you can email George@thedinnerpartyshop.com or make suggestions by contacting the Healthy Community section at the Coeur d'Alene Press.

George Balling is co-owner with his wife Mary Lancaster of the dinner party - a wine and table top decor shop in Coeur d'Alene by Costco. George is also the managing judge of The North Idaho Wine Rodeo and writes frequently for the online version of Coeur d'Alene Magazine at www.cdamagazine.com. His articles can also be found on the blog at www.thedinnerpartyshop.com.