White Zinfandel
A wine that snobs tend to scorn, probably due as much to its popularity among neophytes as to its character as a wine, this quaffable blush wine (called a rosé in France) was developed in the late 70's and very quickly achieved significant popularity. In fact, for many inexperienced wine drinkers, the name "Zinfandel" is more likely to evoke images of easy-drinking pink wine than the hearty red wine for which California is famous. California winemakers had an unusual surplus of the red wine grape Zinfandel when white wines exploded in popularity, so they created White Zinfandel via a process in which they quickly remove the skins from the juice after pressing. It's then vinified the same as white wines. The color ranges from pale pink to salmon, and the majority of White Zinfandels are somewhat sweet, but some can be quite dry.

Wine Cooler
Very popular in the U.S. during the 80's, particularly among young adults, wine coolers are a mixture of low quality wine and various types of fruit juice, added to very sweet carbonated water. They often taste more like soda than wine. After the U.S. Congress raised taxes on wine in the early 90's, producers turned away from wine coolers. Beverages based on cheaper barley malt filled the void in this market with a new popular drink category, often called "flavored malt beverages" or "malternatives". Not surprisingly, these beverages taste more like soda than beer. See Spritzer.

Woody
Wine that has been aged in a barrel for a long time can acquire a barrel or "woody" taste. In the New World, a certain woodiness is often characteristic of Chardonnay, but an overwhelming oaky aroma and taste are definitely not desirable. Among wine aficionados, there is much debate regarding how long wine should age in barrels, and the benefits such aging might lend to a wine.

Yeast
God bless this single-celled fungi because without it there would be no bread, beer, or wine. Via a process known as fermentation (and discovered by Louis Pasteur) yeast converts the sugars in wine into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. The latter, when prevented from escaping into the air, is what lends effervescence to sparkling wines. Wild yeasts are a fact of life in a vineyard, where they reside on the skins of the fruit. After harvesting, the grapes will begin fermenting on their own if given enough time, particularly when the skins are broken via crushing, exposing the yeast to the sugars within the juice. In modern times, science has contributed extensively to viniculture by isolating and identifying the best yeast strains for a given style of wine. Today's wine producers can select yeasts with certain characteristics to use in combination with different varietals.

Yeasty
A wine that has gone through a secondary fermentation, like Champagne for example, may sometimes have a slight smell or flavor of freshly baked bread. In addition to Champagne, certain other wines are made to age sur lie meaning "on the lees" (which is composed primarily of dead yeast sediment left over after fermentation). These wines are also apt to have a similar yeasty flavor. This sur lie aging is designed to impart desirable complex qualities to some Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs, and a slight yeasty characteristic is generally considered a positive attribute in these wines as long as it's not too prominent. For other styles of wine that have not gone through a secondary fermentation or been aged on lees, a yeasty quality is to be considered a defect.

Yield
The term is used to quantify the productivity of a vineyard or wine growing estate. Measuring yield is also a way to compare how different grape varietals fare in different geographic locations. Grape yield is referred to in terms of tons per acre in the U.S. and Australia, while Europe and South America refer to it as hectoliters per hectare. In addition to geography, yields also vary according to the varietal, microclimate, and individual vineyard practices. In the wine world, quality is associated with low yields, and often winemakers purposely lower the yield via a "green harvest". Immature grape bunches are pruned off of the vine, and this has the effect of causing increased flavor concentration in the remaining grapes. In Europe's highly regulated wine industry, in fact, the yields of a particular appellation may be subject to legal regulations in order to maintain the production of quality wine in that region. In the New World, modern viticultural approaches have, to a certain degree, allowed increased yields while simultaneously retaining quality. For winemakers worldwide, achieving the proper balance between the two is the key to keeping their vineyards profitable.

Young
A wine tasting term usually used to describe wines that are exuberant and full of lively, fresh fruit flavors. When it comes to age-worthy wine like a powerful, tannic Bordeaux, for instance, "young" can mean a wine is undeveloped and not yet ready to be fully enjoyed. Many full-bodied, assertive reds can remain young for over 10 years before hitting their pinnacle of complexity and balance.

Zinfandel
One could say this red wine varietal is California's claim to fame since it's grown almost exclusively in the state, with only small plantings elsewhere in the U.S. and around the world. It certainly originated in Europe, but its exact lineage remained a mystery until recently. Many believed it had descended from the Italian grape Primitivo but others theorized the reverse may actually have been true. What we know now, thanks to DNA testing, is Zinfandel and Primitivo are separate clones of the same original grape, identified as the Croatian varietal Crljenak. The exact history of those clones, likely taken from Crljenak at different points in time, remain somewhat of a mystery. Regardless of the origin, it's a widely planted grape of which California can be proud. The vines are older than those of most other varietals in the state and, as a result, Zinfandel produces very intense fruit and many of California's finest red wines. Zinfandel can be vinified into a wide range of styles from light and young to bold and powerful, and Zinfandels shine, too, as dessert wines and fortified wines in the style of Port. In most cases, however, Zinfandel is not very tannic, and so is best when enjoyed within 5 years of creation. Do not confuse true red Zinfandel with White Zinfandel. White Zinfandel is a style of blush wine made from Zinfandel grape juice that is removed from the skins very soon after crushing. See White Zinfandel.