Wine Glossary - Words that start with U
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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Ugni Blanc (oo-n'yee blahn)
The French name (or at least one of the many French names) for the Trebbiano grape. In France this rather undistinguished grape (that is responsible for more wine than any other grape) is often used to make the base wine that will be distilled into brandy. Cognac and Armagnac are two well known brandy regions that use the grape.

Ullage (oo-lehj)
The amount of air that results in a barrel or bottle due to evaporation. In the barrel the missing wine is replaced to keep the wine from becoming oxidized (topping). In theory the same could be done with old bottles of wine (this is called recorking). It is rare to see recorked bottles of wine, and if it is done, there needs to be a complete explanation of the process and a certificate from the company that performed the task. The amount of ullage in a bottle greatly influences the value of the wine at auction.

Umbria (oom'-bree-ah)
The central Italian region that is home to the well known white wine Orvieto.

Use (oo-zay)
A wine tasting term from the French for "worn out." A more common english language term is "over the hill."