"P" in wine glossary

Phylloxera

Palate

A tasting term for the feel and taste of a wine in the mouth.

pH

An acronym for "potential hydrogen" a measure of acidity. The lower the pH, the higher the acidity.However pH is actually a shorthand for its mathematical approximation: in chemistry a small p is used in place of writing − log10 and the H here represents [H+], the concentration of hydrogen ions.

Phylloxera

A microscopic underground insect that kills grape vines by attacking their roots.

Pip

Grape seeds.

Pipe

A cask holding two hogsheads or 120 gallons of wine.

Plan Bordeaux

A proposal for enhancing the economic status of the wine industry in Bordeaux.

Plonk

British English slang for an inexpensive bottle of wine. The term is thought to originate from the French word for white wine, "blanc".

Pomace

The skins, stalks, and seeds that remain after making wine. Also called marc.

Port

A sweet fortified wine, which is produced from grapes grown and processed in the Douro region of Portugal. This wine is fortified with the addition of distilled grape spirits in order to boost the alcohol content and stop fermentation thus preserving some of the natural grape sugars. Several imitations are made throughout the world.

Porto

The legal name for a true Port wines sold in the United States since imitation ports may be labeled as a "port" there .

Potassium sorbate

A wine stabilizer and preservative.

Proof

Refers to the alcohol content of a beverage. In the United States, proof represents twice the alcohol content as a percentage of volume. Thus, a 100 proof beverage is 50% alcohol by volume and a 150 proof beverage is 75% alcohol. In the Imperial system, proof, (or 100% proof), equals 57.06% ethanol by volume, or 48.24% by weight. Absolute or pure ethanol is 75.25 over proof, or 175.25 proof.

Puncheon

A wine barrel that holds approximately 318 litres (160 U.S. gallons).

Punt

The indentation found in the base of a wine bottle. Punt depth is often thought to be related to wine quality, with better quality wines having a deeper punt.