Here are the definitions for the letter "l"

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Length

The amount of time a wine's taste and aroma are evident after it has been swallowed.

Length (see also Aftertaste)

How long the total flavour lasts in the back of the throat after swallowing. Counted in time-seconds. Ten seconds is good, fifteen is great, twenty is superb. Almost a synonym for "finish", as in "this is a wine with an long, extraordinary finish".

LIATIKO

Variety indigenous to Greece and used to create red wine. Also grown on the island of Crete where it is used either as a single variety or in a blend with Mandelaria grape-wine. Apparently needing Mediterranean heat it has been found to be a fairly diffic

Lieu-dit (France)

A term most often used when describing Burgundy and Alsace. It refers to a named vineyard which does not have Premier or Grand Cru appellation.

Light

Refers to wines light in alcohol but also to texture and weight, how the wine feels in the mouth. Lightness is appropriate in some wines, a defect in others.

Light

Low alcohol and/or sugar. Since about 1981 a wine containing fewer calories per comparable serving than a regular glass of wine has been legally designated as such. Used as a tasting term, "light" is usually a polite expression meaning "watery".

LIMBERGER

(see Blaufränkisch above). Also known as the Blauer Limberger or Lemberger. The latter name is used for the grape where found in Washington state in the U.S., which has sizable plantings of this variety at last report and it is currently recommended for the Finger Lakes region on New York State as a cold-hardy winegrape showing good yields and ripening in early to mid-October. Frequently used for blending with Pinot Noir. Wines made from this grape grown in N.W. America are described as being "Merlot-like with mild tannins and having a dark chocolate/raspberry flavor". Wines made from this grape reportedly have low levels of histamines. It is the normally higher amounts of this compound found in many other red wines that can cause allergy headaches in some people.

LIMNIO

Red-wine grape found mainly in the Aegean Island of Lemnos and also in N.E. Greece. Used to create acidic, robust wines with good aging potential.

Limousin

A type of French oak cask, from the forests of Limoges, France. See French oak.

Lingering (see Aftertaste, Length)

LISTAN

White-wine grape now sparsely grown in France. Known as Palomino in Spain and South Africa where it is mainly used to produce fortified wines. A variety known as Listan Blanco is grown in the Canary Islands where it may be used with Listan Negro to produce red, rosé and white varietal wines for early consumption. Also grown in Australia where it is found in mixed growth vineyards along with the Pedro Ximénez grape. Known to be one of the parents of the Chasan grape cross.

LISTAN NEGRO

Red-wine variety grown in the Canary islands where it may be used in combination with Listan Blanco to create red or rosé wines.

Lively

Crisp, fresh, having vitality.

Lively

Almost a synonym for fresh. Implies detection of barely discernible spritzyness. Applies most often to white wines, but some reds also qualify.

Loire

See our Loire Valley wine guide.