Sommelier Level 2 Practice Exam

Free run juice is the liquid that flows from crushed grapes under gravity, before any pressing. In French this is called vin de goutte, literally “drip wine.” It represents the juice extracted without mechanical pressing and is often valued for being lighter in phenolics and tannins, contributing to a more delicate wine. Vin de presse, by contrast, is the juice obtained from pressing the pomace, which tends to be richer in tannins and pigments due to the harsher extraction. The other terms listed refer to different winemaking steps: fining is clarification with agents that bind and remove particles, and cold stabilization prevents tartrate crystals by chilling the wine.