Word Of The Day: Pigeage

It's French, bien sûr, and pronounced peej-AHJE, not pig-age. It's a wine term that translates to "punching down the cap." When crushed grapes ferment in vats, the grapes' skins rise to the surface, creating a thick layer or "cap" that needs to be "punched down." Way back, this was done by foot (pigeage à pied) — cue the pastoral visions of men and women up to their knees in grapes jovially stomping all day long to accordion music. Nowadays, the same feat is accomplished with long pitchforks, so there's no need to submerge yourself in grapes — unless you want to.

Use today's Word of the Day: Getting To Know Grappa