fusel oils, a general collective term for the complex, unpleasant-smelling, and varied mixtures of natural organic chemicals that are separable as wine is distilled into brandy in a continuous still. They are predominantly by-products of the nitrogen metabolism of the yeast during fermentation and of only minor importance to the wine drinker since they represent such a small proportion of wine.
© Jancis Robinson and Oxford University Press 1994, 1999, 2006, 2015
