What is a 'mosser'?

• A. A wine press.
• B. A metal corker.
• C. A whisk used to release trapped gas from wine.
• D. A type of filter used in sparkling wine.

Answer: (C)

A mosser is a hand whisk-style tool used to degas wine by whipping and stirring to release dissolved carbon dioxide. The idea is to free the gas that’s still dissolved in the liquid, so the wine can be evaluated or measured without the foaming or pressure caused by trapped CO2. This makes aroma, texture, and acidity easier to assess.

It isn’t a wine press (which extracts juice), a metal corker (which inserts corks), or a filter (which removes solids or particulates).