150 Frequently Used Wine Terms

Acidity: A naturally occurring component of every wine; the level of perceived sharpness; a key element to a wine’s longevity; a leading determinant of balance. Alcohol: The end product of fermentation; technically ethyl alcohol resulting from the interaction of natural grape sugars and yeast; generally above 12.5% in dry table wines. Alsace: A highly regarded wine region in eastern France renowned for dry and sweet wines made from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and others. Amarone: A succulent higher-alcohol red wine hailing from the Veneto region in northern Italy; made primarily from Corvina grapes dried on racks before pressing. AOC: Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, a French term for a denominated, governed wine region such as Margaux or Nuits-St.-Georges. Aroma: A scent that’s a component of the bouquet or nose; i.e. cherry is an aromatic component of a fruity bouquet. AVA: American Viticultural Area; a denominated American wine region approved by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Bacchus: The Roman god of wine, known as Dionysus in ancient Greece; a hybrid white grape from Germany. Balance: The level of harmony between acidity, tannins, fruit, oak, and other elements in a wine; a perceived quality that is more individual than scientific. Barrel Fermented: A process by which wine (usually white) is fermented in oak barrels rather than in stainless steel tanks; a richer, creamier, oakier style of wine. Barrique: French for “barrel,” generally a barrel of 225 liters. Beaujolais: A juicy, flavorful red wine made from Gamay grapes grown in the region of the same name. Beaujolais Nouveau: The first Beaujolais wine of the harvest; its annual release date is the third Thursday in November. Blanc de Blancs: The name for Champagne made entirely from Chardonnay grapes. Blanc de Noirs: The name for Champagne made entirely from red grapes, either Pinot Noir or Pinot Meunier, or both. Blend: The process whereby two or more grape varieties are combined after separate fermentation; common blends include Côtes de Rhône and red and white Bordeaux. Blush: A wine made from red grapes but which appears pink or salmon in color because the grape skins were removed from the fermenting juice before more color could be imparted; more commonly referred to as rosé. Bodega: Spanish for winery; literally the “room where barrels are stored.” Body: The impression of weight on one’s palate; light, medium and full are common body qualifiers. Bordeaux: A city on the Garonne River in southwest France; a large wine-producing region with more than a dozen subregions; a red wine made mostly from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc; a white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. Botrytis Cinerea: A beneficial mold that causes grapes to shrivel and sugars to concentrate, resulting in sweet, unctuous wines; common botrytis wines include Sauternes, Tokay and German beerenauslese. Bouquet: The sum of a wine’s aromas; how a wine smells as a whole; a key determinant of quality. Breathe: The process of letting a wine open up via the introduction of air. Brix: A scale used to measure the level of sugar in unfermented grapes. Multiplying brix by .55 will yield a wine’s future alcohol level. Brut: A French term used to describe the driest Champagnes. Burgundy: A prominent French wine region stretching from Chablis in the north to Lyons in the south; Pinot Noir is the grape for red Burgundy, Chardonnay for white. Cabernet Franc: A red grape common to Bordeaux; characteristics include an herbal, leafy flavor and a soft, fleshy texture. Cabernet Sauvignon: A powerful, tannic red grape of noble heritage; the base grape for many red Bordeaux and most of the best red wines from California, Washington, Chile and South Africa; capable of aging for decades. Cap: Grape solids like pits, skins and stems that rise to the top of a tank during fermentation; what gives red wines color, tannins and weight. Cava: Spanish for “cellar,” but also a Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional Champagne style from Xarello, Macabeo and Parellada grapes. Chablis: A town and wine region east of Paris known for steely, minerally Chardonnay. Champagne: A denominated region northeast of Paris in which Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes are made into sparkling wine. Chaptalization: The process of adding sugar to fermenting grapes in order to increase alcohol. Chardonnay: Arguably the best and most widely planted white wine grape in the world. Château: French for “castle;” an estate with its own vineyards. Chenin Blanc: A white grape common in the Loire Valley of France. Chianti: A scenic, hilly section of Tuscany known for fruity red wines made mostly from Sangiovese grapes. Claret: An English name for red Bordeaux. Clos: Pronounced “Cloh,” this French word once applied only to vineyards surrounded by walls. Color: A key determinant of a wine’s age and quality; white wines grow darker in color as they age while red wines turn brownish orange. Cooperative: A winery owned jointly by multiple grape growers. Corked: A wine with musty, mushroomy aromas and flavors resulting from a cork tainted by TCA (trichloroanisol). Crianza: A Spanish term for a red wine that has been aged in oak barrels for at least one year. Cru: A French term for ranking a wine’s inherent quality, i.e. cru bourgeois, cru classé, premier cru and grand cru. Decant: The process of transferring wine from a bottle to another holding vessel. The purpose is generally to aerate a young wine or to separate an older wine from any sediment. Denominación de Origen: Spanish for “appellation of origin;” like the French AOC or Italian DOC. Denominazione di Origine Controllata: Italian for a controlled wine region; similar to the French AOC or Spanish DO. Disgorge: The process by which final sediments are removed from traditionally made sparkling wines prior to the adding of the dosage. Dosage: A sweetened spirit added at the very end to Champagne and other traditionally made sparkling wines. It determines whether a wine is brut, extra dry, dry or semisweet. Douro: A river in Portugal as well as the wine region famous for producing Port wines. Dry: A wine containing no more than 0.2 percent unfermented sugar. Earthy: A term used to describe aromas and flavors that have a certain soil-like quality. Enology: The science of wine production; an enologist is a professional winemaker; an enophile is someone who enjoys wine. Fermentation: The process by which sugar is transformed into alcohol; how grape juice interacts with yeast to become wine. Filtration: The process by which wine is clarified before bottling. Fining: Part of the clarification process whereby elements are added to the wine, i.e. egg whites, in order to capture solids prior to filtration. Fortified Wine: A wine in which brandy is introduced during fermentation; sugars and sweetness are high due to the suspended fermentation. Fumé Blanc: A name created by Robert Mondavi to describe dry Sauvignon Blanc. Gamay: A red grape exceedingly popular in the Beaujolais region of France. Gewürztraminer: A sweet and spicy white grape popular in eastern France, Germany, Austria, northern Italy and California. Graft: A vineyard technique in which the bud-producing part of a grapevine is attached to an existing root. Gran Reserva: A Spanish term used for wines that are aged in wood and bottles for at least five years prior to release. Grand Cru: French for “great growth;” the very best vineyards. Green: A term used to describe underripe, vegetal flavors in a wine. Grenache: A hearty, productive red grape popular in southern France as well as in Spain, where it is called Garnacha. Grüner Veltliner: A white grape popular in Austria that makes lean, fruity, racy wines. Haut: A French word meaning “high.” It applies to quality as well as altitude. Hectare: A metric measure equal to 10,000 square meters or 2.47 acres. Hectoliter: A metric measure equal to 100 liters or 26.4 gallons. Herbaceous: An aroma or flavor similar to green; often an indication of underripe grapes or fruit grown in a cool climate. Hollow: A term used to describe a wine that doesn’t have depth or body. Hybrid: The genetic crossing of two or more grape types; common hybrids include Müller-Thurgau and Bacchus. Ice Wine: From the German eiswein, this is a wine made from frozen grapes; Germany, Austria and Canada are leading ice wine producers. Jeroboam: An oversized bottle equal to six regular 750ml bottles. Kabinett: A German term for a wine of quality; usually the driest of Germany’s best Rieslings. Kosher: A wine made according to strict Jewish rules under rabbinical supervision. Labrusca: Grape types native to North America such as Concord and Catawba. Late Harvest: A term used to describe dessert wines made from grapes left on the vines for an extra long period, often until botrytis has set in. Lees: Heavy sediment left in the barrel by fermenting wines; a combination of spent yeast cells and grape solids. Legs: A term used to describe how wine sticks to the inside of a wineglass after drinking or swirling. Loire: A river in central France as well as a wine region famous for Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc. Maceration: The process of allowing grape juice and skins to ferment together, thereby imparting color, tannins and aromas. Madeira: A fortified wine that has been made on a Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco since the 15th century. Maderized: Stemming from the word Madeira, this term means oxidization in a hot environment. Magnum: A bottle equal to two regular 750ml bottles. Malbec: A hearty red grape of French origin now exceedingly popular in Argentina. Malolactic Fermentation: A secondary fermentation, often occurring in barrels, whereby harsher malic acid is converted into creamier lactic acid. Médoc: A section of Bordeaux on the west bank of the Gironde Estuary known for great red wines; Margaux, St.-Estèphe and Pauillac are three leading AOCs in the Médoc. Merlot: A lauded red grape popular in Bordeaux and throughout the world; large amounts of Merlot exist in Italy, the United States, South America and elsewhere. Must: Crushed grapes about to go or going through fermentation. Nebbiolo: A red grape popular in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy; the grape that yields both Barolo and Barbaresco. Négociant: A French term for a person or company that buys wines from others and then labels it under his or her own name; stems from the French word for “shipper.” Nose: Synonymous with bouquet; the sum of a wine’s aromas. Oaky: A term used to describe woody aromas and flavors; butter, popcorn and toast notes are found in “oaky” wines. Organic: Grapes grown without the aid of chemical-based fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. Oxidized: A wine that is no longer fresh because it was exposed to too much air. pH: An indication of a wine’s acidity expressed by how much hydrogen is in it. Phylloxera: A voracious vine louse that over time has destroyed vineyards in Europe and California. Piedmont: An area in northwest Italy known for Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto and Moscato. Pinot Blanc: A white grape popular in Alsace, Germany and elsewhere. Pinot Gris: Also called Pinot Grigio, this is a grayish-purple grape that yields a white wine with a refreshing character. Pinot Noir: The prime red grape of Burgundy, Champagne and Oregon. Pinotage: A hybrid between Pinot Noir and Cinsault that’s grown almost exclusively in South Africa. Plonk: A derogatory name for cheap, poor-tasting wine. Pomace: The mass of skins, pits, and stems left over after fermentation; used to make grappa in Italy and marc in France. Port: A sweet, fortified wine made in the Douro Valley of Portugal and aged in the coastal town of Vila Nova de Gaia; variations include Vintage, Tawny, Late Bottled Vintage, Ruby, White and others. Premier Cru: French for “first growth;” a high-quality vineyard but one not as good as grand cru. Press: The process by which grape juice is extracted prior to fermentation; a machine that extracts juice from grapes. Primeur (en): A French term for wine sold while it is sill in the barrels; known as “futures” in English-speaking countries. Pruning: The annual vineyard chore of trimming back plants from the previous harvest. Racking: The process of moving wine from barrel to barrel, while leaving sediment behind. Reserva: A Spanish term for a red wine that has spent at least three years in barrels and bottles before release. Reserve: A largely American term indicating a wine of higher quality; it has no legal meaning. Rhône: A river in southwest France surrounded by villages producing wines mostly from Syrah; the name of the wine-producing valley in France. Riddling: The process of rotating Champagne bottles in order to shift sediment toward the cork. Riesling: Along with Chardonnay, one of the top white grapes in the world; most popular in Germany, Alsace and Austria. Rioja: A well-known region in Spain known for traditional red wines made from the Tempranillo grape. Rosé: French for “pink,” and used to describe a category of refreshing wines that are pink in color but are made from red grapes. Sancerre: An area in the Loire Valley known mostly for wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. Sangiovese: A red grape native to Tuscany; the base grape for Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano and others. Sauternes: A sweet Bordeaux white wine made from botrytized Sémillon and Sauvignon Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc: A white grape planted throughout the world; increasingly the signature wine of New Zealand. Sémillon: A plump white grape popular in Bordeaux and Australia; the base for Sauternes. Sherry: A fortified wine from a denominated region in southwest Spain; styles include fino, Manzanilla, oloroso and amontillado. Shiraz: The Australian name for Syrah; also used in South Africa and sparingly in the U.S. Silky: A term used to describe a wine with an especially smooth mouthfeel. Solera: The Spanish system of blending wines of different ages to create a harmonious end product; a stack of barrels holding wines of various ages. Sommelier: Technically a wine steward, but one potentially with a great degree of wine knowledge as well as a diploma of sorts in wine studies. Spicy: A term used to describe certain aromas and flavors that may be sharp, woody or sweet. Split: A quarter-bottle of wine; a single-serving bottle equal to 175 milliliters. Steely: A term used to describe an extremely crisp, acidic wine that was not aged in barrels. Stemmy: A term used to describe harsh, green characteristics in a wine. Super Tuscan: A red wine from Tuscany that is not made in accordance with established DOC rules; often a blended wine of superior quality containing Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot. Supple: A term used to describe smooth, balanced wines. Syrah: A red grape planted extensively in the Rhône Valley of France, Australia and elsewhere; a spicy, full and tannic wine that usually requires aging before it can be enjoyed. Table Wine: A term used to describe wines of between 10 and 14 percent alcohol; in Europe, table wines are those that are made outside of regulated regions or by unapproved methods. Tannins: Phenolic compounds that exist in most plants; in grapes, tannins are found primarily in the skins and pits; tannins are astringent and provide structure to a wine; over time tannins die off, making wines less harsh. Tempranillo: The most popular red grape in Spain; common in Rioja and Ribera del Duero. Terroir: A French term for the combination of soil, climate and all other factors that influence the ultimate character of a wine. Tokay: A dessert wine made in Hungary from dried Furmint grapes. Trocken: German for “dry.” Varietal: A wine made from just one grape type and named after that grape; the opposite of a blend. Veneto: A large wine-producing region in northern Italy. Vin Santo: Sweet wine from Tuscany made from late-harvest Trebbiano and Malvasia grapes. Viticulture: The science and business of growing wine grapes. Vintage: A particular year in the wine business; a specific harvest. Viognier: A fragrant, powerful white grape grown in the Rhône Valley of France and elsewhere. Yeast: Organisms that issue enzymes that trigger the fermentation process; yeasts can be natural or commercial. Yield: The amount of grapes harvested in a particular year. Zinfandel: A popular grape in California of disputed origin; scientists say it is related to grapes in Croatia and southern Italy.