Glossary of wine terms

The glossary of wine terms lists the definitions of many general terms used within the wine industry. For terms specific to viticulture, winemaking, grape varieties, and wine tasting, see the topic specific list in the "See also" section below.

A Abboccato An Italian term for full-bodied wines with medium-level sweetness ABC Initials for "Anything but Chardonnay" or "Anything but Cabernet". A term conceived by Bonny Doon's Randall Grahm to denote wine drinkers' interest in grape varieties.Dixon, Rachel; Carter, Kate and Holmes, Rachel (14 August 2008). "Is it time to drink chardonnay again?". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 December 2011. Abfüllung (Erzeugerabfüllung) Bottled by the proprietor. Will be on the label followed by relevant information concerning the bottler. ABV Abbreviation of alcohol by volume, generally listed on a wine label."How many units is my drink?". BBC News. 9 December 2003. Retrieved 30 December 2011. AC Abbreviation for "Agricultural Cooperative" on Greek wine labels and for Adega Cooperativa on Portuguese labels. Acescence Wine with a sharp, sweet-and-sour tang. The acescence characteristics frequently recalls a vinegary smell. Adamado Portuguese term for a medium-sweet wine Adega Portuguese wine term for a winery or wine cellar. Almacenista Spanish term for a Sherry producer who ferments and matures the wine before selling it to a merchant Altar wine The wine used by the Catholic Church in celebrations of the Eucharist. Alte Reben German term for old vine Amabile Italian term for a medium-sweet wine AOC Abbreviation for Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée, (), as specified under French law. The AOC laws specify and delimit the geography from which a particular wine (or other food product) may originate and methods by which it may be made. The regulations are administered by the Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (INAO). A.P. number Abbreviation for Amtliche Prüfungsnummer, the official testing number displayed on a German wine label that shows that the wine was tasted and passed government quality control standards. ATTTB Abbreviation for the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, a United States government agency that is primarily responsible for the regulation of wines sold and produced in the United States. Amontillado Best described as a matured Fino. After the flor dies, the yeast sinks to the bottom of the wine and is no longer able to protect the Sherry from oxidation. The now unprotected Sherry begins to take on a rich and deep nutty flavor. Anbaugebiet A German wine region. Anbaugebiete are further divided into Bereiche or districts. Annata Italian term for a vintage Aperitif A wine that is either drunk by itself (i.e. without food) or before a meal in order to stimulate the appetite. Appellation A geographically delineated wine region. Aromatic A wine with very noticeable and distinctive aromas Ausbruch Austrian term originally referring to the aszú production method of mixing grapes affected by noble rot with a fermenting base wine. Today a Prädikat in Austria, intermediate between Beerenauslese and Trockenbeerenauslese. Auslese German for "select harvest", a Prädikat in Germany and Austria. Azienda vinicola Italian term for an estate that makes wine from both its own vineyards and from purchased grapes Azienda agricola Italian term for a winery that only produces wine from its own estate vineyards

B

Balthazar A large bottle containing 12 litres, the equivalent of 16 regular wine bottles. Ban de Vendange The official start of the harvest season in France. Barrique The French name for a 225 litre Bordeaux style barrel (Bordeaux hogshead). Will yield 24 cases of 12 bottles each. Basic A low-cost entry-level offering from a winery as opposed to its more expensive premium wine offerings. Beerenauslese A German term meaning approximately "harvest of selected berries". A Prädikat in Germany and Austria. Bereich A district within a German wine region (Anbaugebiet). Contains smaller Grosslagen vineyard designations. The Berthomeau Report Commissioned by French Ministry of Agriculture to better position the wine industry for the future. Bianco, Blanc, Blanco, Branco Italian/French/Spanish/Portuguese terms for a white wine or grape Bin A term originally meant to denote a location in a cellar where wine is stored but now often seen in brand marketing of some wines (e.g. Bin 75 Merlot) Biodynamic wine Like biodynamic agriculture in general, biodynamic grape-growing stems from the ideas and suggestions of Rudolf Steiner (1861.1925), which predate most of the organic movement. The principles and practices of biodynamics are based on his spiritual/practical philosophy which includes understanding the ecological, the energetic, and the spiritual in nature. Biologique French term for organic winemaking Blind tasting Tasting and evaluating a wine without knowing which it is. B.O.B. An acronym for "Buyer's Own Brand" which refers to a private label wine owned by the restaurant or retailer that sells the wine. Bodega A Spanish wine cellar. Also refers to a seller of alcoholic beverage. Bota A cask of wine used to store Sherry with a capacity between 159 and 172 gallons (600-650 liters) Botte The Italian term for a wooden barrel, plural: botti. Usually refers to a botte grande, a large floor-standing wooden vat with a capacity of . Bottle A container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a "mouth." Modern wine bottles are nearly always made of glass because it is nonporous, strong, and aesthetically pleasing. Breathing The interaction between air and wine after a wine has been opened. Breathing may take place while the wine is decanting. Brut A label designation for a dry sparkling wine, especially a champagne.

C C.A. Abbreviation seen on Spanish wine labels meaning Cooperativa Agrícola or local co-operative. Cane pruning Cane pruning is when one or two canes from a vine's previous year's growth are cut back to six to fifteen buds which will be the coming growing season's grape producers. Cantina Italian term for winery. Cantina Sociale Italian term for a co-operative Cap Classique South African wine term for a sparkling wine made according to the traditional method Capsule The plastic or foil that covers the cork and part of the neck of a wine bottle. Carbonic maceration Whole, uncrushed grapes are fermented in a sealed vat containing a layer of carbon dioxide. This results in fruity, soft and distinct red wines. These wines have little tannin and are immediately drinkable. This is the method used throughout France's Beaujolais region. Cascina Italian term for a farmhouse or wine estate Cask A wood barrel or storage vessel, often made from oak, that is used in winemaking for fermentation and/or aging Casta Portuguese term for a grape variety Caudalie Unit of the persistence of the wine's finish in seconds. Derived from the word caudal (tail). A wine can have a caudalie of 8 or more seconds.Glossary of wine terms (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) Cava Spanish term for a sparkling wine made according to the traditional method Cave See wine cave

Cellar door The area of the winery where point of sale purchases occur. This can be a tasting room or a separate sales area. Cépage French term for grape variety. When it appears on a wine label it will usually refer to the varieties used to make the wine. Cerasuolo Italian term for a cherry-pink colored wine Chacha Georgian term for grape marc and stalks – in Georgian, chacha also refers to the spirits distilled thereof.

Chai A wine shed, or other storage place above ground, used for storing casks, common in Bordeaux. Usually different types of wine are kept in separate sheds. The person in charge of vinification and ageing of all wine made at an estate, or the chais of a négociant, is titled a Maître de Chai. The New World counterpart to the chai may be called the barrel hall.winepros.com.au.

Champagne flute A piece of stemware having a long stem with a tall, narrow bowl on top. Chaptalization The practice of adding sugar (from sugar beets or sugarcanes) to the grape must prior to fermenting, to compensate for low sugar content/potential alcohol in the grapes. Château Generally a winery in Bordeaux, although the term is sometimes used for wineries in other parts of the world, such as the Barossa Valley. Château Cardboard New Zealand term for inexpensive box wine.Campbell, Bob "Chateau Cardboard – is boxed wine making a comeback?," businessdesk.co.nz, 19 September 2021. Retrieved 11 December 2024. Chiaretto Italian term for a very pale or light colored rosé Clairet A French term for a wine that falls between the range of a light red wine and a dark rosé Claret British name for Bordeaux wine. Is also a semi-generic term for a red wine in similar style to that of Bordeaux. Classic German classification category for dry wine Classico An Italian term for the historical or "classic" center of a wine region — sometimes located in the heart of a DOC. Cleanskin In Australia, wine bottled without a commercial label, usually sold cheaply in bulk quantities. Climat French term for Lieu-dit used in Burgundy for a single plot of land located within a vineyard that has its own name and demonstrated terroir. Clos French term for what was historically a vineyard whose boundaries were delineated by a walled enclosure. Commonly associated with vineyards in the Burgundy wine region such as the Grand Cru vineyard Clos de Vougeot. Coates Law of Maturity A principle relating to the aging ability of wine that states that a wine will remain at its peak (or optimal) drinking quality for as long as it took to reach the point of maturity. For example, if a wine is drinking at its peak at 1 year of age, it will continue drinking at its peak for another year. Colheita Portuguese term for a harvest Commercial wine A mass-produced wine aimed for a wide market of consumers made according to a set formula, year after year. These wines tend to emphasize broad appeal and easy drinkability rather than terroir or craftsmanship. Commune A small wine-growing region that surrounds a village Compte Classification system used in the Armagnac and Cognac region based on the age of the spirit ranging from 00 for a newly distilled spirit to 2 for a VS ("Very Special"), 4 for a VSOP Reserve, 6 for a Napoleon XO (extra old) and 10 for the longest aged XO. Congeners Additional alcohols and aldehydes present in wine apart from ethanol, also known as fusel alcohols. Consorzio Italian term for a trade organization of wine producers. Often members of individual consorzio will have their wines packaged with a specific neck label that identifies their membership in the consorzio. Cooperative Winemaking organization that is jointly owned by a number of growers who pool their resources and vineyards to produce wine under one label Cordon training A method of vine training. Unlike cane pruning where the trunk itself is the only permanent, inflexible piece of the vine, cordon trained vines have one or two woody arms extending from the top of the trunk. These are then spur pruned.

Corkscrew A tool, comprising a pointed metallic helix attached to a handle, for drawing Corks from bottles. Côtes French term for the hillside or slopes of one contiguous hill region. Coteaux French term for the hillside or slopes of a hill region that is not contiguous. Country wine A quality level intermediate between table wine and quality wine, which in France is known as vin de pays and in Italy as Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) . Also a synonym for Fruit wine. Crémant French sparkling wine not made in Champagne region. Crianza