Wine Terms
The complete language of wine, from vine to glass.
485 articles
🇦🇺 Australia — South Australia1
🇦🇺 Australia — Victoria3
🇪🇸 Spain — Cross-Cultural Grape Frameworks1
🇪🇸 Spain — Grape Frameworks3
🇪🇸 Spain — Wine Law & Classification2
🇪🇸 Spain — Winemaking Traditions2
🇮🇹 Italy — Veneto2
🇿🇦 South Africa8
Cape BlendIntegrated Production of Wine (IPW): South Africa's Sustainability CertificationOld Vine ProjectSouth African BrandySwartland RevolutionWO Hierarchy: Geographical Unit → Region → District → Ward → Single Vineyard / EstateWO Label Declarations and Geographic Origin RequirementsWO: Wine of Origin (South Africa)
Faults, Flaws & Off-Characters6
Brettanomyces / Dekkera — Barnyard, Horse, Band-Aid, Leather CharacterCork Taint — TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole) Mechanism & Musty DetectionMousiness — Wine FaultPremature Oxidation (Premox) in White Burgundy — Causes & ControversyStelvin Screwcap: The Closure Revolution That Changed Wine ForeverTartrate Crystals — Aesthetic Issue vs. Quality Signal
General Terms21
American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC)Botrytis CinereaCharmat MethodFortified WinesGerman RieslingHow to Buy Wine Without Overthinking ItHow to Read a Wine LabelItalian White WinesMéthode TraditionnelleNoble RotOld World vs. New World Wine: Style, Philosophy, and What It Means for Your GlassPetite SirahSpanish White WinesTannin Structure in Red WineThe Science of Wine: Every Discipline in Your GlassThe Story of Wine: 8,000 Years in a GlassTokaji AszúWhy Does Wine Give Me a Headache?Wine Aging & CellaringWine Styles Explained: Red, White, Rose, Sparkling, Fortified, and Dessert
Madeira Styles5
Oak & Barrel Terms13
Air Seasoning — Outdoor Stave DryingAmphora & Qvevri — Clay Vessels in Ancient and Natural WineBarrique — 225L Bordeaux BarrelBending — Steam, Fire, or Water-Bending of Staves to Form Barrel ShapeConcrete Egg / VesselEllagitannins — Oak-Derived Hydrolyzable TanninsFiring / Toasting — Barrel ConstructionFoudre / BottiFoudre / Botti — Large Oval CasksKiln Seasoning — Accelerated Artificial DryingPuncheon / Hogshead — 500L and 300L; Slower Oak Extraction; Used Widely in Australia and BeyondSlavonian Oak (Croatia) — Large Casks (Botti)Stave Splitting vs. Sawing
Service & Sommelier Terms30
Ah-So / Butler's Friend — Two-Pronged Cork PullerBenchmark WineBlind Tasting — Systematic DeductionBTG — By the Glass: Portion Pricing and a Key Profitability Driver for RestaurantsCommon Wine PronunciationsCoravin SystemCoravin Wine Preservation System — Enabling Premium By-the-Glass Service Without Opening the BottleCourt of Master Sommeliers: Advanced Sommelier CertificateDecantingDecanting for Aeration — Young Tannic WinesDecanting for SedimentDouble DecantingHorizontal TastingMaster of Wine (MW): The World's Most Rigorous Wine QualificationMaster Sommelier (MS)Opening Sparkling Wine — Wire Cage Removal; Rotating Bottle Not Cork; Controlled Pressure Release; Angle at 45°Proxy — A Tasting Stand-In Wine Used When the Benchmark Is Unavailable or Too ExpensiveSabrage — Opening Champagne with a SwordService Exam Components — Tableside Service, Wine Recommendations, and Decanting DemonstrationServing Temperature by Wine TypeSommelier's Corkscrew (Waiter's Friend)Sommelier's Margin: Understanding Restaurant Wine MarkupVertical TastingWine at Altitude (Aircraft) — Cabin Pressure, Low Humidity, and Engine Noise Combine to Alter Aroma, Body, and Taste Perception In-FlightWine Cellar Classification: Temperature, Humidity, Vibration & Light — Professional Storage StandardsWine FlightWine Glassware: Selecting the Right Glass for Your WineWine Storage and Serving: Temperature, Glassware, and When to DecantWSET Diploma (Level 4)WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines — Expert qualification covering all aspects of wine, from production to business; key milestone for the Master of Wine pathway
Sherry Styles3
Tasting & Sensory49
Acidity Types in WineAppearance Assessment — Color, Hue, Depth, Clarity, and ViscosityBalanceBlack Fruit Aromas — Blackcurrant / Cassis (Cabernet Sauvignon), Blackberry (Malbec), Blueberry (Syrah), Black PlumBLICBrett / Barnyard — Brettanomyces YeastCitrus Aromas — Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit & Orange PeelCommon Wine FaultsComplexity — Multiple Aromas and Flavors Evolving in the Glass; Hallmark of Fine WineCourt of Master Sommeliers Deductive Tasting MethodFinish / Length / PersistenceFlabby Wine (Insufficient Acidity — Low Total Acidity)Floral Aromas — Violet, Rose, Jasmine, and Elderflower in WineGeraniol & Linalool — Rose and Floral Aroma CompoundsGlycerol — Wine's Fermentation PolyolHeat Damage / MaderizationHerbal & Green Aromas — Pyrazines & Unripe PhenolicsHow to Taste Wine Like a ProMethoxypyrazine (IBMP) — Bell Pepper / Green CapsicumMinerality in Wine — Geological Origin or Aromatic Illusion?Nose Assessment — Condition, Intensity, and DevelopmentOxidation — Premature Exposure to OxygenOxidative Notes — Nutty, Aldehydic, Dried FruitPalate Assessment — Sweetness, Acidity, Tannin, Alcohol, Body, Flavor Intensity, FinishPetrichor & Earthy Notes in WinePetrol / Kerosene (TDN) — 1,1,6-Trimethyl-1,2-DihydronaphthalenepH in Wine — Acidity Measurement and Its Role in WinemakingPolymerized TanninsPrimary Aromas — Derived from the Grape Itself (Fruit, Floral, Herbal, Spice)Red Fruit Aromas in Wine — Strawberry, Raspberry, Cranberry, and PomegranateReduction — Volatile Sulfur CompoundsReductive NotesRefermentation / Pétillance — Unintended CO₂ in Still WineRetronasal AromaRotundone — The Black Pepper Aroma CompoundSecondary Aromas — From FermentationSotolon — Maple Syrup, Curry & Walnut Aroma CompoundStone Fruit Aromas — Peach (Viognier), Apricot (Roussanne), Nectarine (Chardonnay), White Plum (Alsatian Pinot Gris)Sweet vs. Dry: Understanding Wine SweetnessTannin Descriptors — Silky, Velvety, Supple, Chalky, Grippy, Drying, Astringent, Green, CoarseTannin Types — Seed, Skin, Stem & Oak TanninsTCA / Cork TaintTertiary Aromas / Bouquet — From Aging: Oxidation, Reduction, Bottle Development & Maillard ReactionsTropical Fruit Aromas in WineTypicity — Faithfulness to Regional, Varietal, or Vintage CharacteristicsUmami in Wine — Savory, Brothy QualityWine FaultsWine StructureWSET Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT): Appearance, Nose, Palate, Conclusions
Viticulture & Vine19
Albariza — The White Chalky Soil of JerezAmerican Rootstocks — Vitis riparia, Vitis rupestris, Vitis berlandieriCalifornia Phylloxera and AXR-1 RootstockClone SelectionCoulure — Poor Fruit Set in the VineyardCoulure and MillerandageDiurnal Temperature VariationGuyot SimpleLimestone / Calcareous SoilsLyre / U-System — Horizontally Divided Double-Curtain Trellis for High-Vigor SitesMinimal Intervention ViticulturePergola / Tendone — Overhead Trellis SystemPhenological Stages — Bud Break, Flowering, Fruit Set, Véraison, HarvestPhotosynthesis in Vines — Leaves convert sunlight, CO₂, and water into sugars transported to grapes via phloemPhylloxera (Daktulosphaira vitifoliae)Scott Henry SystemTranslocation — Movement of Sugars from Leaves to Grape Clusters Post-VéraisonTranspiration — Water Loss Through Vine Leaves; Stress Management Critical in Hot ClimatesVolcanic Soils in Wine — Santorini, Etna, and the Canary Islands
Wine Business & Trade29
AllocationBack Label — Wine Label on the Reverse of the BottleChâteau — French Estate TermCIF — Cost, Insurance, FreightDomaine — Estate that grows its own grapes and makes its own wine; end-to-end control; Burgundy standardDTC — Direct to ConsumerEn PrimeurFine Wine MarketFOB — Free on BoardGaragiste — Micro-Production Winemaking MovementLiv-ex — London International Vintners ExchangeLiv-ex Fine Wine 100Merchant / Importer / Distributor (Three-Tier System)NégociantNégociant and Courtier ModelOff-Trade — Retail (wine shop, supermarket, online); high volume; lower margin per bottleOn-Trade: Restaurants, Bars & Hotels — The Premium Channel for Wine ProducersProvenance — Documentation of Wine's Storage and Ownership HistoryProvenance Verification — Authentication Services: Capsule Inspection, Label Condition, Fill Level (Ullage), Specialist TastingRelease PriceSpot MarketThe Parker Points EffectTTB — Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade BureauUllageWine Auction — Christie's, Hart Davis Hart, Zachys, and AckerWine Club — Subscription & Allocation ModelWine Investment — Fine Wine as Alternative AssetWine Media & Ratings PlatformsWinery / Bodega / Cantina / Weingut — English, Spanish, Italian, and German Terms for Wine Estate or Cellar
Wine Classification — Argentine IG / DOC framework1
Wine Classification — Brazilian Wine Classification1
Wine Classification — Chilean DO System1
Wine Classifications4
Wine Law & Classification32
AOC / AOP — Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée / ProtégéeAVA: American Viticultural AreaBiodyvin Certification (Wine-Specific Biodynamic Certification Body)Burgundy Grand Cru Vineyards — 33 Grand Cru AOCs in Côte d'OrBurgundy Premier CruClassico — Italy's Historic Original Production ZoneCru Bourgeois — The Quality Middle Tier of the MédocDO — Denominación de OrigenDOC — Denominazione di Origine ControllataDOCa / DOQ — Denominación de Origen CalificadaDOCG — Denominazione di Origine Controllata e GarantitaEiswein — Naturally Frozen Grape WineGI — Geographical Indication (Australia)Grand Cru Terroir Selection: Historical Basis and Cistercian OriginsHalbtrocken / Feinherb — Off-Dry German Wine TermsIGP / Vin de Pays — Indication Géographique ProtégéeIGT — Indicazione Geografica TipicaINAO — Institut National de l'Origine et de la QualitéPDO / PGI — EU FrameworkPomerol Classification — No Official Classification; Pétrus Considered Equivalent to a First Growth by Market ConsensusPort Classification — Tawny Styles (Oxidative; Barrel-Aged)Prädikat System — Sugar Ripeness Classification in German WinePremier Cru vs. Grand Cru (Burgundy) — Why Grand Cru Is the Top Tier, Not Premier CruProšek — Croatian Dessert WineRiserva (Italy) — Extended Aging RequirementSuperiore — Italian Wine Classification for Enhanced QualityVDP — Verband Deutscher PrädikatsweingüterVDP.Erste Lage — Germany's Premier Cru EquivalentVDP.Ortswein — Village-level Wine; Named Village; Step Above GutsweinVin de France — France's Most Flexible Wine CategoryVineyard-Designated WinesVino de Autor / Vino de Guarda — Modern Spanish Marketing Designations
Wine Regions1
Wine Styles20
Botrytis Selection — Tries Successives (Multiple Passes)California Cult WinesDessert WinesFortification: Grape Spirit (Aguardente) Added Mid-FermentationGrower Champagne / Récoltant-ManipulantHigh-Acidity White Wines: The Crispest, Most Refreshing Bottles to TryIcewineLate Harvest Wine ProductionNatural Wine MovementNon-vintage Champagne (NV — house style blends)Rancio Character — Oxidative Aging in Fortified Wine & Vin Doux NaturelRed Wine vs. White Wine: How They're Made DifferentlyRiddling / Remuage — Manual Pupitre vs. GyropaletteRosé Port (Modern Innovation)Sparkling Wine: How the Bubbles Get InStraw Wine / Vin de Paille / Strohwein (Grape Drying for Sweet Wine)Tokaji Máslás: Wine Made by Pouring Must Over Aszú LeesTraditional Method / Méthode Champenoise (Méthode Traditionnelle)Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) — Muscat, Banyuls, Maury, RivesaltesVintage Champagne (Single Harvest, Declared ~3x/Decade)
Wine Styles & Categories4
Wine Terms193
10-Year-Old Tawny Port1855 Classification40-Year-Old Tawny Port (Extraordinary; Ferreira, Taylor's and Other Rare Expressions)5 Premiers Crus Classés (1855): Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-BrionAlternative Wine ClosuresAmontillado: The Dry Sherry Aged Under Flor, Then OxidativelyAncient Roman Wine HistoryAndré TchelistcheffAnthocyanins and Wine ColorAntipastiArak: Lebanon's National SpiritArmenian Wine Law: PDO/PGI System & Appellation FrameworkAuslese (Selected Harvest — Hand-Picked; Often Botrytised; Rich and Sweet)Austria's DAC System and Erste Lage Classification: One Appellation Per Region, One Quality PyramidAustrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB): Austria's National Wine Promotion BodyAustrian Wine Quality Mark: The Red-White-Red Banderole on QualitätsweinAzerbaijan Brandy: Cognac-Style Spirits and a Rich Distilling HeritageBandol RoséBaron Philippe de RothschildBarossa Old Vine CharterBeerenauslese / BA (Individually Selected Botrytised Berries, Rare and Luscious Sweet)Blanc de Blancs Champagne (100% Chardonnay)Blanc de Noirs Champagne (Pinot Noir and/or Meunier)Bordeaux AssemblageBordeaux BlendBrandy de JerezBulgarian Wine Law: PDO/PGI System & Classification FrameworkBurgundy Wine ClassificationCalifornia Chardonnay Style EvolutionCap Classique (MCC — Méthode Cap Classique)Cava de Guarda Superior (Min. 18 Months Aging: Reserva, Gran Reserva, de Paraje Calificado)Cava de Paraje Calificado (Single-Vineyard Cava)Champoux VineyardChianti Classico Annata (normale)Chianti Classico Gran SelezioneChile's Three Transversal Designations: Costa, Entre Cordilleras & AndesColheita PortConfrérie des Chevaliers du TastevinCrémant d'AlsaceCroatia Wine Law: EU-Harmonized Framework Post-2013 AccessionCrus Bourgeois du Médoc (2020 Classification: Exceptionnel, Supérieur, Cru Bourgeois)Crusted PortDAC — Districtus Austriae Controllatus (Austrian PDO System)Deutscher Wein (German Table Wine)Direct-to-Consumer Wine SalesDOC / DOP (Denominação de Origem Controlada / Protegida) — Portugal's Highest Appellation TierDOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada) — Spain's Highest Wine ClassificationDry White BordeauxEnglish Regional Wine PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)English Wine PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) SystemFederal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA Act)FeinherbFrench AOC Classification SystemFrench Wine Classification SystemGarnacha de Aragón (Old-Vine Garnacha from Aragón's Four DOs)Garrafeira PortGeorgian Natural Wine MovementGeorgian Wine Law: Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) SystemGerman Wine ClassificationGI — Geographical Indication (New Zealand wine regions under the GI Act 2006)GI Hierarchy: Zone → Region → Sub-Region (Most Specific)Giacomo TachisGrandes Pagos de EspañaGravel vs Clay TerroirGraves / Pessac-Léognan Classification (1953 / 1959)Grecanico DoratoGuinea FowlHalbtrocken (Off-Dry — Up to 18 g/L RS)Harvest / Vintage Madeira (Frasqueira)Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) CertificationHenri Jayer and Cros-ParantouxHeroic ViticultureIsraeli Wine Law: GI System & Quality DesignationsItalian DOC ClassificationsItalian DOCG ClassificationsItalian Wine ClassificationItalian Wine Classification System: DOC, DOCG, and IGTIVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto)Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Denomination of OriginJudgment of Paris (1976)Jules ChauvetKabinett (Lightest Prädikat — Fully Ripe Main Harvest, Low Alcohol, Racy, Off-Dry to Sweet)Kermit Lynch Wine MerchantKey VDP Estates: Germany's Premier WinegrowersLabel Rules: 85% Rule for Variety, Vintage, and Geographic IndicationLabel Rules: 85% Variety, 85% Vintage, and DO Region DeclarationLandwein (Austrian PGI — Protected Geographical Indication)Landwein (German PGI — Country Wine; 26 Designated Regions)Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) PortLebanese Wine Law: Regulatory Framework and Classification SystemMalbec Export Markets: Global Reach and Premium PositioningManzanilla SherryMargaret River Cabernet SauvignonMarlborough Sauvignon BlancMax SchubertMediterranean White WinesMédoc Gravel TerroirMoldovan Wine Law: PGI Classification System & EU AlignmentMontagne Sainte-VictoireMoroccan TagineMutage (Alcohol Addition to Arrest Fermentation — VDN Method)Napa Cabernet as American BenchmarkNoël VersetNon-DAC Wines Labeled Niederösterreich, Burgenland, Steiermark, or WienOechsle ScaleOld Vine CaliforniaOPAP & OPE: Greece's Historic PDO Wine ClassificationsOregon Wine LawsOrganic Wine CertificationOrganic Wine ProductionPacific Northwest WinePalo CortadoPDO Status Requirements: English & Welsh Wine Classification StandardsPDO: Protected Designation of Origin (Greece)PGI — Protected Geographical Indication (Προστατευόμενης Γεωγραφικής Ένδειξης); Greek Regional WinesPomerol Classification AbsencePortuguese Wine ClassificationPrädikat System: Germany's Ripeness-Based Wine ClassificationPrädikatswein (Germany's Highest Quality Tier — No Chaptalization Allowed)Prestige CuvéeProvençal RoséProvence RoséPuttonyos System (Historical)Qualitätswein (QbA — Quality Wine from a Specified Region)Qualitätswein (QbA): Germany's Quality Wine ClassificationQvevri Winemaking TraditionRécemment Dégorgé (RD) — Late-Disgorged ChampagneReserve Ruby Port (Higher Quality Ruby Style; Graham's Six Grapes)Reserve Tawny PortRhône Rangers MovementRight Bank MerlotRobert Mondavi Influence on California WineRobert Parker Wine RatingsRomanian Wine Law: DOC, DOC-CMD, DOC-CT, DOC-CIB, IGP, and Vin de Masă Classification SystemRuby PortRussian River Valley Pinot NoirSacramento River DeltaSaint-Émilion ClassificationSaint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A (Pavie, Figeac — and the Unclassified Giants Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus)Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé BSchillerweinSecond Wine TraditionSelecionado (Selected): A Portuguese Producer Term for Blended Aged RedsSicilian WineSingle Quinta Vintage PortSoviet Era Impact on Wine RegionsSpain's DO Classification Hierarchy: From Region to Single VineyardSpanish Wine ClassificationSpätlese (Late Harvest)Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Management in WinemakingSummer EntertainingSuper Tuscan TraditionSüß (Sweet — No Legal Maximum RS)Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ): The World's Most Comprehensive Wine Sustainability ProgrammeSwiss Wine Law: Cantonal Autonomy Within a Federal FrameworkTanninsTawny Port (Basic; Blended; Amber Color from Wood Aging)Temperature Control in WinemakingTenuta Estate TraditionTerroirThe Sideways EffectTo Kalon VineyardTokaji FordításTrocken (Dry, Max 9g/L RS)Trockenbeerenauslese / TBATTB Certificate of Label Approval (COLA)Uruguay Wine Law: INAVI Regulation & Wine ClassificationValle d'ItriaVarietal Labeling: Minimum Percentage Rules ExplainedVDP ClassificationVDP Erste Lage (Premier Cru Equivalent)VDP Große Lage / GG (Grosses Gewächs)VDP Ortswein (Village Wine — Typicity of Village Terroir)VDP.Gutswein (Estate Wine — Entry Level)Vi de Finca (Catalonia's Single-Vineyard Classification)Villány DHC Classification: Classicus, Premium, and Super Premium (Villányi Franc)Viñedo Singular (Single-Vineyard Designation)Vinho / Vinho de Mesa (Table Wine — No Geographic Indication)Vino de Calidad (VC) — Spain's Quality Stepping StoneVino de la Tierra (VT) — Spain's IGP Wine ClassificationVintage on Label: Minimum 85% of Stated YearWachau Classification (Vinea Wachau)WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association) — Fair Labour CertificationWine by the Glass ProgramsWine Label Rules: 75% Variety, 85% AVA, 95% VintageWine Label Rules: The 85% Variety and Vintage Threshold, Swiss Canton-of-Origin Requirements, and Grand Cru Designations Regulated Per CantonWine Provenance and AuthenticationWine Service TemperatureWine Vintages: Do They Actually Matter?WO — Wine of Origin (South Africa's Appellation System; Established 1973)ZOI & ZOZP — Croatian Protected Designations of OriginZones: Large Geographic Units in Australian Wine Classification
Winemaking Process31
Acacia, Chestnut, and Cherry Wood — Alternatives to French and American OakAmerican Oak (Quercus alba) — Wider Grain, Higher Oak Lactones, Faster Flavor ExtractionAmphora / Clay Vessel AgingBrut — 0–12 g/L RS: The Standard Champagne StyleBrut Nature / Zero DosageChaptalization — Adding Sugar Before FermentationChar vs. Toast — Barrel Processing MethodsCharmat Method (Metodo Martinotti) — Secondary Fermentation in Sealed Tank; Fresher, Fruitier; the Prosecco MethodCold Soak / Pre-Fermentation MacerationCommercial Yeasts — Selected StrainsDisgorgement (Dégorgement) — Removing the Frozen Plug of Spent Yeast from the Bottle NeckDosage — The Final Touch in Sparkling Wine ProductionExtended MacerationExtra BrutIndigenous / Wild FermentationIntracellular Fermentation — Carbonic MacerationMalolactic Fermentation (MLF)Micro-Oxygenation (MOx)Must Concentration — Reverse Osmosis, Vacuum Evaporation, and Partial Concentration of Grape MustNew vs. Used Oak — Flavor and Tannin Extraction in WinemakingNon-Vintage (NV) ChampagneOak Grain TightnessPuncheons (500L) / Demi-Muids (600L) — Larger formats; slower oxidation; less oak flavor per liter; popular in Burgundy and RhôneRacking (Soutirage)Saignée — The Art of Bleeding Red MustSemi-Carbonic MacerationSlavonian & Hungarian Oak — Eastern European; Quercus Robur and Petraea; Large Cask Tradition; Barolo, Brunello, and TokajiStabilization — Cold StabilizationTirage — Bottling with Liqueur de Tirage for Secondary FermentationToast Levels — Light, Medium, and Heavy ToastTransfer Method (Méthode Transvasage)
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