Wine Terms

The complete language of wine, from vine to glass.

461 articles

Wine Basics10

Botrytis Cinerea How to Buy Wine Without Overthinking It How to Read a Wine Label Old World vs. New World Wine: Style, Philosophy, and What It Means for Your Glass Red Wine vs. White Wine: How They're Made Differently Terroir The Science of Wine: Every Discipline in Your Glass Why Does Wine Give Me a Headache?Wine Aging & Cellaring Wine Vintages: Do They Actually Matter?

Tasting & Sensory44

Acidity Types in Wine Anthocyanins and Wine Color Appearance Assessment — Color, Hue, Depth, Clarity, and Viscosity Balance Black Fruit Aromas — Blackcurrant / Cassis (Cabernet Sauvignon), Blackberry (Malbec), Blueberry (Syrah), Black Plum BLIC Citrus Aromas — Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit & Orange Peel Complexity — Multiple Aromas and Flavors Evolving in the Glass; Hallmark of Fine Wine Court of Master Sommeliers Deductive Tasting Method Finish / Length / Persistence Flabby Wine (Insufficient Acidity — Low Total Acidity)Floral Aromas — Violet, Rose, Jasmine, and Elderflower in Wine Geraniol & Linalool — Rose and Floral Aroma Compounds Glycerol — Wine's Fermentation Polyol Herbal & Green Aromas — Pyrazines & Unripe Phenolics How to Taste Wine Like a Pro Methoxypyrazine (IBMP) — Bell Pepper / Green Capsicum Minerality in Wine — Geological Origin or Aromatic Illusion?Nose Assessment — Condition, Intensity, and Development Oxidative Notes — Nutty, Aldehydic, Dried Fruit Palate Assessment — Sweetness, Acidity, Tannin, Alcohol, Body, Flavor Intensity, Finish Petrichor & Earthy Notes in Wine Petrol / Kerosene (TDN) — 1,1,6-Trimethyl-1,2-Dihydronaphthalene pH in Wine — Acidity Measurement and Its Role in Winemaking Polymerized Tannins Primary Aromas — Derived from the Grape Itself (Fruit, Floral, Herbal, Spice)Red Fruit Aromas in Wine — Strawberry, Raspberry, Cranberry, and Pomegranate Reductive Notes Retronasal Aroma Rotundone — The Black Pepper Aroma Compound Secondary Aromas — From Fermentation Sotolon — Maple Syrup, Curry & Walnut Aroma Compound Stone Fruit Aromas — Peach (Viognier), Apricot (Roussanne), Nectarine (Chardonnay), White Plum (Alsatian Pinot Gris)Sweet vs. Dry: Understanding Wine Sweetness Tannin Descriptors — Silky, Velvety, Supple, Chalky, Grippy, Drying, Astringent, Green, Coarse Tannin Structure in Red Wine Tannin Types — Seed, Skin, Stem & Oak Tannins Tannins Tertiary Aromas / Bouquet — From Aging: Oxidation, Reduction, Bottle Development & Maillard Reactions Tropical Fruit Aromas in Wine Typicity — Faithfulness to Regional, Varietal, or Vintage Characteristics Umami in Wine — Savory, Brothy Quality Wine Structure WSET Systematic Approach to Tasting (SAT): Appearance, Nose, Palate, Conclusions

Faults & Flaws13

Brett / Barnyard — Brettanomyces Yeast Brettanomyces / Dekkera — Barnyard, Horse, Band-Aid, Leather Character Common Wine Faults Cork Taint — TCA (2,4,6-Trichloroanisole) Mechanism & Musty Detection Heat Damage / Maderization Mousiness — Wine Fault Oxidation — Premature Exposure to Oxygen Premature Oxidation (Premox) in White Burgundy — Causes & Controversy Reduction — Volatile Sulfur Compounds Refermentation / Pétillance — Unintended CO₂ in Still Wine Tartrate Crystals — Aesthetic Issue vs. Quality Signal TCA / Cork Taint Wine Faults

Service & Sommelier32

Ah-So / Butler's Friend — Two-Pronged Cork Puller Benchmark Wine Blind Tasting — Systematic Deduction BTG — By the Glass: Portion Pricing and a Key Profitability Driver for Restaurants Common Wine Pronunciations Coravin System Coravin Wine Preservation System — Enabling Premium By-the-Glass Service Without Opening the Bottle Court of Master Sommeliers: Advanced Sommelier Certificate Decanting Decanting for Aeration — Young Tannic Wines Decanting for Sediment Double Decanting Horizontal Tasting Master of Wine (MW): The World's Most Rigorous Wine Qualification Master 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 Expensive Sabrage — Opening Champagne with a Sword Service Exam Components — Tableside Service, Wine Recommendations, and Decanting Demonstration Serving Temperature by Wine Type Sommelier's Corkscrew (Waiter's Friend)Sommelier's Margin: Understanding Restaurant Wine Markup Vertical Tasting Wine at Altitude (Aircraft) — Cabin Pressure, Low Humidity, and Engine Noise Combine to Alter Aroma, Body, and Taste Perception In-Flight Wine by the Glass Programs Wine Cellar Classification: Temperature, Humidity, Vibration & Light — Professional Storage Standards Wine Flight Wine Glassware: Selecting the Right Glass for Your Wine Wine Service Temperature Wine Storage and Serving: Temperature, Glassware, and When to Decant WSET 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

Wine Styles46

Bandol Rosé Blanc de Blancs Champagne (100% Chardonnay)Blanc de Noirs Champagne (Pinot Noir and/or Meunier)Bordeaux Blend Brut — 0–12 g/L RS: The Standard Champagne Style Brut Nature / Zero Dosage California Chardonnay Style Evolution California Cult Wines Cap Classique (MCC — Méthode Cap Classique)Cape Blend Champagne Blend (Pinot Noir, Chardonnay & Meunier)Cool-Climate Pinot Noir Cool-Climate Syrah Crémant d'Alsace Dry White Bordeaux Extra Brut Garnacha de Aragón (Old-Vine Garnacha from Aragón's Four DOs)German Riesling Grenache in the Southern Rhône: Domaine Tourbillon & the Region's Finest Expressions Grower Champagne / Récoltant-Manipulant High-Acidity White Wines: The Crispest, Most Refreshing Bottles to Try Italian White Wines Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc Mediterranean White Wine Styles Mediterranean White Wines Mystirio: Santorini's First Skin-Contact Assyrtiko Napa Cabernet as American Benchmark Non-Vintage (NV) Champagne Non-vintage Champagne (NV — house style blends)Pinot Noir in the Willamette Valley Prestige Cuvée Provençal Rosé Provence Rosé Récemment Dégorgé (RD) — Late-Disgorged Champagne Riesling in Washington State Right Bank Merlot Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Schillerwein Second Wine Tradition Spanish White Wines Sparkling Wine: How the Bubbles Get In Super Tuscan Tradition Vintage Champagne (Single Harvest, Declared ~3x/Decade)Vintage vs Non-Vintage Champagne Wine Styles Explained: Red, White, Rose, Sparkling, Fortified, and Dessert

Fortified & Sweet Styles45

10-Year-Old Tawny Port 40-Year-Old Tawny Port (Extraordinary; Ferreira, Taylor's and Other Rare Expressions)Amontillado: The Dry Sherry Aged Under Flor, Then Oxidatively Beerenauslese / BA (Individually Selected Botrytised Berries, Rare and Luscious Sweet)Bual Colheita Port Crusted Port Dessert Wines Eiswein — Naturally Frozen Grape Wine Fortification: Grape Spirit (Aguardente) Added Mid-Fermentation Fortified Wines Garrafeira Port Harvest / Vintage Madeira (Frasqueira)Icewine Late Bottled Vintage (LBV) Port Late Harvest Wine Production Manzanilla de Sanlúcar Manzanilla Sherry Moscatel de Jerez Noble Rot Palo Cortado Pedro Ximénez Port Classification — Tawny Styles (Oxidative; Barrel-Aged)Prošek — Croatian Dessert Wine Puttonyos System (Historical)Rancio Character — Oxidative Aging in Fortified Wine & Vin Doux Naturel Reserve Ruby Port (Higher Quality Ruby Style; Graham's Six Grapes)Reserve Tawny Port Rosé Port (Modern Innovation)Ruby Port Rutherglen Muscat and Topaque Classification Rutherglen Muscat Classification System Rutherglen Topaque Sercial Single Quinta Vintage Port Straw Wine / Vin de Paille / Strohwein (Grape Drying for Sweet Wine)Tawny Port (Basic; Blended; Amber Color from Wood Aging)Terrantez Madeira Tinta Negra Tokaji Aszú Tokaji Fordítás Tokaji Máslás: Wine Made by Pouring Must Over Aszú Lees Trockenbeerenauslese / TBA Verdelho Madeira Vin Doux Naturel (VDN) — Muscat, Banyuls, Maury, Rivesaltes

Wine Law & Classification148

1855 Classification 5 Premiers Crus Classés (1855): Lafite Rothschild, Mouton Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion American Viticultural Areas (AVAs)AOC / AOP — Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée / Protégée Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC)Argentine IG System Armenian Wine Law: PDO/PGI System & Appellation Framework Auslese (Selected Harvest — Hand-Picked; Often Botrytised; Rich and Sweet)Austria's DAC System and Erste Lage Classification: One Appellation Per Region, One Quality Pyramid Austrian Wine Quality Mark: The Red-White-Red Banderole on Qualitätswein AVA: American Viticultural Area Barossa Old Vine Charter Biodyvin Certification (Wine-Specific Biodynamic Certification Body)Brazilian Wine Classification Bulgarian Wine Law: PDO/PGI System & Classification Framework Burgundian AOC Hierarchy Burgundy Grand Cru Terroir Hierarchy — Historical Classification Burgundy Grand Cru Vineyards — 33 Grand Cru AOCs in Côte d'Or Burgundy Premier Cru Burgundy Wine Classification Cava de Guarda Superior (Min. 18 Months Aging: Reserva, Gran Reserva, de Paraje Calificado)Cava de Paraje Calificado (Single-Vineyard Cava)Champagne Cru System — Grand Cru & Premier Cru Village Classifications Chianti Classico Annata (normale)Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Chianti Classico UGA System Chile's Three Transversal Designations: Costa, Entre Cordilleras & Andes Chilean DO System Classico — Italy's Historic Original Production Zone Climat (Burgundy)Croatia Wine Law: EU-Harmonized Framework Post-2013 Accession Cru Bourgeois — The Quality Middle Tier of the Médoc Crus Bourgeois du Médoc (2020 Classification: Exceptionnel, Supérieur, Cru Bourgeois)DAC — Districtus Austriae Controllatus (Austrian PDO System)Deutscher Wein (German Table Wine)DO — Denominación de Origen DOC — Denominazione di Origine Controllata DOC / DOP (Denominação de Origem Controlada / Protegida) — Portugal's Highest Appellation Tier DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada) — Spain's Highest Wine Classification DOCG — Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita English Regional Wine PGI (Protected Geographical Indication)English Wine PDO (Protected Designation of Origin)EU Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) System Federal Alcohol Administration Act (FAA Act)Federspiel Feinherb French AOC Classification System French Wine Classification System Georgian Wine Law: Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) System German Einzellagen & Großlagen: Terroir Classification Explained German Prädikatswein Classification German Wine Classification GI — Geographical Indication (Australia)GI — Geographical Indication (New Zealand wine regions under the GI Act 2006)GI Hierarchy: Zone → Region → Sub-Region (Most Specific)Grand Cru Terroir Selection: Historical Basis and Cistercian Origins Graves / Pessac-Léognan Classification (1953 / 1959)Halbtrocken (Off-Dry — Up to 18 g/L RS)Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) Certification IGP / Vin de Pays — Indication Géographique Protégée IGT — Indicazione Geografica Tipica IGT Toscana Vehicle INAO — Institut National de l'Origine et de la Qualité INAO 1936 Classification Integrated Production of Wine (IPW): South Africa's Sustainability Certification Israeli Wine Law: GI System & Quality Designations Italian DOC Classifications Italian DOCG Classifications Italian Wine Classification Italian Wine Classification System: DOC, DOCG, and IGT IVDP (Instituto dos Vinhos do Douro e Porto)Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Denomination of Origin Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva (Spanish Aging Classification)Kabinett (Lightest Prädikat — Fully Ripe Main Harvest, Low Alcohol, Racy, Off-Dry to Sweet)Key VDP Estates: Germany's Premier Winegrowers Label Rules: 85% Variety, 85% Vintage, and DO Region Declaration Landwein (Austrian PGI — Protected Geographical Indication)Landwein (German PGI — Country Wine; 26 Designated Regions)Lebanese Wine Law: Regulatory Framework and Classification System Lieu-dit vs Climat Maison vs Grower-Champagne (RM/NM/CM/RC codes)MGA System (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive)Moldovan Wine Law: PGI Classification System & EU Alignment Monopole Mt Etna Contrada System Extension Non-DAC Wines Labeled Niederösterreich, Burgenland, Steiermark, or Wien Old Vine Project OPAP & OPE: Greece's Historic PDO Wine Classifications Oregon Wine Laws Organic Wine Certification Pago System (Vino de Pago Classification)PDO / PGI — EU Framework PDO Status Requirements: English & Welsh Wine Classification Standards PDO: Protected Designation of Origin (Greece)PGI — Protected Geographical Indication (Προστατευόμενης Γεωγραφικής Ένδειξης); Greek Regional Wines Pomerol Classification Absence Portuguese Wine Classification Prädikat System: Germany's Ripeness-Based Wine Classification Prädikatswein (Germany's Highest Quality Tier — No Chaptalization Allowed)Premier Cru vs. Grand Cru (Burgundy) — Why Grand Cru Is the Top Tier, Not Premier Cru Priorat's Els Noms de la Terra — Spain's Burgundian Terroir Classification Qualitätswein (QbA — Quality Wine from a Specified Region)Riserva (Italy) — Extended Aging Requirement Romanian Wine Law: DOC, DOC-CMD, DOC-CT, DOC-CIB, IGP, and Vin de Masă Classification System Saint-Émilion Classification Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé A (Pavie, Figeac — and the Unclassified Giants Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus)Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru Classé B Selecionado (Selected): A Portuguese Producer Term for Blended Aged Reds Smaragd Spain's DO Classification Hierarchy: From Region to Single Vineyard Spanish Wine Classification Spätlese (Late Harvest)Steinfeder Superiore — Italian Wine Classification for Enhanced Quality Süß (Sweet — No Legal Maximum RS)Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ): The World's Most Comprehensive Wine Sustainability Programme Swiss Wine Law: Cantonal Autonomy Within a Federal Framework Trocken (Dry, Max 9g/L RS)TTB Certificate of Label Approval (COLA)Uruguay Wine Law: INAVI Regulation & Wine Classification Valpolicella Classico Subzone System Varietal Labeling: Minimum Percentage Rules Explained VDP — Verband Deutscher Prädikatsweingüter VDP Classification VDP Große Lage / GG (Grosses Gewächs)VDP Ortswein (Village Wine — Typicity of Village Terroir)VDP.Erste Lage — Germany's Premier Cru Equivalent VDP.Grosses Gewächs VDP.Gutswein (Estate Wine — Entry Level)Vi de Finca (Catalonia's Single-Vineyard Classification)Villány DHC Classification: Classicus, Premium, and Super Premium (Villányi Franc)Vin de France — France's Most Flexible Wine Category Viñedo Singular (Single-Vineyard Designation)Vineyard-Designated Wines Vinho / Vinho de Mesa (Table Wine — No Geographic Indication)Vino de Autor / Vino de Guarda — Modern Spanish Marketing Designations Vino de Calidad (VC) — Spain's Quality Stepping Stone Vino de la Tierra (VT) — Spain's IGP Wine Classification Vintage on Label: Minimum 85% of Stated Year Wachau Classification (Vinea Wachau)WIETA (Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trade Association) — Fair Labour Certification Wine Label Rules: 75% Variety, 85% AVA, 95% Vintage Wine Label Rules: The 85% Variety and Vintage Threshold, Swiss Canton-of-Origin Requirements, and Grand Cru Designations Regulated Per Canton WO Hierarchy: Geographical Unit → Region → District → Ward → Single Vineyard / Estate WO Label Declarations and Geographic Origin Requirements WO: Wine of Origin (South Africa)ZOI & ZOZP — Croatian Protected Designations of Origin Zones: Large Geographic Units in Australian Wine Classification

Winemaking Terms54

Acacia, Chestnut, and Cherry Wood — Alternatives to French and American Oak Air Seasoning — Outdoor Stave Drying Alternative Wine Closures American Oak (Quercus alba) — Wider Grain, Higher Oak Lactones, Faster Flavor Extraction Amphora / Clay Vessel Aging Amphora & Qvevri — Clay Vessels in Ancient and Natural Wine Barrique — 225L Bordeaux Barrel Bending — Steam, Fire, or Water-Bending of Staves to Form Barrel Shape Biological Aging Under Flor Yeast (Sherry Fino & Manzanilla)Bordeaux Assemblage Botrytis Selection — Tries Successives (Multiple Passes)Chaptalization — Adding Sugar Before Fermentation Char vs. Toast — Barrel Processing Methods Charmat Method Cold Soak / Pre-Fermentation Maceration Commercial Yeasts — Selected Strains Concrete Egg / Vessel Disgorgement (Dégorgement) — Removing the Frozen Plug of Spent Yeast from the Bottle Neck Dosage — The Final Touch in Sparkling Wine Production Ellagitannins — Oak-Derived Hydrolyzable Tannins Extended Maceration Firing / Toasting — Barrel Construction Foudre / Botti Indigenous / Wild Fermentation Intracellular Fermentation — Carbonic Maceration Kiln Seasoning — Accelerated Artificial Drying Malolactic Fermentation (MLF)Méthode Traditionnelle Micro-Oxygenation (MOx)Must Concentration — Reverse Osmosis, Vacuum Evaporation, and Partial Concentration of Grape Must Mutage (Alcohol Addition to Arrest Fermentation — VDN Method)New vs. Used Oak — Flavor and Tannin Extraction in Winemaking Oak Grain Tightness Oechsle Scale Organic Wine Production Puncheon / Hogshead — 500L and 300L; Slower Oak Extraction; Used Widely in Australia and Beyond Puncheons (500L) / Demi-Muids (600L) — Larger formats; slower oxidation; less oak flavor per liter; popular in Burgundy and Rhône Qvevri Winemaking Tradition Racking (Soutirage)Riddling / Remuage — Manual Pupitre vs. Gyropalette Saignée — The Art of Bleeding Red Must Semi-Carbonic Maceration Slavonian & Hungarian Oak — Eastern European; Quercus Robur and Petraea; Large Cask Tradition; Barolo, Brunello, and Tokaji Slavonian Oak (Croatia) — Large Casks (Botti)Solera System — Fractional Blending (Sherry, Madeira, Some Tawny Port)Stabilization — Cold Stabilization Stave Splitting vs. Sawing Stelvin Screwcap: The Closure Revolution That Changed Wine Forever Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Management in Winemaking Temperature Control in Winemaking Tirage — Bottling with Liqueur de Tirage for Secondary Fermentation Toast Levels — Light, Medium, and Heavy Toast Traditional Method / Méthode Champenoise (Méthode Traditionnelle)Transfer Method (Méthode Transvasage)

Wine Business & Trade38

Allocation Austrian Wine Marketing Board (AWMB): Austria's National Wine Promotion Body Back Label — Wine Label on the Reverse of the Bottle Château — French Estate Term CIF — Cost, Insurance, Freight Direct-to-Consumer Wine Sales Domaine — Estate that grows its own grapes and makes its own wine; end-to-end control; Burgundy standard Domaine vs Négociant DTC — Direct to Consumer En Primeur Fine Wine Market FOB — Free on Board Garagiste — Micro-Production Winemaking Movement Global Wine Export Markets: Tariff Shifts and Trade Rebalancing Grandes Pagos de España Hospices de Beaune Auction Liv-ex — London International Vintners Exchange Liv-ex Fine Wine 100 Malbec Export Markets: Global Reach and Premium Positioning Merchant / Importer / Distributor (Three-Tier System)Négociant Négociant and Courtier Model Négociant-éleveur Off-Trade — Retail (wine shop, supermarket, online); high volume; lower margin per bottle On-Trade: Restaurants, Bars & Hotels — The Premium Channel for Wine Producers Provenance — Documentation of Wine's Storage and Ownership History Provenance Verification — Authentication Services: Capsule Inspection, Label Condition, Fill Level (Ullage), Specialist Tasting Release Price Spot Market Tenuta Estate Tradition TTB — Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau Ullage Wine Auction — Christie's, Hart Davis Hart, Zachys, and Acker Wine Club — Subscription & Allocation Model Wine Investment — Fine Wine as Alternative Asset Wine Media & Ratings Platforms Wine Provenance and Authentication Winery / Bodega / Cantina / Weingut — English, Spanish, Italian, and German Terms for Wine Estate or Cellar

History & People27

Ancient Roman Wine History André Tchelistcheff Anselme Selosse and the Rise of Grower Champagne Australia's Screwcap Revolution: How Clare Valley Changed the World of Wine Closures Baron Philippe de Rothschild Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin Georgian Natural Wine Movement German Red Wine Renaissance Giacomo Tachis Henri Jayer and Cros-Parantoux Judgment of Paris (1976)Jules Chauvet Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant Max Schubert Natural Wine Movement Noël Verset Rhône Rangers Movement Robert Mondavi Influence on California Wine Robert Parker Wine Ratings Soviet Era Impact on Wine Regions Swartland Revolution The Parker Points Effect The Sideways Effect The Story of Wine: 8,000 Years in a Glass Traditionalist vs Modernist Barolo (The Schism)University of Minnesota Grape Breeding Program WSU Viticulture and Enology Program

Spirits4

Arak: Lebanon's National Spirit Azerbaijan Brandy: Cognac-Style Spirits and a Rich Distilling Heritage Brandy de Jerez South African Brandy

A note from me, now and then.

Wines I am drinking, what I am teaching, and the occasional thing worth buying. A few times a season, never spam.