| Abruzzo |
Ah BROOD zoe |
Wine growing region in East Central Italy famous for white Trebbiano and red Montepulciano |
| Alsace |
Al SASS |
French wine growing region in NE France |
| Alicante Bouschet |
Ah Lee Cont Boo SHAY |
French red grape used for jug wines |
| Amarone |
Ah Ma ROW Nay |
Italian red grape for full bodied wines |
| Anise |
ANN iss |
Licorice add to some wines to increase acids |
| Appellation Controlee |
Ah pell ah see ON Cohn troll LAY |
French legally defined growing region - AOC |
| Apulia |
Ah POOL Yuh |
Appellation in Italy's heel producing huge amounts of generally table wines |
| Asti Spumonte |
AH Stee Spoo MON teh |
Asti is a town in Italy's Piedmont region famous for its semi-sweet sparkling wine |
| Barbaresco |
Bar Bah RES Coe |
Ted Nebbiolo wine from the Piedmont region of NW Italy |
| Barbera |
Bar BARE ah |
Ted wine from the Piedmont region of NW Italy |
| Bardolino |
Bar doe LEE No |
Italian light red blended wine from the Veneto |
| Barolo |
Bar ROW Lo |
Red Nebbiolo wine from the Piedmont region of NW Italy |
| Beaujolais (Villages) |
Bo zho Lay (vee LAZH ) |
Light, fruity red from the Gamay grape of the Beaujolais region of Burgundy France |
| Bordeaux |
Bore DOE |
Superior wine growing region in France. |
| Botrytis Cinerea |
Bow TRY tis Sin ERR ee uh |
The mold "Noble Rot" which produces the intensely flavoured Sauternes and desert wines |
| Bouquet |
Boo KAY |
A wines "aroma" matures to "bouquet" with ageing |
| Bourgogne |
Boor GONE Yeh |
French for Burgundy - World famous growing region |
| Brouilly |
Brule Yee |
Famous appellation in the Beaujolais region producing top Gran Cru Gamay wines |
| Brunello di |
Brew NELL Oh Dee |
Wonderful red Sangiovese Brunello based wine from the Tuscany region of Italy. |
| Montalcino |
Mawn Tall CHEE No |
If I could afford this stuff, it would be my favorite (David's favourite see below) |
| Burgundy |
BURR Gun Dee |
French wine growing region producing excellent Pinot Noir and Chablis |
| Cabernet Sauvignon |
Cab Er NAY Sew Veen YON |
King of the red grape producing rich full bodied wines. A personal favorite |
| Carignan |
Car Een YON |
Fruity red grape frequently used to produce table wines |
| Carmenere |
Car men YAIR |
Red blending grape grown mostly in Chile |
| Cave |
Cawv |
French term for cellar |
| Chablis |
Shaw BLEE |
Wonderful Chardonnay wine from the Chablis region of Burgundy |
| Champagne |
Sham Pain |
Sparkling wine from the Champagne region of France blended with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier |
| Chardonnay |
Shar Doe Nay |
King of the white grape producing excellent versatile wines |
| Chassagne-Montrachet |
Shaw SAWN Yuh |
Famous village in Burgundy for Premier Cru Chardonnay and Grand Cru Pinot Noir |
| Chateau |
Shot Toe |
Winery "Castle" and vineyard for French wines (Chateaux = plural) |
| Chateauneuf |
Shot Toe NOOF |
Outstanding red wine from the Rhone region of France. Very complex blend of up to 13 specific grapes. |
| du Pape |
Dew Pop |
(new winery (house) of the pope) |
| Chenin Blanc |
SHAY Non Blon |
Excellent white grape producing dry to slightly sweet fruity wine |
| Chianti |
Key AWN Tee |
Wonderful red Sangiovese blend from the Tuscany region of Italy - Italy's #1 Sales |
| Clos |
Cloe |
French name for a walled vineyard |
| Cote Rotie |
Coat Row TEE |
Wonderful Syrah based red from the Rhone region of France |
| Cotes du Rhone |
Coat do Rone |
Red, Grenache based, or white table wine from the Southern Rhone region of France |
| Cremant |
Cray MAN |
French name for Methode Champenoise sparkling wines not produced in the AOC Champange |
| Cru Classe |
Crew Claw SAY |
French word for "growth" indicating high quality - Classe means the vineyard is legally calssified |
| Cru Bourgeois |
Crew Boogh WAH |
French term for a wine growth without distinction - Table wine - Very deceiving term - These are great wines |
| Cru, Grand |
Gron Closs SAY |
Grand Cru or Grand Cru Classe - French term for "Great Growth" |
| Cuvee |
Coo VAY |
French word for "vat" indicating a blend of grapes |
| Demi Sec |
DEHM ee Sek |
French term for "half dry" - indicating semi sweet wines (Except for Champagne) |
| Denominazione di Origine Controlata |
>> see next column >> |
Day Nom E Nah Zee ON Nay - Dee - Oh Ree GEE Nay Con Troll OTT ta (whew!)
DOCG =Gah Ron Tee Tah - "DOC" Italian equivalent of French Appellation Controlee |
| Dolce |
Dole CHAY |
Italian word for "sweet" |
| Dolcetto |
Dole CHET toe |
Fruity red grape form the Piedmont region of NW Italy |
| Domaine |
Doe Main |
French word for "Estate" and/or vineyard |
| Entre-Deux-Mers |
Ahn Truh DEW Murr |
"Between Two Seas" (Dordogne and Garonne Rivers) White wine appellation in SE Bordeaux |
| Fiasco |
Fee YASS Co |
Flask - Straw covered bottle popular with Chianti |
| Fronsac |
Frawn Sak |
Village on the right bank of Bordeaux producing big, powerful reds, a good source of value wines |
| Gamay |
GAM May |
Wonderful red grape from the Beaujolais region of Burgundy |
| Gattinara |
Gaw tee NAH rah |
Excellent red Nebbiolo based wine from the Piedmont |
| Gewurztraminer |
Gah VERTZ Tra Me Nur |
Slightly sweet white grape from the Alsace region of Germany |
| Graves |
Grawv |
Appellation in the Southern Bordeaux South of Pessac-Leognan |
| Grenache |
Grey NOSH |
Widely planted versatile red grape for light to hearty wines - Best in France Southern Rhone |
| Haut Medoc |
Oh May Doc |
Important region of the Medoc region of the Bordeaux region |
| Languedoc |
Lawn Geh Dock |
Southern France region known for producing table wines |
| Listrac |
LEES Trac |
Important commune in the Haut Medoc of Bordeaux |
| Malbec |
MALL Beck |
Powerful red blending grape frequently used in Bordeaux (2 to 8%) Gaining popularity as a varietal in Argentina |
| Malvasia |
Mall Vah ZEE Ah |
Sweet white grape used for blending into Chianti and as a stand alone desert wine |
| Margaux |
Mar GO |
Important commune in the Medoc region of the Bordeaux producing outstanding wines |
| Marsanne |
Mar SAHN |
Wonderful white grape of the Rhone region of France |
| Merlot |
Mare LOW |
Versatile red grape for blending or a soft mellow wine |
| Montepulciano |
Mawn Teh Pull CHA No |
Red grape producing full bodied table wines - Abruzzo DOCG appellation (d'Abruzzo - duh BREW zoe) |
| Montrachet |
Mawn rah SHAY |
Famous growing region of Burgundy producing Grand Cru Chardonnay and Pinot Noir |
| Morellino di Scansano |
Maw ree LEE no dee Scan SAW no |
DOC Sangiovese zone located in the southern portion of Tuscany |
| Moulis |
MOO Le |
Important commune in the Haut Medoc of Bordeaux |
| Mourvedre |
Moor VAY Druh |
Strong red grape from the Rhone, Spain and California |
| Muscat |
MUSS Cat |
Sweet, fruity, aromatic white grape used for desert wines |
| Nebbiolo |
Nay Be -OH Low |
Excellent powerful red grape of Italy's Piedmont region A strong personal favorite |
| Nouveau |
NEW Voe |
French term for "new" - Beaujolais Nouveau released 3rd Thursday in November |
| Pauillac |
PO-E Yah or POY Yak |
Village in the Haut-Medoc region in Bordeaux - If this name is on the bottle, buy it |
| Pessac-Leognan |
PAY Sac- LEO gah NON |
Appellation in the Southern Bordeaux region North of Graves |
| Petit Syrah |
Puh TEE (TEET) See Rah |
California grape producing deep red full bodied tannic spicy wines |
| Petit Verdot |
Puh TEE (TEET) Vare DOE |
Bordeaux grape producing deep red full bodied tannic spicy wines - popular for blending |
| Petrus, Chateau |
PEH Truce |
Producer in Pomeral, Haut-Medoc, Bordeaux world famous for outstanding Merlot |
| Piedmont - Piemonte |
PEED Mont - Pee Eh MON Tay |
N/W Italian wine region producing Nebbiolo, Borolo and other outstanding wines |
| Pinot Grigio |
PEE no GREE Jo |
French / Italian white grape for crisp, dry wine (also Pinot Gris - PEE no GREE) |
| Pinot Noir |
PEE no No WAH |
Excellent red grape of Burgundy - California-Oregon variety |
| Pinotage |
Pee No TAHJ |
South African red wine without distinction |
| Pomerol |
PA Mer All |
Village in the Haut-Medoc region in Bordeaux |
| Pouilly Fuisse |
Poo Yee Fwee SAY or Pwee |
Chardonnay based white Burgundy from the Burgundy region |
| Pouilly Fume |
Poo Yee Foo MAY or Pwee |
Sauvignon Blanc based white Loire dry and tart seafood wine |
| Puligny-Montrachet |
Pew Lee NEE |
Famous village in Burgundy home to 4 Grand Cru Chardonnays considered best in world |
| Rhone |
Roan |
Excellent French wine region known for Syrah (North) and Grenache (South) |
| Riesling |
REES Ling |
Excellent grape of the German Rhine - Aromatic, slightly sweet. |
| Rioja |
Ree OH Ha |
Excellent Spanish red Tempranillo based wine. |
| Sangiovese |
San Joe VAY Seh |
Excellent red grape of Tuscany for rich full bodied wine (Chianti) A personal favorite |
| Sauternes |
Sew TAIRN |
French desert wine from Bordeaux region (Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon) |
| Sauvignon Blanc |
Sew Veen YON Blon |
Widely planted versatile white grape producing solid dry wines |
| Semillon |
SAY me Yon |
French white grape, bland by itself, but usually blended with Sauvignon Blanc, A varietal in California |
| Shiraz |
She RAHZ |
Australian / South African term for Syrah |
| Soave |
Swah Veh |
Italian dry or semi sweet sparkling white wine from Veneto made with Garganega and Trebbiano grapes - Italy's #3 Sales |
| Sommelier |
So Mell Yay |
Restuarant wine waiter |
| Spumante |
Spu MON Tay |
Italian semi sweet sparkling wine (Asti Spumante) from the Piedmonte made with Muscat grape - Italy's #2 Seller |
| Syrah |
See RAH |
Excellent and powerful red grape of Rhone - Full bodied - Aromatic and Tannic |
| Tannin |
Tannin |
Tannic acid in young astringent, "cotton-mouth" red wines |
| Tastevin |
Tot Von |
Sommelier's silver tasting cup "Taste Wine" |
| Tempranillo |
Temp Ra NEEL yo |
Excellent and powerful red grape of Spain (Rioja) |
| Terrior |
Tear WAH |
Growing region containing specific appellations with very similar soil and weather |
| Torrontes |
Tor RON taze |
White quaffing wine from Argentina - aromatic & fruity |
| Trebbiano |
Treb e AH no |
Italian white blending grape used in Chianti and brandy (Cognac in France)
(Ugni Blanc in France & Saint Emilion in Cal) |
| Tuscany |
TUSS Can Ee |
Great region of central Italy, Sangiovese, Chianti, Brunello, Super Tuscans |
| Ugni Blanc |
OO Nee Blonk |
French white blending grape (Trebbiano in Italy & Saint Emilion in Cal) |
| Valpolicella |
Vahl Pole Ee CHEL Lah |
Italian red medium to light bodied dry wine from the Veneto region |
| Varietal |
Vuh Rye eh tell |
Wines made from a specific grape such as Chardonnay - Merlot - Zinfandel |
| Vino da Tavola |
VEE no duh Ta VOL ah |
Lowest Italian wine rating - Wine of the Table - BUT - Also applies to Super Tuscans |
| Vino Nobile di Montepulciano |
VEE no NAW be lay dee
mawn teh pool CHAH no |
Red blended medium bodied wine from the commune of Montepulciano in Southern Tuscany made from the Sangiovese Prugnolo grape (maximum 80%) and Canaiolo or other approved local and international varietals. |
| Viognier |
Vee Own YAY |
French white from the Rhone region, best when blended |
| Vouvray |
Voov RAY |
Chenin Blanc versatile white ranging from very dry to dessert wines |
| Zinfandel |
Zin Fan DELL |
Outstanding red grape producing big, powerful, full-bodied wines |
