Glossary of Wine Terms
You can browse our topics using the letters below, or search for a term.
Word |
Description |
|---|---|
| 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. |
| Gruener 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 doesnit have depth or body. |
| Hybrid | The genetic crossing of two or more grape types; common hybrids include Mueller-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 750 ml bottles. |
| Kabinett | A German term for a wine of quality; usually the driest of Germanyis 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. |
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