Glossary of Wine Terms
You can browse our topics using the letters below, or search for a term.
Word |
Description |
|---|---|
| Loire | A river in central France as well as a wine region famous for Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Cabernet Franc. |
| Maceration | The process of allowing grape juice and skins to ferment together, thereby imparting color, tannins, and aromas. |
| Madeira | A fortified wine that has been made on a Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco since the fifteenth century. |
| Maderized | Stemming from the word Madeira, this term means oxidization in a hot environment. |
| Magnum | A bottle equal to two regular 750 ml bottles. |
| Malbec | A hearty red grape of French origin now exceedingly popular in Argentina. |
| Malolactic Fermentation | A secondary fermentation, often occurring in barrels, whereby harsher malic acid is converted into creamier lactic acid. |
| Medoc | A section of Bordeaux on the west bank of the Gironde Estuary known for great red wines; Margaux, St.-Estephe, and Pauillac are three leading AOCs in the Medoc. |
| Merlot | A lauded red grape popular in Bordeaux and throughout the world; large amounts of Merlot exist in Italy, the United States, South America, and elsewhere. |
| Must | Crushed grapes about to go or going through fermentation. |
| Nebbiolo | A red grape popular in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy; the grape that yields both Barolo and Barbaresco. |
| Negociant | A French term for a person or company that buys wines from others and then labels it under his or her own name; stems from the French word for 'shipper.' |
| Nose | Synonymous with bouquet; the sum of a wine's aromas. |
| Oaky | A term used to describe woody aromas and flavors; butter, popcorn, and toast notes are found in 'oaky' wines. |
| Organic | Grapes grown without the aid of chemical-based fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. |
| Oxidized | A wine that is no longer fresh because it was exposed to too much air. |
| pH | An indication of a wine's acidity expressed by how much hydrogen is in it. |
| Phylloxera | A voracious vine louse that over time has destroyed vineyards in Europe and California. |
| Piedmont | An area in northwest Italy known for Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera, Dolcetto, and Moscato. |
| Pinot Blanc | A white grape popular in Alsace, Germany, and elsewhere. |
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