Wine Glossary: Terms You Should Know

A sensation of freshness and liveliness on the palate, due to the acids naturally present in the grapes. It gives the wine structure and contributes to its aging potential.

A wine produced in very small quantities, which the winery distributes among its customers and retailers. Available quantities are limited and often sell out quickly.

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (or Appellation d'Origine Protégée, its European equivalent). It guarantees that a wine comes from a defined region and complies with specific guidelines: authorized grape varieties, yield limits, and production methods.

The totality of the scents and flavors perceived by the nose and on the palate. These are classified as primary aromas (derived from the grape), secondary aromas (derived from fermentation), and tertiary aromas (derived from aging and maturation).

A blend of several grape varieties, vineyard plots, or vintages to create a cuvée. Bordeaux and Champagne are often blended wines, unlike single-varietal wines.

Wine made from grapes grown without synthetic chemicals (fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides) and produced in accordance with European specifications that, among other things, limit the use of sulfites. It can be identified by the Euroleaf logo.

A farming method that goes beyond organic farming: it views the vineyard as an ecosystem, uses natural preparations, and takes lunar cycles into account. The best-known certifications are Demeter and Biodyvin.

A white wine, often sparkling, made exclusively from white grapes. In Champagne, it is generally made from 100% Chardonnay.

A white wine made from black grapes, whose colorless juice is pressed quickly to prevent it from taking on the color of the skins. In Champagne: Pinot Noir and/or Pinot Meunier.

This term refers to a wine that has been tainted by a molecule (TCA) sometimes found in corks. It smells like wet cardboard or mold, and its fruit aromas disappear. This defect cannot be corrected by letting the wine breathe.

Labels indicating the amount of sugar added to a sparkling wine (the dosage). A "brut" contains less than 12 g of sugar per liter; a "brut nature" (or "non-dosé") contains less than 3 g, with no added sugar.

Pour the wine into a carafe before serving it. For a young wine, this aerates it and helps it open up; for an older wine, the process is called decanting, which separates the wine from its sediment.

Grape varieties: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah, Chenin… Each grape variety has its own aromas and structure, which then vary depending on the terroir and winemaking process.

A building, often partially underground, where wine is produced and aged. The term “cuverie” is also used to refer to the area where the fermentation tanks are located.

A specific wine-growing region renowned for the quality of the wines it produces. The term has different meanings depending on the region: grand cru and premier cru in Burgundy or Alsace, crus classés in Bordeaux, and crus in Beaujolais.

A wine produced from a carefully selected blend (plots, grape varieties, old vines, etc.) and marketed under its own name. A single winery often produces several cuvées.

A winery that cultivates its own vineyards and produces its own wine. In the Bordeaux region, such a business is called a “château,” and when the owner handles everything from the vineyard to the bottle, they are referred to as an “independent winemaker.”

Adding a small amount of liqueur (wine and sugar) to a sparkling wine just before bottling it. The amount added determines its classification: brut nature, extra-brut, brut, extra-dry, dry, demi-sec, or sweet.

Wine that contains carbon dioxide bubbles resulting from a second fermentation in the bottle (champagne, crémant) or in a tank, or from a single fermentation completed in the bottle (pétillant naturel).

The period between fermentation and bottling, during which the wine rests and matures: in stainless steel tanks, oak barrels, amphorae, or concrete eggs. This period can last from a few months to several years.

The conversion of sugar in grapes into alcohol by yeast. This is the step that turns grape juice into wine.

A secondary fermentation, driven by bacteria, that converts malic acid (sharp and tart) into lactic acid (milder). It rounds out the wine and sometimes imparts buttery notes.

A wooden barrel, usually made of oak, used for aging wine. A new barrel imparts woody, vanilla, or toasty notes; an old barrel primarily allows the wine to breathe. A Bordeaux barrel holds 225 liters.

A wine's ability to improve with age. A wine suitable for aging gains complexity over several years, provided it is stored away from light at a stable temperature.

A classification that identifies the best terroirs within an appellation. In Burgundy, it represents the top of the hierarchy, above the premiers crus; in Alsace and Champagne, it refers to classified lieux-dits or communes.

Protected Geographical Indication. It guarantees the wine's origin, with specifications that are more flexible than those of AOPs, allowing for greater freedom regarding grape varieties. Examples: IGP Pays d'Oc, IGP Val de Loire.

Yeasts that occur naturally on the grape skin and in the winery, as opposed to selected yeasts added in the cellar. They are used to express the terroir, particularly in natural wine.

A very sweet white wine made from overripe grapes or grapes affected by noble rot (Botrytis), which concentrates the sugar. Sauternes is the best-known example of this type of wine.

The length of time the flavors linger after swallowing the wine. It is sometimes measured in caudalies (one caudalie = one second).

Contact between the juice and the grape skins during winemaking. This is what gives red, rosé, and orange wines their color, tannins, and some of their aromas.

The year the grapes were harvested, as indicated on the label. Each vintage reflects the weather conditions of that year; non-vintage wines, which are common in Champagne, are blends of grapes from multiple harvests.

A sensation of freshness, saltiness, or wet stone perceived on the palate, especially in white wines. The term is descriptive: it does not correspond to a specific mineral taste.

A wine that retains some of the grapes' natural sugar, falling between semi-dry and sweet. Sweet wines are common in the Loire Valley, the Southwest, and Alsace.

A winery that purchases grapes, grape juice, or wine from growers to ferment, age, blend, and market them under its own name.

The totality of aromas perceived when smelling the wine. We refer to the "first nose" before swirling the glass, and the "second nose" after swirling it to release the aromas.

White wine made like a red: the white grapes macerate with their skins for several days or several months, giving the wine an amber color, tannins, and aromas of dried fruit, bark, or spices.

A sparkling wine made using the traditional method: a single fermentation, which begins in a tank and is completed in the bottle, naturally creating the bubbles. It is also known as “pet'nat.”

Color and appearance of the wine in the glass: hue, intensity, clarity, and brilliance. As it ages, a red wine takes on a brick-red hue, and a white wine takes on a golden hue.

A wine to which no sulfites were added during winemaking or bottling. It may contain very small amounts of sulfites produced naturally during fermentation.

Terms indicating the sugar content of a still wine. A dry wine contains less than 4 g per liter; a semi-dry wine contains between approximately 4 and 12 g. Note: For sparkling wines, these terms refer to wines that are sweeter than a brut.

Sulfur compounds (sulfur dioxide, SO₂) used as preservatives and antioxidants. The statement “contains sulfites” is required when the concentration exceeds 10 mg per liter; organic and natural wines contain lower levels.

Compounds derived from the skin, seeds, and sometimes the wood of the barrel, which create a sensation of astringency (a “gritty” mouthfeel). Found primarily in red wines, they mellow with time.

All of the natural and human factors that give a wine its identity: soil, subsoil, climate, and exposure, as well as the winemakers’ expertise.

Still wine, as opposed to sparkling wines. The vast majority of red, white, and rosé wines are still wines.

Grape harvesting, whether by hand or by machine, generally takes place between late August and October in France. Hand-harvesting allows the grapes to be sorted right in the vineyard.

A term used to describe wines made from old vines, often more than 30 or 40 years old. These vines are less productive but produce more concentrated grapes. The term is not defined by law.

A category of wines without a specific geographical indication, with the most flexible set of specifications. Many winemakers, particularly those producing natural wine, choose this category to maintain their freedom in winemaking.

A wine made from hand-harvested organic grapes, fermented with native yeasts, without any additives or corrective techniques, and with very little or no added sulfites. The designation “Vin méthode nature” has regulated this practice since 2020.