Italian Wine Labeling Terms

Question 1

Abboccato

Answer 1

A medium-dry wine with a maximum of 1.2% or 12 g/l of sugar.

Question 2

Amabile

Answer 2

A medium-sweet wine with a maximum of 4.5% or 45g/l of sugar.

Question 3

Annata

Answer 3

Vintage

Question 4

Bianco

Answer 4

White wine

Question 5

Chiaretto

Answer 5

Term used to indicate a rose wine made in specific DOCs.

Question 6

Classico

Answer 6

A wine produced from the original historic winegrowing area of a DOCG or DOC.

Question 7

Dolce

Answer 7

A sweet wine (more than 4.5% or 45g/l of sugar).

Question 8

Fermo

Answer 8

A still wine.

Question 9

Frizzante

Answer 9

A semi-sparkling wine.

Question 10

Imbottigliato all’origine

Answer 10

Estate-bottled

Question 11

Liquoroso

Answer 11

A fortified wine.

Question 12

Novello

Answer 12

A wine released shortly after it is made; similar in concept to Beaujolais Nouveau. By law, a wine labeled as novello must include at least 40% of wine made by the carbonic or semi-carbonic maceration methods. Some appellations require a higher percentage than this standard.

Question 13

Passito

Answer 13

A wine made from semi-dried grapes.

Question 14

Riserva

Answer 14

A wine that went through an extended period of aging before release compared to the non-riserva version. A riserva wine usually also has stricter production requirements (such as lower maximum yields and higher minimum alcohol content).

Question 15

Rosato

Answer 15

A rose wine.

Question 16

Secco

Answer 16

A dry wine (maximum of 0.4% or 4g/l of sugar).

Question 17

Spumante

Answer 17

A fully sparkling wine.

Question 18

Superiore

Answer 18

A wine with a higher minimum actual alcohol content compared to the non-superiore version of the same wine (ranging from 0.5% to about 1% or more). Often superiore wines also have stricter production criteria (such as lower maximum yields and longer aging requirements) than non-superiore wines.

Question 19

Vendemmia

Answer 19

Harvest or vintage.

Question 20

Vendemmia Tardiva

Answer 20

Late harvest; indicates a wine made from late harvested grapes. The wine can be sweet or dry.

Question 21

Vigna/Vigneto

Answer 21

A single vineyard; the term vigna is followed by the name of the vineyard. The designation can by used only if the grapes come from that vineyard. The wines must follow stricter production criteria than non-single vineyard wines from the same DOC or DOCG.

Question 22

Vino

Answer 22

Wine

Question 23

Vivace

Answer 23

A lively (lightly fizzy) wine.