Wine Terms

Question 1

Bodega

Answer 1

Spanish term for a wine cellar, winery, or a tavern or grocery store selling wine

Question 2

Abbocato

Answer 2

Italian for medium sweet, semi-dry, or slightly sweet.

12-18g/L

Question 3

Abocado

Answer 3

Spanish for medium sweet. According to EU labeling regulations, Semisecco is the official Spanish term.

Question 4

Adega

Answer 4

Portuguese word for winery or cellar

Question 5

Amabile

Answer 5

Italian for sweet; sweeter than Abbocato. Literally means “lovable”

18-45g/L

Question 6

Amelioration

Answer 6

Euphemism for chemical intervention in the winemaking process. Used interchangeably with enrichment or chaptalization in cool climates and also refers to acidification and deacidificaiton.

Manipulation would be the pejorative form of this.

Question 7

What is the difference between Azienda Agricola and Azienda Vinicola? What combines both?

Answer 7

Agricola is essentially equivalent of the Domaine in France. Grapes are grown and wine is produced on an estate.

Vinicola is essentially the equivalent of Negociant in France.

Azienda Vitivinicola combines properties of both.

Question 8

Cantina Sociale

Answer 8

Italian for wine cooperative

Question 9

What does Casa Vinicoloa, or Azienda Vinicola indicate on a bottle of Italian wine?

Answer 9

A producer who buys in grapes or wine like a French Negociant

Question 10

What are 3 appellations in Italy that use the term “Classico”?

Answer 10

Soave Classico DOC
Chianti Classico DOCG
Bardolino Classico DOC
Valpolicella Classico DOC

Question 11

Colli

Answer 11

Italian equivalent for the French term “Côte” and implies that the vines are planted on a slope at a certain elevation.

Question 12

What is the French term for Co-Operative?

Answer 12

cave cooperative

Question 13

What is the Italian term for a cooperative?

Answer 13

Cantina Sociale

Question 14

What does the term Coupage mean?

Answer 14

slightly pejorative term for “blending”; assemblage is the preferred term for blending used

Question 15

What is the French term for Crushing?

Answer 15

Foulage

Question 16

What are the sweetness levels of wine in the EU and the values associated with them?

Answer 16

Sec/Dry: 0-4g/L
Demi-Sec/Medium Dry: 4-12g/L
Moelleux/Medium Sweet: 12-45g/L
Doux/Sweet: 45g/L+

Question 17

What are the alcohol ranges for table wine and dessert wine in the US?

Answer 17

7-14% abv is considered Table Wine

14-24% is considered dessert wine even if the wine is dry and unfortified

Question 18

Why are American producers wary of producing wines over 14% abv?

Answer 18

They qualify for a higher tax.

Question 19

What is the French term for Desuckering?

Answer 19

épamprage

Question 20

What is the Spanish word for bottled?

Answer 20

Embotellado

Question 21

What is the difference between ecepagement and assemblage?

Answer 21

Encepagement refers to the grapes in the vineyard.

Assemblage refers to the grape makeup of the wines produced.

Question 22

Engarrafado

Answer 22

Portuguese for bottled

Question 23

What are vino sfuso?

Answer 23

Wines poured in bulk, typically from a barrel into glass demijohns in Italy.

Question 24

Espumoso

Answer 24

Spanish term for sparkling.

Question 25

What is the difference between a fattoria and a podere?

Answer 25

Podere is often considered a small farm carved out of a larger property and designed to be just large enough to support a sharecropper/tennant and his family.

Fattoria, literally translated to ‘farm’ but is also used as a term to describe a wine estate.

Question 26

What does fleuraison refer to?

Answer 26

Flowering

Question 27

grès

Answer 27

French for sandstone

Question 28

Incrocio

Answer 28

Italian for a vine cross