Even the most savvy sophisticate can feel tongue-tied at the prospect of a party featuring foreign and/or polysyllabic wine labels. For those who like to come prepared, we offer our pronouncing glossary:
Abboccato(ah-bo-kah-toe)
sweet
Aligoté (ah-lee-go-tay)
lesser white wine grape of Burgundy
Aloxe-Corton (ah-lox cor-tawn)
wine village in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune
Amontillado (ah-mon-tee-yah-doe)
a particular style of medium-dry Sherry
Anjou (ahn-joo)
French wine district along the Loire
Auslese (ow-slay-zuh)
sweet German wine made from selected bunches of grapes
Top
Barbera (bar-bear-ah)
red wine grape from Piedmont region of Italy
Bardolino (bar-doe-lee no)
village along Italy's Lake Garda which produces light red wines
Barolo (bar-oh-loe)
wine village in the Piedmont region of Italy
Barsac (bar-sack)
wine village in the Sauternes district of Bordeaux
Beaujolais (bo jo-lay)
red wine from southern Burgundy
Beaune (bone)
central village of the Côte de Beaune in Burgundy
Beerenauslese (beer-en-ow slay-zuh)
very sweet German wine produced from specially selected grapes
Bernkastel (bearn-castle)
German wine village along the Moselle
Blanc de Blancs (blahn duh blahn)
white wine made from white grapes
Bocksbeutel (box-boy-tell)
squat, flagon-shaped bottle for Franken (Germany) wines
Bodega (bo-day-gah)
Spanish wine cellars
Bordeaux (bore-doe)
city, and important wine region, in south-western France
Brouilly (brew-yee)
village in the Beaujolaus region
Brut (brute)
the driest style of Champagne
Bual (boo-ahl)
grape used to make sweet Madeira
Top
Cabernet Sauvignon (ca-bear-nay saw-vee-n'yon)
classic red wine grape of Bordeaux
Cave (cahv)
wine cellar
Chablis (shah-blee)
famous white wine village of northern Burgundy
Chai (shay)
ground-level warehouse in Bordeaux
Chambertin (shahm-bear-tan)
Burgundy vineyard in the village of Gevrey-Chambertin
Chambolle-Musigny (shahm-bol moo-seen-yee)
wine village in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits
Chassagne-Montrachet (shah-sahn-yuh mon-rah-shav)
village in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune which produces both red and white wines
Chasselas (shass-lah)
white wine grape grown in Switzerland
Chateau (shah-toe)
synonymous with vineyard, in Bordeaux
Chateauneuf-du-Pape (shah-toe-nuff-doo pahp)
red wine village in the Rhøne region
Chénas (shay-nah)
village in the Beaujolais region
Chenin Blanc (shay nan blahn)
white wine grape from the Loire Valley
Chiroubles (shee-roobi)
village in the Beaujolais region
Clos de Beze (cloh duh behz)
Burgundy vineyard adjoining Chambertin
Clos de Vougeot (cloh duh voo-joh)
largest vineyard in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits
Corbiéres (cor-b'yair)
wine region in southern France
Corton (cor tawn)
Burgundy vineyard in the village of Aloxe-Corton
Côte de Beaune (coat duh bone)
district in Burgundy that includes such villages as Beaune, Pommard, and Volnay
Côte de Brouilly (coat duh brew-yee)
an inner district in the Beaujolais region
Côte Chalonnaise (coat shah-lo-nayz)
lesser known district in southern Burgundy
Côte de Nuits (coat duh nwee)
district in Burgundy that includes such villages as Nuits-St. Georges, Chambertin, and Vosne-Romanée
Côte d'Or (coat dor)
principal fine wine district of Burgundy, made up of the Côte de Nuits and the Côte de Beaune
Côte-du-Rhòne (coat-doo-rone)
important wine region in southern France
Cru (crew)
literally, growth, but synonymous with vineyard
Cru Classé (crew clah-say)
classified growth, or vineyard, of Bordeaux
Cuvée (coo-vay)
a blend of wines
Top
Dào (down)
region in central Portugal
Douro (doo-roe)
river in northern Portugal that flows through the Port district
Top
Echézeaux (eh-shay-zoh)
Burgundy vineyard in the Côte de Nuits
Edelfäule (ay-del-foil)
noble mold responsible for some of the finest sweet German wines
Egri Bikavér (eff-ree bee-ka-vair)
specific red wine from Hungary
Entre-Deux-Mers (ahn' tr-duh-mair)
white wine district in Bordeaux
Top
Fiasco (plural Fiaschi) (fee-ahss-koe)
straw-covered bottle used for Chianti
Fino (fee-no)
a particular style of dry Sherry
Fleurie (fluh-ree)
village in the Beaujolais region
Frascati (frahss-ca-tee)
wine village near Rome
Top
Gamay (gam-may)
red wine grape used to make Beaujolais
Gevrey-Chambertin (jev-ray shahm-bear-tan)
wine village in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits
Gewürztraminer (guh-vurtz-trah-mee-ner)
spicy white wine from Alsace
Grands Echézeaux (grahnz eh-shay-zoh)
vineyard in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits
Graves (grahv)
red and white wine district in Bordeaux
Grenache (greh-nahsh)
grape used to make red and rosé wines
Gumpoldskirchen (goom-poles kir ken)
Austrian wine village near Vienna
Top
Haut (oh)
literally, high; not necessarily an indication of higher quality
Hospices de Beaune (oh-speece duh bone)
charitable hospital in Burgundy that owns many fine vineyards
Top
Jerez (hair-reth)
city in southern Spain, center of Sherry production
Johannisberg (yoh-hah-niss-bairg)
German wine village along the Rhine
Juliénas (jool-yeh-nah)
village in the Beaujolais region
Top
Lacrima Christi (la-cree-mah kriss tee)
literally, tears of Christi refers to red and white wines produced near Naples
Top
Màcon (mah-kon)
extensive red and white wine region in southern Burgundy
Malmsey (mahlm-zee)
grape used to make sweet Madeira
Manzanilla (man-zah-nee-yah)
very dry style of Sherry
Margaux (mahr-go)
wine village in the Médoc district of Bordeaux
Médoc (meh-dock)
important red wine district in Bordeaux
Meursault (muhr-soe)
white wine village in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune
Mise en bouteilles (meez ahn boo-tay)
bottled (this phrase on a wine label is followed by the name of a producer or wine shipper)
Montrachet (mon-rah shay)
famous white wine vineyard in Burgundy
Morgon (mohr-gohn)
village in the Beaujolais region
Moulin-à-Vent (moo-lahn-ah-vahn)
an inner district in the Beaujolais region
Mousseux (moo-suh)
French sparkling wine
Muscadet (muhss-ka-day)
white wine district along the Loire
Musigny (moo-see-nyee)
Burgundy vineyard in the village of Chambelle-Musigny
Top
Neuchatel (nuh shah tell)
Swiss white wine produced along the shore of that lake
Nierstein (neer-shtine)
important German wine village along the Rhine
Nuis-St. Georges (nwee san jawj)
central wine village of Burgundy's Côte de Nuits
Top
Oloroso (oh lo ro-so)
a particular style of Sherry, used as a base for Cream Sherry
Orvieto (ahr vee-ay-toe)
white wine village in central Italy
Top
Pauillac (paw-yack)
important wine village in the Médoc district of Bordeaux
Petillant (pet tee-yahn)
lightly sparkling
Petit (puh-tee)
small
Phylloxera (fil-lox-uh-rah)
insect that destroyed most of the world's vineyards in the 19th century
(Pinot) Chardonnay (pee-noe shar-doe-nay)
classic white wine grape of Burgundy - Pinot name has been dropped
Pinot Noir (pee-noe nwahr)
classic red wine grape of Burgundy
Pomerol (pom-uh-rohl)
red wine district in Bordeaux
Pommard (poh-mar)
village in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune
Pouilly-Fuissé (poo-yee foo-say)
dry white wine from the Loire
Pourriture noble (poo-ree-toor nohbl)
noble mold, responsible for the unique flavor of Sauternes and Barsac
Premier Cru (preh-m'yay crew)
first growth; refers specifically to some of the best individual vineyards in Bordeaux and Burgundy
Puligny-Montrachet (poo-lee-nyee mon-rah-shay)
white wine village in Burgundy's Côte de Beaune
Puttonyos (puh-tohn-yosh)
literally, baskets; used as a measurement to indicate the comparative sweetness of Hungarian aszu (6 puttonyos is the sweetest)
Top
Retsina (ret-see-nah)
Greek wine flavored with resin
Rheingau (rine-gow)
fine German wine district along the Rhine
Rheinhessen (rine-hessen)
extensive German wine district along the Rhine
Rheinpfalz (rine faltz)
less familiar German wine district along the Rhine
Richebourg (reesh bour)
Burgundy vineyard in the village of Vosne-Romanée
Riesling (rees-ling)
classic white wine grape of Germany
Rioja (ree-oh-ha)
fine wine district of Spain
Rosé (roh-zay)
any pink wine
Top
Sancerre (sahn-sair)
village along the Loire producing full-flavored dry white wine
Sauternes (saw-tairn)
Bordeaux district producing sweet white wines
Sauvignon Blanc (saw-vee-n'yohn blahn)
classic white wine grape of Bordeaux
Sec (French)
dry
Secco (Italian) (sek, say-co)
dry
Sekt (sekt)
German sparkling wine
Sémillon(seh-mee-yohn)
fine white wine grape of Bordeaux
Soave (so-ah-vay)
Italian village producing popular light dry white wine
Solera (so-lair-ah)
blending system used to make Sherry
Sommelier (so-mel-yay)
wine steward
Spätlese (shpaht-lay-zuh)
late-picked, as applied to the grapes used to make some German wines
Spumante (spoo-mahn-tay)
Italian sparkling wine
Sylvaner (sil-vah-ner)
white wine grape of Alsace
Top
Tastevin (taht-van)
shallow silver tasting cup used in Burgundy
Tavel (tah-vell)
wine village in the Rhône producing popular dry rosé
Traminer (trah-mee-ner)
white wine grape of Alsace
Trockenbeerenauslese (trok-en-beer-en-ow--slay-zuh)
rare German wine made from specially selected overripe grapes
Top
Valdepeñas (val-day-pain-yass)
wine village in central Spain
Valpolicella (val-poh-lee-t'chell-ah)
region near Verona producing light dry red wines
Verdicchio (vehr-dee-kee--oh)
Italian dry white wine made from this grape
Vinho Verde (veen-yoh vair-day)
literally, green wine; young red and white wines from northern Portugal
Vinifera (vin-if-uh-rah)
grape species responsible for most of the world's wines
Vosne-Romanée (vohn ro-mah-nay)
village in Burgundy's Côte de Nuits
Top
Yquem (ee-kem)
famous vineyard in the Sauternes district
Top
