Italian Wine Glossary

Italian Wine Glossary

Here is a whole bunch of Italian wine terminology and wine terminology in general to help you understand the complex world of wines. I know I’m learning quite a bit.

Abboccato

- Lightly sweet, Semi-dry.

Acitic

- A vinegar like taste.

Acidity

- Wines that contain acids.

Amabile

- Semi-sweet wines usually referencing sparkling wines.

Amaro

- Bitter.

Annata

- The wine’s vintage year.

Appellation

- French system regulating authenticity.

Asciutto

- Totally dry.

Astringent

- High in tannin.

Azienda agricola

- A winery which also produces other products besides the grapes used under it’s label.

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Balance

- A relative degree of fruity quality, acidity, tannins and alcohol.

Bianco

- White wine.

Botte

- Barrel or cask.

Botticella

- Small cask.

Bottiglia

- Bottle

Bouquet

- Complex aromas.

Bricco

- Refers to the top of the hill Piedmontese dialect and is used to indicate particularly prestigious vineyards.

Brut

- Dry sparkling wine.

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Cantina

- Winery or cellars.

Cantina sociale

- A cooperative winery.

Casa vinicola

A wine merchant whose wines come from mainly purchased grapes.

Cascina

- Farmhouse used for estate wines.

Cerasuolo

Cherry hued rose wines.

Chiaretto

- Deep rose wines.

Classico

- The limited area within the confines of a particular D.O.C. zone.

Coltivatore

- Cultivator

Cooked

- Prunish flavor.

Dolce

- Sweet.

Dry

- Opposite of sweet.

Enoteca

- A wine library.

Etichetta

- Label

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Fattoria

- A town with its own production facility.

Fermentazione naturale

- Natural fermentation.

Fiasco

- Straw cased bottle used by Chianti producers.

Frizzante

- Fizzy

Frutta

- Fruit

Frutta di bosco

- Fruits of the forest such as blackberries, strawberries and raspberries.

Green

- Wine made from unripe grages.

Gradazione alcoolica

- The percentage of alcohol in a wine.

Honeyed

- Wines with a slight hint of honey flavor.

Imbottigliata

- Bottled

Imbottigliata dal Produttore All‘orgin

- Bottled by the producer at the source.

Imbottigliata dalla Cantina Sociale

- Bottled by a cooperative winery.

Invecchiato

- Aged wine.

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Length

- The lingering aftertaste of the wine.

Liquoroso

- A strong wine sometimes fortified.

Litro

- Liter

Madeiruzed

- Oxidized with a brownish color and stale oder.

Maso

- A vineyard or estate

Masseria

- A farm or estate

Metodo Classico or Tradizionale

- A term used in making sparkling wine.

Millesimato

- a vintage for sparkling wine.

Nero

- Black.

Noble

- A classification of grapes that produceCabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Reisling.

Nose

- Aroma.

Nutty

- A nutlike aroma.

Oaky

- An aroma from aged oak casks

Oxidized

- Spoiled form too much air.

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Passito

- Wines mad from partially dried grapes.

Podere

- A small wine estate of farm.

Produttore

- Producer

Recioto

- Wines made from dried grapes in the style of passito.

Riserva

- A D.O.C. or D.O.C.G. aged for more than three years.

Ronco

- A Fiulan term indicating a hillside vineyard,

Rosato

- Rose’wine.

Rosso

- Red.

Scelto

- Selected late harvested D.O.C. wines.

Secco

- Dry white wine.

Semi-Secco

- Semi-Sweet.

Sommelier

- A specialist in selecting and serving wine,

Sori

- Used in Piedmont for a hillside vineyard with a certain favorable.

Sparkling

- Wine containing carbonation.

Sulpher

- An anti-oxidant introduced in some wines in small amounts.

Spumanti

- Dry or Sweet Sparkling wines.

Stabilimento

- Firm.

Superiore

- Indicates D.O.C. wine that meets standards above normal requirements.

Sweet

- Having residual sugar from fermintation.

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Tenimento

- Farm.

Uva

- A dried grape to be used for wine.

Vecchio

- Describes aged D.O.C. wines.

Vendemmis

- Late harvest.

Vigna

- Vineyard

Vignaiolo

- Term for grape grower.

Villa

- Manor

Vinificazion

- Vinification

Vino

- Wine

Vino da Tavolo

- Table wine.

Vino Novello

- Wines in Italy that are sold after one month.

Vin Santo

- Wines made from grapes dried on straw mats.

Vino da Tavolo

- Table wine.

Vintner

- A winemaker

Vite

- Vine.

Viticulture

- The art and science of winemaking.

Vitigno

- Vine or grape variety.

Vivace

- Lightly bubbly wines.

Woody

- Having the aroma or taste of an aging barrel.

Yeasty

- Smelling like yeast.

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