Wine: English Vocabulary List

a type of fizzy wine made originally in France, often drunk to celebrate an event

"Champagne is expensive."

"Champagne is made exclusively from grapes grown in the Champagne region of France and using the traditional method of secondary fermentation in the bottle."

a type of red wine produced in the Bordeaux region of France, made from a blend of grape varieties

"Bordeaux is French red wine."

"We enjoyed a fine bottle of Bordeaux with our roasted lamb dinner at the restaurant."

a red wine from the Burgundy region of France, or a similar wine made elsewhere

"We drank Burgundy."

"She prefers a delicate Burgundy from France over most other red wines she has tried."

a type of white wine made from the Riesling grape, characterized by its high acidity, crisp and refreshing taste

"Riesling is German white wine."

"Riesling is a white wine known for its floral aroma and high acidity."

an aromatized fortified wine that is flavored with various botanicals, including herbs, spices, and roots

"Vermouth is fortified wine."

"He ordered a classic martini made with dry vermouth and premium gin at the bar."

a type of red wine made from the Gamay grape, produced in the Beaujolais region of France

"He chose Beaujolais."

"Beaujolais is a light bodied French red wine made from Gamay grapes."

‌a fizzy white wine, originated in Italy

"Prosecco is Italian sparkling wine."

"At the celebration, guests raised their glasses of chilled Prosecco to toast the happy couple."

a strong wine that is often taken before a meal as an appetizer, originated in Spain

"He sipped a small glass of sweet sherry."

"Sherry is a fortified wine from Spain that ranges from bone dry to intensely sweet depending on aging."

a type of white wine made from Chardonnay grapes grown in the Chablis region of Burgundy, France

"She ordered Chablis."

"Chablis is a dry French white wine made from Chardonnay grapes."

a white wine made from the Chardonnay grape, resulting in a range of flavors that often include notes of apple, pear, citrus, and tropical fruit

"She paired the fish with a glass of cold Chardonnay."

"The oaked Chardonnay had buttery vanilla notes that paired beautifully with the creamy lobster pasta dish."

a type of red wine made from Sangiovese grapes grown in the Chianti region of Tuscany, Italy

"Chianti is Italian red wine."

"Chianti is a famous Italian red wine from Tuscany."

a sweet wine typically served with dessert or as a dessert on its own

"Try this dessert wine."

"Dessert wine is a sweet wine typically served with or after dessert."

a type of wine that has been strengthened by the addition of a distilled spirit, usually brandy

"He drank fortified wine."

"Fortified wine has brandy added to increase alcohol content."

the wine offered by a restaurant or bar as a standard, affordable option

"Just give me the house wine."

"The restaurant offered a decent house wine that was affordable but not particularly memorable."

a fortified wine that comes from the Portuguese island of Madeira and is known for its distinctive nutty, caramelized flavor

"She enjoyed a glass of Madeira."

"Madeira is a Portuguese fortified wine heated during aging."

a red wine grape variety that is widely planted throughout the world and is known for producing wines that are soft, fruity, and easy to drink

"He prefers drinking merlot."

"Merlot is a red wine grape variety known for producing soft fruity wines that age relatively quickly."

a warm, spiced wine typically made with red wine, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and orange peel

"Mulled wine is warm."

"On a cold winter evening, nothing beats a comforting mug of warm mulled wine."

a slang term used to describe cheap, low-quality wine that is considered to be of inferior taste and quality

"Plonk is bad wine."

"He brought a bottle of plonk to the party, which no one really wanted to drink."

a type of wine made from dark-colored grapes that are fermented with their skins

"Red wine uses dark grapes."

"This particular red wine has notes of cherry and a smooth, lingering finish."

a type of wine made from white grapes or from red grapes that have had their skins removed, resulting in a light-colored wine

"White wine uses light grapes."

"A crisp white wine is the perfect accompaniment to fresh seafood on a summer day."

a Greek wine that is flavored with pine resin during the winemaking process

"Retsina has pine resin."

"The distinct aroma of pine resin makes retsina a unique and memorable Greek wine."

an alcoholic beverage made from fermented grapes or other fruits

"Vino means wine."

"After a long day, they enjoyed a glass of vino on the patio."

a type of wine that is carbonated, producing bubbles and a fizzy texture

"Sparkling wine has bubbles."

"They celebrated their anniversary with a bottle of chilled sparkling wine and a toast."

a German wine that is flavored with sweet woodruff herb and is traditionally consumed in May

"May wine has woodruff."

"This refreshing May wine, infused with woodruff, is a popular choice for spring celebrations."

a low-priced wine that is typically sold in large bottles or jugs

"Jug wine is inexpensive."

"For a casual picnic, they opted for a convenient and affordable jug wine."

to carefully pour a liquid from one container to another, often to separate any solid particles or to allow the liquid to breathe and develop its flavor and aroma

"Decant the wine into a glass carafe."

"To enhance its complex flavors, the sommelier decided to decant the aged red wine."

deposits of dead yeast or other particles that settle at the bottom of a wine barrel or bottle during the fermentation and ageing process

"Lees are sediment deposits."

"The winemaker carefully stirred the lees to add richness and body to the wine."

the science and practice of cultivating grapes for the purpose of making wine

"Viticulture grows grapes for wine."

"Mastering viticulture is essential for producing high-quality grapes used in fine wines."

a place where wine is made and usually stored

"Winery produces wine."

"They spent the afternoon touring the picturesque winery and sampling their award-winning selections."