Glossary
Mâcon Blanc: (Mac-CAW blahnk) The most basic white wine from the Mâconnais region of Burgundy, France.
Mâcon-Villages: (Mac-CAW vee-LAHZH) A white wine from designated villages in the Mâconnais region of France; a step above the Mâcon Blanc quality.
Malvasia: (Mahl-vah-SEE-ah) A white grape grown in Italy.
Manzanilla: (Mahn-than-NEE-ya) A type of Sherry.
Margaux: (Mar-GO) A district in the Bordeaux region in France.
Mechanical harvester: A machine used on flat vineyards. It shakes the vines to harvest the grapes.
Médoc: (May-DOCK) A district in the Bordeaux region in France.
Merlot: (Mehr-LOW) The red "softening" grape grown primarily in the Bordeaux region of France.
Méthode Champenoise: (May-TUD Shahm-pen-WAHZ) The method by which Champagne is made.
Meursault: (Mehr-SOH) A village in the Côte d'Or in Burgundy, France.
Microclimate: A term that refers to an area that has a climate within a climate. While one area may be generally warm, it may have a cooler "microclimate" or region.
Morey-St-Denis: (Mor-RAY san duh-NEE) A village in the Côte d'Or in Burgundy, France.
Mosel-Saar-Ruwer: (MO-z'1 sahr ROO-ver) A region in Germany that produces a light-style white wine.
Mousseux: (Moo-SUH) The term for all French sparkling wines that are not produced in Champagne.
Müller-Thurgau: (MEW-lurr TURK-gow) Across between the Riesling and the Silvaner grapes of Germany.
Muscadet: (Moos-cah-DAY) A light, dry wine from the Loire Valley of France.
Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise: (Mus-CAT borne deh ven-EASE): A sweet fortified wine from the Rhône Valley region of France.
Must: Grape juice.
Nebbiolo: (Nehb-bee-OH-loh) A red grape grown in Piedmont, Italy, produces some of the finest Italian wine.
"Noble Rot": See Botrytis cinerea.
Non-vintage Champagne: Champagne made from a blend of vintages (more than one year's crop); it is more typical of the house style than vintage Champagne.
Nose: The term used to describe the bouquet and aroma of wine.
Nuits-St-Georges: (Nwee san ZHORZH) A village in the Côte d'Or in Burgundy, France.
Official Classification of 1855: A classification drawn up by wine brokers of the best Médoc châteaus of that time.
Palomino: The primary grape used to make Sherry.
Pauillac: (PAW-yak) A district in the Bordeaux region of France.
Pedro Ximénez: (PAY-droh he-MAY-nays): A grape used to make Sherry.
Petite Sirah: A red grape grown primarily in California.
Petits Châteaus: Lesser-known châteaus in the Bordeaux region that pro duce good-quality wines for reasonable prices.
Phylloxera: (Fill-LOCK-seh-rah) A root louse that kills grape vines.
Piedmont: (PEED-mont) One of the most important wine districts in Italy.
Pinot Blanc: A white grape grown primarily in the Alsace region of France. Pinot Meunier (PEE-noh muhn-YAY) A red grape grown primarily in the Champagne region of France.
Pinot Noir: (PEE-noh NWAHR) A fragile red grape that is difficult to grow; nearly all red French Burgundy wines are made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Pomerol: (Palm-muh-ROLL) A district in the Bordeaux region of France.
Pommard: (Poh-MAR) A village in the Côte d'Or in Burgundy, France.
Pouilly-Fuissé: (Pooh-yee Twee-SAY) The highest-quality white Mâconnais wine.
Pouilly-Fumé: (Pooh-yee fooh-MAY) A dry white wine from the Loire Valley region of France.
Pouilly-Vinzelles: (Pooh-yee van-ZELL) A dry white Mâconnais wine.
Premier Cru: A wine which has special characteristics that comes from a specific designated vineyard in Burgundy, France, or is blended from several such vineyards.
Prestige Champagne: The highest-quality Champagne.
Proprietary wine: A wine that's given a brand name like any other product and is marketed as such, i.e., Riunite, Mouton-Cadet.
Puligny-Montrachet: (Pooh-lean-YEE mown-rah-SHAY) A village in the Côte d'Or in Burgundy, France.
PX: An abbreviation for the Pedro Ximénez grape from Sherry.
Qualitätswein: (Kval-ee-TATES-vine) A German term meaning"quality wine."
Qualitätswein mit Pradikat: (Kval-ee-TATS-vine mitt pray-dee-KAHT) The highest level of quality German wine.
Reserva/Riserva: A term that means a wine has extra aging; it is often found on Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian wine labels.
Reserve: A term sometimes found on American wine labels. Although it has no legal significance, it usually indicates a better-quality wine. Residual sugar: An indication of how dry or sweet a wine is.
Rheingau: (RHINE-gow) A region in Germany.
Rheinhessen: (RHINE-hess-en) A region in Germany.
Rheinpfalz: (RHINE-faults) A 'region in Germany. The official name has now been changed to Pfalz.
Ribera del Duero: A winegrowing region in Spain.
Riddling: One step of the Champagne-making process in which the bottles are turned gradually each day until they are almost upside down, with the sediment resting in the neck of the bottle.
Riesling: A white grape grown primarily in Alsace, Germany, and Cali fornia.
Rioja: (Ree-OH-ha) A wine region in Spain.
Ruby Port: A dark and sweet fortified wine blended from non-vintage wines.
