Wine terms

A river-cruiser's wine glossary

Curated by Michele Edington, Certified Sommelier

The words on a European wine label rarely translate themselves. Here are the terms you'll actually meet at the stops along your river cruise, in plain English.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T V W X Z

A

Acolon: German red crossing with dark fruit and spice
Aged tawny: tawny with an age indication such as 10, 20, 30, or 40 years
Aguardente: grape spirit used to fortify Port
Alte Reben: Old vines.
AOC: Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée; the official French origin system that tells you where the wine comes from.
AOP: protected French appellation
Apfelwein: apple wine
Aragonés: local name often used for Tempranillo
Ardèche IGP: flexible regional label used for local varietal wines and blends
Argile: clay
Aszú: Botrytized grapes used to make Tokaji’s famous sweet wine.
Ausg’steckt: sign that a Heuriger is open
Auslese: Select-harvest Riesling with richer fruit, honeyed edges, and serious aging potential.
Auxerrois: round, gentle white grape that Luxembourg does beautifully

B

Bacchus: aromatic white grape often floral and fruity
Barrique: Bordeaux barrel, usually 225 liters
Beerenauslese: sweet wine from individually selected berries
Blanc: White wine. Here, it usually means a dry blend led by Sauvignon Blanc with Sémillon, Sauvignon Gris, and Muscadelle.
Blanc de blancs: white sparkling wine from white grapes, often Chardonnay
Blanc de noirs: white sparkling wine from red grapes
Blanco: white wine
Blauburgunder: Swiss German name for Pinot Noir
Bocksbeutel: flat, rounded bottle shape strongly associated with Franconian wine
Bodega: winery
Botrytis cinerea: Noble rot; the fungus that shrivels grapes and concentrates sugar, acidity, and flavor.
Bouché: Traditional cork-and-cage cider bottle
Bouteille: bottle
Branco: white wine
Brandenburger Landwein: A regional wine designation connected to Brandenburg.
Brückenschoppen: casual glass of wine enjoyed on or near the Old Main Bridge
Brut: dry Champagne, the most common category
Brut nature: very dry Champagne with little to no dosage
Burčák: partially fermented young wine sold in harvest season
Buschenschank: A farmhouse-style wine tavern where the food is usually cold, simple, and exactly what you want with local wine.

C

Cabernet Blanc: fungus-resistant white grape with herbal, citrusy freshness
Cabernet Franc: blending grape that can add perfume and herbal lift
Cabernet Sauvignon: the main grape in most Margaux reds
Calabrés: local name often used for Garnacha
Calcaire: limestone
Calvados: Normandy apple brandy
Calvados Pays d’Auge: Calvados from the Pays d’Auge area
Carte des vins: wine list
Casta: grape variety
Cave: Port cellar or lodge
Cave coopérative: cooperative winery
Caveau: tasting room or wine shop
Caviste: wine shop specialist
Champagne: sparkling wine from the Champagne region made under the appellation rules
Champagne de vigneron: grower Champagne from a producer who farms grapes and makes wine
Château: Estate; on a Bordeaux label, this usually means the wine comes from a named property.
Chenin Blanc: Loire white grape with apple, quince, honey, and acidity
Cidre: Normandy cider, usually lightly sparkling and made from apples.
Cidre bouché: cork-finished bottled cider
Cidre brut: dry Normandy cider
Cidre demi-sec: medium-sweet cider
Cidre doux: sweeter cider
Cinsault: red grape often used for juicy reds and rosés
Clairet: A deeper-colored Bordeaux rosé style, juicy and chillable, sitting somewhere between rosé and light red.
Clairette: white grape with freshness, herbs, and citrus
Clarete: pale red or deep rosé style, often made from mixed red and white grapes
Climat: A named Burgundy vineyard site. This is the word Burgundy uses when place gets very specific.
Colheita: tawny Port from one harvest year
Collines Rhodaniennes: regional IGP for flexible Northern Rhône wines
Côte: slope
Coteaux de: premium AOP wine from top vineyard areas
Côtes de: fresh entry-level AOP wine
Côtes du Rhône: broad Rhône appellation for everyday regional wines
Côtes du Vivarais: Ardèche and Gard appellation with reds, whites, and rosés
Crayères: chalk cellars carved under Reims
Crémant: French traditional-method sparkling wine made outside Champagne
Crémant d’Alsace: traditional-method sparkling wine from Alsace
Crémant de Bordeaux: Sparkling Bordeaux, often made from traditional local grapes and perfect when you want bubbles with a regional accent.
Crémant de Bourgogne: Burgundy’s traditional-method sparkling wine, and this area has deep roots in its story.
Crémant de Loire: traditional-method sparkling wine from the Loire
Crémant de Luxembourg: traditional-method sparkling wine from Luxembourg
Crianza: wine aged for a minimum period under Spanish labeling rules
Cru Bourgeois: Médoc quality category outside the 1855 classified growths
Cuvée: A specific blend or bottling chosen by the producer.

D

DAC: Austrian protected regional wine designation
Dégorgement: removal of sediment after lees aging
Demi-bouteille: half-bottle
Demi-sec: sweeter Champagne, useful with dessert
Deuxième vin: second wine of a château, often earlier-drinking than the grand vin
Devín: A Slovak aromatic white grape, often golden, spicy, and full of stone fruit.
Doce: sweet
Domfrontais: A pear-focused calvados area; useful if you love poiré or pear notes.
Domina: German red grape often dark, round, and tannic
Donauriesling: modern white grape with Riesling-like acidity
DOP: protected designation of origin in Spain
Dornfelder: German red grape with deep color and ripe fruit
Dosage: small addition after disgorgement that shapes sweetness and balance
Douro DOC: protected designation for Douro wines
Druif: grape
Dunaj: A Slovak red crossing, usually deeper, darker, and richer than Frankovka.

E

Edelzwicker: traditional blended Alsace white
Egri Bikavér: “Bull’s Blood of Eger,” a historic Hungarian red blend led by Kékfrankos.
Eiswein: sweet wine from frozen grapes
Elbling: old white grape with bright acidity
Élevage: aging before bottling, often in barrel
Enoteca: wine shop or wine-focused tasting space
Erste Lage: VDP classified high-quality vineyard
Espumoso: sparkling wine
Extra brut: very dry Champagne
Extra dry: softer than brut despite the name

F

Federspiel: medium-bodied dry Wachau category
Federweißer: partially fermented young wine served during harvest season
Feinfruchtig: fruity and usually softly sweet
Feinherb: gently off-dry
Fermier: farm-produced
Field blend: vineyard planted with many grape varieties harvested together
Frankovka: Blaufränkisch
Frankovka modrá: Blaufränkisch; a red grape with cherry, pepper, herbs, and a savory edge.
Furmint: Hungary’s great white grape: citrus, pear, smoke, salt, honey, and sharp acidity depending on the style.

G

G’spritzter: wine mixed with sparkling water
Galets Roulés: The large rounded stones found in many vineyards that absorb heat during the day and release it at night.
Gamay: The red grape of Beaujolais, usually bright, juicy, floral, and much more serious than people give it credit for.
Garrigue: wild southern herbs like thyme, rosemary, and lavender
Gebietswein: A regional Wachau wine. This is the broadest Wachau DAC level and often the easiest place to start.
Gemischter Satz: mixed planting harvested and fermented together
Gentil: blended Alsace white with a quality grape requirement
Gewurztraminer: floral, spicy white grape with lychee and rose notes
Gewürztraminer: floral, spicy white grape
GG / Grosses Gewächs: A top dry vineyard wine from a VDP estate.
GG or Grosses Gewächs: top dry wine from a Grosse Lage vineyard
Goldriesling: rare Saxon white grape with floral, citrusy freshness
Gouveio: white grape with body and freshness
Grand Cru: classified vineyard site for top Alsace wines
Grand Cru Classé: estate classified in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification
Grand Premier Cru: Luxembourg quality designation for top wines
Grand vin: the top wine of an estate
Granit: granite, the rock behind many Saint-Joseph wines
Granite: The soil word to know here. It’s part of why good Beaujolais can feel bright, stony, and alive.
Granito: granite
Grauburgunder: Pinot Gris
Grauwacke: Greywacke, another local stone found in parts of the Lower Mosel.
Grenache: red grape with red fruit, warmth, and soft spice
Grenache Blanc: white grape with roundness and stone fruit
Grosse Lage: VDP top vineyard classification
Große Lage: grand vineyard site
Grosses Gewächs (GG): A premium dry wine from one of Germany's best vineyard sites.
Grosses Gewächs or GG: A top dry wine from a top VDP vineyard.
Grüner Veltliner: Austria’s signature white grape, often peppery, herbal, and citrusy
GSM: The classic Southern Rhône blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre.
Gutswein: estate-level wine

H

Halbtrocken: off-dry
Hárslevelű: A Tokaj grape with linden flower, honey, peach, and softer perfume.
Heuriger: A casual wine tavern, usually simple, local, and very good for a glass with snacks.
Hors d’âge: older Calvados category

I

IGP: regional French wine category with more flexible rules
IGP Île-de-France: regional protected indication for wines from the Paris region

J

Jakostní víno: Quality wine made from local grapes.
Juhfark: A sharp, mineral white grape most associated with Somló.

K

Kabinett: A lighter, fresher style of Riesling with bright acidity and lower alcohol.
Kadarka: A lighter, spicy red grape with red fruit and old Hungarian charm.
Kékfrankos: Hungary’s name for Blaufränkisch; cherry, pepper, herbs, and bright acidity.
Kerner: aromatic white grape with peach, flowers, and freshness
Kernling: aromatic white grape related to Kerner
Keuper: clay-rich Franconian soil type common around Iphofen

L

Lagar: shallow stone tank traditionally used for foot treading
Lage: vineyard site
Lagenwein: A single-vineyard wine.
Landwein: German regional country-wine category
LBV: Late Bottled Vintage Port from one year, aged in wood before bottling
Lees: spent yeast cells that add bread, cream, and texture
Left Bank: Bordeaux area where Cabernet Sauvignon usually leads the blend
Lieu-dit: precisely named vineyard place
Lieux-dits: named vineyard places
Liquoreux: French term for sweet, rich dessert-style wine.

M

Malbec: Also called Côt in parts of France; adds color, spice, and dark-fruited depth.
Marque Nationale: national quality seal for Luxembourg wines
Marsanne: white grape with pear, almond, wax, and body
Marselan: red grape crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache
Meio seco: medium dry
Merlot: blending grape that adds roundness and plush fruit
Método ancestral: ancestral-method sparkling wine
Meunier: red Champagne grape with round fruit and soft charm
Millésime: vintage
Mis en bouteille au château: bottled at the estate
Modrý Portugal: Blauer Portugieser, a lighter red that can be soft, juicy, and very food-friendly.
Moselle Luxembourgeoise: Luxembourg’s Moselle wine appellation
Mousserende wijn: sparkling wine
Müller Thurgau: The soft, floral white that pairs with Rulandské modré under VOC Mělník
Müller-Thurgau: mild white grape that can be simple, soft, and charming
Muscadelle: The floral little perfume drawer in the blend.
Muscadet sur lie: Loire white aged on lees, very good with seafood
Muscaris: floral fungus-resistant white grape
Muscat: dry, grapey, aromatic white wine in Alsace
Muschelkalk: shell limestone, important in many Franconian vineyards
Muškát moravský: Moravian Muscat, usually floral and easy to like.

N

Nederlandse wijn: Dutch wine
Négociant-Manipulant or NM: house that may use purchased grapes or wines

O

Obstwein: fruit wine
Ortswein: village-level wine
Ouillé: topped-up Jura style, usually fresher and less oxidative

P

Pays d’Auge: Normandy orchard country known for cider, pommeau, calvados, cream, butter, and cheese
Pét-nat: pétillant naturel, lightly sparkling wine bottled before fermentation finishes
Petit Verdot: small blending grape that can add color, spice, and structure
Pezsgő: Hungarian sparkling wine; often traditional-method, and worth trying if you want bubbles with a local name on the label.
Pichet: small carafe, often for simple house wine
Pied de côte: lower slope area
Pinot Blanc: fresh white grape with apple and pear notes
Pinot Gris: richer white grape with ripe fruit and texture
Pinot Noir: red grape used for red, rosé, blanc de noirs, and Crémant
Pinotin: fungus-resistant red grape with Pinot-family character
PIWI: fungus-resistant grape varieties increasingly planted in the region
Pizarra: slate
Plateau: higher limestone area above the village
Poiré: pear cider
Polosladké: Semi-sweet.
Polosuché: Off-dry.
Pommeau de Normandie: apple juice blended with Calvados and aged in oak
Porto: Port wine on Portuguese labels
Porto / Port: fortified wine from the Douro, aged and shipped through Porto/Vila Nova de Gaia
Porto Tónico: white Port and tonic
Portugieser: red grape often used for fresh reds and Weissherbst
Pot Lyonnais: The traditional thick-bottomed Lyon wine bottle, usually 46 cl, made for the table instead of ceremony.
Pozdní sběr: Late harvest by Czech ripeness rules. It can still taste dry, so check the sweetness word too.
Prädikat / Prädikatswein: German quality wine organized by grape ripeness at harvest. The main words travelers will see are Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, and Eiswein.
Premier Cru: Luxembourg quality designation below Grand Premier Cru
Premier Grand Cru Classé: First Growth status in the 1855 Classification
Premier Grand Cru Classé A: top classification tier
Primeur: Another word for very young, early-release wine.
Proeflokaal: tasting room
Puttonyos: The old sweetness/concentration scale for Tokaji Aszú; 5 and 6 puttonyos are the classic richer styles.

Q

Quinta: wine estate or vineyard property

R

Rabigato: white grape with citrus and acidity
Ratafia Champenois: sweet fortified wine made with grape must and spirit
Récoltant-Manipulant or RM: grower who makes Champagne from their own grapes
Regensburger Landwein: protected local name for the tiny wine area around Regensburg
Regent: German red grape with color, fruit, and easy grip
Reserve: A fuller DAC style with more body, ripe fruit, and bottle potential.
Ried: single vineyard in Austria
Riedenwein: A single-vineyard Wachau DAC wine, usually Grüner Veltliner or Riesling.
Rieslaner: rare white grape often used for sweet wines
Riesling: aromatic white grape with lime, apricot, and mineral drive
Riesling-Sylvaner: the Swiss name still used for Müller-Thurgau
Right Bank: The Merlot-friendly side of Bordeaux, where Cabernet Franc often adds perfume, herbs, and a little lift.
Rivaner: Müller-Thurgau, usually fresh and easy with lunch
Rive Droite: Right Bank; Merlot and Cabernet Franc country, with Saint-Émilion, Pomerol, Fronsac, and nearby satellite appellations.
Rive Gauche: Left Bank; Cabernet Sauvignon country, with names like Médoc, Margaux, Pauillac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe, Graves, and Pessac-Léognan.
Rizling rýnsky: Rhine Riesling; floral, limey, and more aromatic than Rizling vlašský.
Rizling vlašský: Welschriesling; light, fresh, mineral, and easy to drink with simple food.
Rode wijn: red wine
Rosado: rosé wine
Rosé: rosé
Rotling: pale pink wine made from red and white grapes fermented together
Rouge: Red wine. Since 2023, Entre-deux-Mers can appear on red wines too.
Roussanne: white grape with flowers, herbs, and lift
Ruby Port: dark, fruit-driven Port aged to keep fresh berry character
Rufete: local red grape from Sierra de Salamanca with red fruit, herbs, and delicate tannin
Rufete Blanco: rare local white grape, historically known as Verdejo Serrano
Rulandské bílé: Pinot Blanc.
Rulandské modré: Pinot Noir.
Rulandské šedé: Pinot Gris.
Ryzlink rýnský: Rhine Riesling, usually dry, citrusy, and mineral here.
Ryzlink vlašský: Welschriesling, a different grape from Rhine Riesling.

S

Sächsischer Landwein: Saxon regional wine category
Saint-Laurent: red grape with cherry, plum, and gentle spice
Saphira: aromatic fungus-resistant white grape
Sárga Muskotály: Yellow Muscat; floral, grapey, and often used in Tokaj blends.
Sauternes: Golden sweet wine from south of Bordeaux, usually made with Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle.
Sauvignon Blanc: The citrus, grass, grapefruit, and snap part of the white blend.
Scheurebe: aromatic white grape with citrus, herbs, and sometimes blackcurrant leaf
Schiefer: Slate, the stone that gives Mosel Riesling its sharp little mineral wire.
Schieler: Saxon pale red or rosé-style wine made from red and white grapes
Schoppen: small casual glass of wine
Schwarzriesling: Pinot Meunier
Sec: Dry.
Secco: lightly sparkling wine
Seco: dry
Sekt: German sparkling wine
Sélection de Grains Nobles: sweet wine made from grapes affected by noble rot
Sélection de Grains Nobles (SGN): Noble rot–selected, intensely sweet dessert wine. Very rare and expensive.
Sémillon: The main grape here, giving honey, wax, apricot, texture, and age-worthiness.
Silvaner: the signature Franconian white grape, usually dry and savory
Single Harvest: house wording often used for a single-year tawny
Single-quinta Vintage Port: Vintage Port from one estate
Sladké: Sweet.
Smaragd: richer dry Wachau category
Socálcos: vineyard terraces cut into the steep hillsides
Solaris: fungus-resistant white grape often used in cool climates
Sous voile: Jura wine aged under a veil of yeast, often nutty and oxidative
Sousão: deeply colored red grape with acidity and dark fruit
Spätburgunder: Pinot Noir
Spätlese: Literally "late harvest." Often richer and more concentrated than Kabinett.
St. Laurent: Austrian red grape with darker fruit and earthy spice
Stange: the skinny 0.2-liter glass used for Kölsch
Staubiger: young cloudy wine during harvest season
Steillage: steep vineyard site
Stein: A historic wine area within Krems and a useful label word for local bottles.
Steinfeder: The lightest Wachau style, fragrant and delicate, good when you want the easiest glass of the day.
Steinwein: traditional wording for wine from the Würzburger Stein
Straußwirtschaft: A seasonal winery tavern, usually simple, local, and perfect for a glass with food.
Streekproduct: regional product
Suché: Dry.
Sur lie: aged on lees, common on some Loire whites and sparkling wines
Svatovavřinecké: St. Laurent, a red grape with dark cherry and spice.
Sylvaner: fresh white grape that works beautifully with simple food
Syrah: red grape with dark fruit, pepper, violet, and olive notes
Szamorodni: A Tokaji style made from whole clusters, sometimes dry and sometimes sweet.

T

Tawny Port: wood-aged Port with nut, caramel, orange peel, and dried fruit notes
Terrassen: terraces
Terroir: The combination of soil, slope, and climate that gives Alsatian wines their mineral, distinctive character.
Tinta Barroca: red grape that adds softness and ripe fruit
Tinta Roriz: Tempranillo in the Douro, often adding red fruit and spice
Tinto: red wine
Tinto Cão: old red grape with acidity, perfume, and firm shape
Tirage: bottling stage that starts the second fermentation
Tokaji: The wine adjective; if the bottle says Tokaji, it comes from Tokaj.
Touriga Franca: red grape with perfume, fruit, and polish
Touriga Nacional: aromatic red grape with violets, black fruit, and structure
Traditionelle Flaschengärung: traditional bottle fermentation
Tramín červený: Gewürztraminer
Traminer: aromatic grape, often floral and spicy
Tresterbrand: grape-pomace brandy
Tries: Selective passes through the vineyard, picking only the grapes that are ready.
Trocken: dry
Troisième vin: third wine of a château

V

VDP: association of many top German wine estates
Veltlínske zelené: Grüner Veltliner; crisp, herbal, citrusy, and lovely with salty or fried foods.
Veltlínské zelené: Grüner Veltliner
Vendanges tardives: late-harvest wine
Verre: glass
Vieilles vignes: Old vines. In Beaujolais, this can mean more depth without making the wine feel heavy.
Viez: local apple wine
Vila Nova de Gaia: city across the Douro from Porto where many Port lodges age wine
Vin au verre: wine by the glass
Vin de France: French wine category often used for creative or region-crossing bottles
Vin de glace: ice wine
Vin de glace or Äiswäin: ice wine
Vin de paille: straw wine made from dried grapes
Vin de paille or Stréiwäin: straw wine made from dried grapes
Vin de soif: fresh, easy-drinking wine
Vin nature: natural wine, made with lower-intervention methods
Vinařství: Winery.
Viñas viejas: old vines
Vindima: harvest, usually late summer into early autumn, when the valley feels especially alive
Vinhas velhas: old vines
Vinho branco: white wine
Vinho do Porto: Port wine
Vinho rosé: rosé wine
Vinho tinto: red wine
Vinho verde: fresh wine from northwest Portugal, often white and lightly spritzy
Vinný sklep: Wine cellar.
Vinotéka: wine shop
Vinothek: A wine shop or tasting room.
Vintage Port: top ruby-style Port from one declared year, made for bottle aging
Viognier: white grape with apricot, flowers, and round texture
Viosinho: white grape with stone fruit and texture
VOC Mělník: Vína originální certifikace, Mělník’s own appellation system; only Rulandské modré and Müller Thurgau qualify
Výběr z hroznů: A riper Czech quality category, often fuller and sometimes sweeter.

W

Weingut: winery or estate
Weissburgunder: Pinot Blanc
Weißburgunder: Pinot Blanc
Weissburgunder or Weißburgunder: Pinot Blanc
Weissherbst: rosé made from one red grape variety
White Port: Port made from white grapes, often used for Port and tonic
Wiener Gemischter Satz DAC: Viennese field blend with protected origin
Wijn: wine
Wijnbar: wine bar
Wijndomein: wine estate
Wijngaard: vineyard
Winstub: cozy Alsatian tavern
Winzer: winegrower, and also the Regensburg district whose name comes from winegrowers
Winzersekt: sparkling wine made by a wine estate
Witte wijn: white wine

X

Xisto: schist, the dark flaky rock that gives the Douro so much of its shape and mood

Z

Zámecké vinařství: Château winery, the term for the Lobkowicz estate’s own wine
Zemské víno: land wine
Zweigelt: Austrian red grape with cherry fruit and soft spice

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