Wine 101: Terminology and Facts to Know About Wine

In order to understand what you're reading when reading about wine, it is good to know some terminology and facts beforehand. These terms and facts will also help you order wine at a restaurant, pair the wine with food and buy wine when you're on your own. 

Varietal refers to a type of grape that is used to make wine. Every varietal was originally grown somewhere and many are now grown world wide due to popularity. The majority of wines that are produced in the United States are made from grapes that are originally from France. The flavor is not quite the same because the climate of American growing regions is not the same and also because California producers perfer to make juicier wines.

European wine makers like to put the location that the wine is from and not the grape, on the bottle. Their wine regions have been growing the same grape for centuries, and they think that it is common knowledge what is grown there. 

Most varietals that are sold in the United States and are produced in new world nations, such as Argentina, Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the United States, were grown in France first. These varietals include Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrrah/Shiraz, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Petit Sirah, Viognier and many others. France still grows all of these wines and more. 

Wines that you may know from new world nations that are indigenous to that nation include Pinotage (South Africa) and Torrontes (Argentina). Although Chile is now known for Carmenere, it was grown in Medoc, France first.  

New world is a reference to the fact that wine as we know it today is newly made in the nations listed above. By "new," the wine world and Europe are thinking about how much more recently America and other nations outside Europe and the Middle East produced drinkable wine that can compete with what Europe produces. For at least 30 years, Bordeaux in France produced good red wine while new world producers were still struggling to learn how to do the same.  Unfortanately, a term was borrowed from Christopher Columbus stories that confuses some people still today. 

Some common terms to use for describing wine include: dry (not sweet), acidic (tangy), tannic (leaves your mouth feeling dry), fruity, earthy, full bodied (heavy feel in the mouth), light bodied, heavy/big flavor, light flavor, subtle flavor and elegant.