French Wine Terms

posted by Karen Orlandi on July 11, 2017 in Wine IQ

The French have ensured their wine vocabulary remains in tact, which means if you drink French wine you will need to learn even more wine lingo. These are especially helpful if you are trying to decifer a wine bottle label. Here are our top French terms we use:

Blanc de Blancs: A term for sparkling wines to denote a white sparkling wine made with 100% white grapes (100% Chardonnay in Champagne)
Blanc de Noirs: A term for sparkling wines to denote a white sparkling wine made with 100% black grapes (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in Champagne)
Brut: A term for sweetness level in sparkling wine, Brut indicates a dry style
Château: A winery
Clos: A walled vineyard or vineyard on the site of an ancient walled vineyard. Commonly used in Burgundy.
Côte(s): Wines from a slope or hillside (contiguous)–usually along a river (e.g. Côtes du Rhône “slopes of the Rhône river”)
Cru: Translates to “growth” and indicates a vineyard or group of vineyards typically recognized for quality
Cuvée: Denotes a specific wine blend or batch
Demi-Sec: Off-dry (lightly sweet)
Domaine: A winery estate with vineyards
Doux: Sweet
Grand Cru: Translates to “Great Growth” and is used in Burgundy and Champagne to distinguish the region’s best vineyards
Grand Vin: Used in Bordeaux to indicate a winery’s “first label” or best wine they produce (Bordeaux wineries often produce a 2nd or 3rd label at varying price tiers)
Millésime: The vintage date, commonly used in the Champagne region
Mis en bouteille au château/domaine: Bottled at the winery
Moelleux: Sweet
Premiere Cru (1er Cru): “First Growth” wine, used in Burgundy and Champagne to distinguish the region’s 2nd best vineyards
Propriétaire: Owner of winery
Sec: Dry (e.g. not sweet)
Supérieur: A regulatory term commonly used in Bordeaux to describe a wine with higher minimum alcohol and aging requirements than the base
Sur Lie: A wine that is aged on lees (dead yeast particles) which are known to give a creamy/bready taste and increased body
Vendangé à la main: Hand harvested
Vieille Vignes: Old vines
Vignoble: Vineyard
Vin Doux Naturel (VDN): A wine that is fortified during fermentation (usually a sweet dessert wine)