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French Wine Labels

This month we will talk about labels on French  Wines. Did you ever wonder what all those words and abbreviations meant on a wine label?  Did you know that they can almost tell you what the wine will be like before you buy it?  (Have you ever gone to buy a bottle of expensive wine to take to that elegant dinner party  only to open it to find out that " MéthodeChampenoise" meant  that is is a sparkling wine not a champagne....) Here are some of the mysteries taken out  of wine labels:

Term

Meaning

AC

Appellation Contrôlée

AOC

Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée

Barrique

225 litre oak cask

Blanc de blanc

White wine from white grapes

Blanc de Noirs

White wine from black grapes

Brut

Dry (usually for sparking wines)

Cave

Cellar

Cave coopératif

Cooperative cellar

Cépage

Grape variety

Château

Property usually making/bottling its own wine

Clos

Walled vineyard

Commune

Village

Côte

Slope of a hill

Crémant

Sparkling

Cru

Growth from a specific vineyard

Cru Bourgeois

Classification used for Médoc properties

Cru Classé

Classed growth

Cuve

Wine vat or tank

Cuve Close

Bulk method for sparkling wine making

Cuvée

Blend

Demi-Sec

Semi-dry

Domaine

Property usually making/bottling its own wine

Doux

Sweet

Élevage

Maturation & pre bottling treatment

Foudre

Large wooden vat

Fût

Small oak cask

Grand Vin

Château's main wine

Grand Cru

Great growth highest vineyard classification

Grand Cru Classé

Classed great growth

Grande marque

Champagne house

Marque

Brand

Méthode champenoise

Champagne method of making sparkling wine

Mis en bouteille

Bottled

Moelleux

Fairly sweet

Monopole

Exclusive brand name

Négociant

Merchant

Pétillant/Pétillance

A light sparkle

Premier Cru

First growth, 2nd highest vineyard classification

Récolte

Harvest or vintage

Réserve

A superior wine

Sec

Dry

Sous marque

Secondary brand

Tete de Cuvée

Wine from first pressing

Vendange

Harvest or vintage

Vigneron

Vine grower

Vin de Pays

Country wine

Vin de Table

Table wine

 

 

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