“Vin Santo” is an Italian term that can be literally translated as “Holy Wine”. It is an Amber-Colored sweet wine (dessert wine) mainly produced in Tuscany (Italy), other central Italian regions, and sometimes in the Trentino region (Italy). It is often produced with Trebbiano and Malvasia local white grapes that Read more…
“Cru” is a French term employed to designate a specific vineyard of a superior quality. It is often translated in English by the term “growth”. Therefore, “Premiers Crus” in Bordeaux can be translated as “First Growth” whereas “Grands Crus” in Burgundy can be considered as the “Highest Growth” in the Read more…
There are several ways to answer this question about the different types of wine. The easiest answer would be to use several segments to cover a very wide spectrum of all the different wines in the world. Below are the different segments that I am suggesting to help wine novices Read more…
Very often, you will hear the term “Appellation wine” from European people talking about wines. French people talk about “Vins d’Appellation”. Appellation wines fall into the Controlled Appellation category. Most of the time, it is because the speaker wants to make a difference with non-appellation wines in a quality sense Read more…
What are the most expensive wines in the world? What are the most sought-after wines in the world? What are the most prestigious wines in the world?… Those are the common kinds of questions asked by newcomers to the world of wine. While there are numerous ways to respond to Read more…
Newcomers to the world of wine can sometimes be overwhelmed by the many acronyms flooding the industry. When it comes to French wines, you’ll often come across two acronyms: AOC and IGP. So what is the difference between the two. Both are part of the French appellation quality system, but Read more…
IGP is a French acronym meaning “Indication Geographique Protégée”. It has been translated under European law by the acronym PGI, meaning Protected Geographical Indication. It consists of a set of specifications a wine produced in a certain area has to respect in order to receive this label. It can be Read more…
The term “Terroir” is French and is quintessential to their approach to wine and winemaking. It has no equivalent in English and is considered controversial by some experts. It was central in the birth of the French AOCs (see What is the meaning of AOC in wine?). It is a Read more…
AOC is the French acronym for Appellation d’Origine Controllée. It is the equivalent of the AOP (Appellation d’Origine Protégée). It could be translated litterally as Appellation of Controlled Origin. It has been translated in European wine laws by the acronym PDO meaning Protected Denomination of Origin. It can be considered Read more…
It is a French local governing body tasked with representing all interests related to wine production in a particular region. It is responsible for all regional designations, including those of the adjacent AOCs. Its Spanish equivalent is the “Consejo Regulador“. Its Italian equivalent is the “Consorzio“.