Cantine
sociale or cantine coopertiva: wine cooperative; wineries
owned by group members.
Capitolare:
title of merit in Tuscany for wines that are produced by members of
the private Capitolare.
Casa
vinicola: privately owned winery.
Castello:
castle.
Cerasuolo:
light red, rose colored.
Chiaretto:
pale rose.
Classico:
center or "classic" growing area of a specific zone.
Colli:
hills.
Consorzio:
group of producers of a specific wine.
DO:
denomination of origin laws passed by the Italian
government of July 12, 1963.
DOC:
denomination of controlled origin.
DOCG:
denomination of controlled and guaranteed origin.
Dolce:
sweet.
Enoteca:
wine library, public or commercial.
Italian Wine Terminology- Dallas Bartenders
Fattoria:
farm or estate.
Fermentazione:
fermentation.
Fiasco:
flask. Specifically refers to the now virtually obsolete traditional,
straw-wrapped bottle of Italy's Chianti region.
Frizzante:
lightly sparkling.
Frizzantino:
very slightly sparkling. Between still wine and frizzante.
Grappa:
a distilled spirit, of Italian origin, made from pomace, the residue
of skins, seeds and grape pulp left after grapes have been pressed.
ITG:
typical geographic origin indication. Indicazione Geografica Tipica
Italian A new (1992) designation for Italian wine above the basic
vino da tavola but below DOC and DOCG, roughly equivalent to the French
vin de pays. It was created at least in part to bring some of the
wine makers who have shunned the DOC back into the organization, but
critics feel that even if successful, the IGT could result in more
topsy-turvy classifications with some of the Italy's highest quality
wines bearing this theoretically third-level designation.
Imbottigliata:
bottled (all'origine: at the source).
Invecchiato:
aged.
Liquoroso:
sweet wine, usually fortified with alcohol.
Italian Wine Glossay- Dallas Bartenders
Marsala:
a fortified wine from Sicily, and the town at the centre of the region
producing it. It is produced in three colours: Marsala Oro and Marsala
Ambra are made from white grapes, and Marsala Rubino is made from
red. There are also a number of levels of quality ranging from the
basic Fine through to the better Superiore and Vergine designations.
To the minds of some though, this wine is a pale imitation of its
former self due possibly to lax regulations and misguided methods.
Metodo
classico or tradizionale: sparkling wine fermented
in the bottle (Champagne method).
Passito:
a style of dessert wine made from dried grapes.
Produttore:
producer.
Recioto:
full tasting, sweet wine made from partly dried grapes.
Riserva:
wines aged longer, within a specified time and usually
applies to DOC and DOCG; reserve.
Rosato:
rose.
Rosso:
red.
Secco:
dry.
Spumante:
sparkling wine, dry or sweet.
Italian Wine Glossary- Dallas Bartenders
Super-Tuscan:
refers to a group of wines from Tuscany produced by some very ambitious
winemakers who have elected to break with the regional guidelines
as set out by the DOC and instead create fine wines incorporating
non-traditional methods and grape varieties. Tignanello and Sassicaia
marked the audacious beginning of this trend when they were released
in 1974. These wines, like many super Tuscans, incorporate Cabernet
sauvignon and are made in the style of the great red wines of Bordeaux.
Since then there have appeared many others, both red and white, including
Ornellaia, Masseto and Flaccianello. Although these wines are some
of the finest made in Italy, and among the most sought after, because
of their unconventional grape composition and vinification most do
not bear the highest classification of Italian wine, the DOCG. As
a result, many great wines fell into the Vino da Tavola class, which
was intended for only basic, everyday wine. In an effort to regain
control, the Italian government instituted a new class for its wines,
the IGT, in 1992. To hasten the adoption of this new classification
they went so far as to outlaw the inclusion of vintage and varietal
information on Vino da Tavola labels.
Italy's Wine Terminology- Dallas Bartenders
Superiore:
indicates a higher level of alcohol, longer aging or a specific geographic
origin; in use with DOC or DOCG wines.
Talento:
a new term, instituted in 1996, for Italian méthode champenoise
sparkling wines.
Tenuta:
farm or estate.
Uva:
grape.
Vecchio:
old (rarely used term).
Vendemmia:
harvest or vintage.
Vigna
or vigneto: vineyard.
Vino:
wine.
Vino
da tavola: table wine.
Vino
liquoroso: fortified wine.
Vino
novello: the Italian equivalent of the French vin
nouveau.
Vin
santo: a dessert wine originally from Italy's Tuscany
region. Meaning "holy wine", it is made in the same fashion
as the French vin de paille, from grapes dried on straw mats or hung
from rafters. It is made from Trebbiano and Malvasia and is barrel-aged
for anywhere from three to ten years. The wine ranges from deep gold
to amber in color and from very sweet to very dry.
