Italian Wine Terms

Question 1

Acciaio (inossidabile)

Answer 1

(Stainless) steel

Question 2

Acerbo

Answer 2

Unripe; green.

Question 2

Acidità

Answer 2

Acidity.

Question 3

Acido

Answer 3

Acid, especially acetico (acetic), lattico (lactic), malico (malic) and tartarico (tartaric).

Question 4

Acino

Answer 4

Grape, berry.

Question 4

Affinamento

Answer 4

Finishing; refinement (of a wine after vinification and blending, before release).

Question 5

Agronomo

Answer 5

Agronomist; an agricultural scientist.

Question 6

Alcol, alcool

Answer 6

Alcohol, especially alcol etilico (ethyl alcohol or ethanol).

Question 7

Amaro

Answer 7

(adj) bitter; (n) a bitter liqueur.

Question 8

Amarognolo

Answer 8

Having slightly bitter aftertaste.

Question 9

Ambra

Answer 9

Amber (color).

Question 10

Abboccato

Answer 10

Semi-dry(slightly sweet)

Approx. 7-15 g/l RS for still wines, 12-35 g/l for frizzante wines and 32-50g/l for sparkling wines

Question 11

Amabile

Answer 11

Semi-sweet(“gently” sweet)
(Approx. 15-45 g/l RS for still wines, 30-50g/l for frizzante wines, and 40-100g/l for fortified wines; not used for sparkling wines)

Question 12

Ambrato

Answer 12

“Ambered”; turning brown.

Question 13

Ampio

Answer 13

Ample; rich, complex and balance.

Question 14

Anidride solforosa

Answer 14

Sulfur dioxide.

Question 16

Anidride carbonica

Answer 16

Carbon dioxide.

Question 17

Annata

Answer 17

Vintage Year(the year the grape were harvested)

Question 18

Antociani

Answer 18

Anthocyanins.

Question 19

Anice

Answer 19

Anise; licorice flavor.

Question 20

Azienda Agricola

Answer 20

Typically a farm or estate that uses its own grapes in the production of its wines.

Question 21

Barrique

Answer 21

A new oak barrel that hold 225 liters (59 US gallons) of wine, considerably smaller than the traditional Italian botte, large wooden casks that hold from 1,000 liters (264 gallons) to 15,000 liters (3,962 gallons).
Barriques originated in France but today are used extensively throughout the Italian wine industry. Complexity, soft tannins and strong new oak aromas and flavors are the benchmarks of Barrique-aged wines.

Question 22

Bianco

Answer 22

A white wine.

Question 23

Bottiglia

Answer 23

Bottle

Question 40

Bricco, Bric

Answer 40

Northern Italian dialect for "ridge" or "slope" to indicate a desirable location for vines.

Question 41

Brut

Answer 41

A dry sparkling wine

Question 42

Cantina

Answer 42

Another name for a winery

Question 43

Cantina Sociale

Answer 43

A producer or cellar that is a member of a winegrower's cooperative

Question 44

Cascina

Answer 44

Farm house, often used to indicate an estate

Question 45

Classico

Answer 45

From the central (and usually oldest) zone of a production area - for example, Chianti Classico

Question 46

Cooperativa Sociale

Answer 46

A winegrowers' cooperative

Question 47

Dolce

Answer 47

Indicates a sweet or dessert wine

Question 48

Fattoria

Answer 48

A farm or estate

Question 49

Frizzante

Answer 49

A delightful Italian word indicating lightly sparkling or fizzy.

Question 50

Imbottiglato all'Origine

Answer 50

Estate-bottled

Question 51

Liquoroso

Answer 51

Fortified with alcohol

Question 52

Passito

Answer 52

A concentrated sweet dessert wine made from semi-dried grapes.

Question 53

Podere

Answer 53

A small estate, property

Question 54

Poggio

Answer 54

A small hill

Question 55

Produttore

Answer 55

Producer

Question 56

Recioto

Answer 56

Made with partially-dried grapes, similar to Passito

Question 57

Riserva

Answer 57

Aged for specified time before release.

Question 58

Rosato

Answer 58

A rose wine.

Question 59

Rosso

Answer 59

A red wine.

Question 60

Secco

Answer 60

A dry wine.

Question 61

Sori

Answer 61

From the northern Italian dialect indicating a favorable, south-facing hillside location for vines.

Question 62

Spumante

Answer 62

A sparkling sweet wine.

Question 63

Superiore

Answer 63

A quality distinction indicating a wine that has meet certain aging, alcohol level, yield and/or other defined quality standard.

Question 64

Tenuta

Answer 64

A farm or estate.

Question 65

Vendemmia

Answer 65

A specific harvest or vintage.

Question 66

Vigna, Vigneto

Answer 66

Indicates a vineyard-specific or cru wine.

Question 67

Vin Santo

Answer 67

A category of sweet dessert wine("holly wine") made from semi-dried grapes that are fermented in oak barriques.

Question 68

Amabile

Answer 68

Semisweet; demisec (apporx. 15-45 g/l RS for still wines, 30-50 g/l for frizzante wines and 40-100 g/l for fortified wines; not used for sparkling wines)

Question 69

Amaro

Answer 69

(adj) bitter; (n) a bitter liqueur

Question 70

Amarognolo

Answer 70

Having slightly bitter aftertaste

Question 71

Ambra

Answer 71

Amber (color)

Question 72

Ambrato

Answer 72

"Ambered"; turning brown

Question 73

Ampio

Answer 73

Ample; rich, complex and balance

Question 74

Anice

Answer 74

Anise; licorice flavor

Question 75

Anidride carbonica

Answer 75

Carbon dioxide

Question 76

Anidride solforosa

Answer 76

Sulfur dioxide

Question 77

Annata

Answer 77

Vintage; year of harvest

Question 78

Antociani

Answer 78

Anthocyanins

Question 79

Appassimento

Answer 79

The process of drying grapes

Question 80

Armonico

Answer 80

Harmonious; balanced; proportionate

Question 81

Aromatico

Answer 81

Aromatic; having a rich, usually floral, aroma

Question 82

Arricchimento

Answer 82

Enrichment; increasing the sugar content of grape must

Question 83

Asciutto

Answer 83

Bone dry | Officially synonymous with secco: less than approx. 7 g/l RS for still wines, 17-32 g/l for sparkling wines

Question 84

Assaggio

Answer 84

(n) taste; sample(of wine)

Question 85

Assemblaggio

Answer 85

Blending of wines