Lexicon: Nebbiolo to Pungent
Nebbiolo
A red grape of the Piedmonte region of Italy. Cosidered "noble," Nebbiolo is
used in red wines like Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara. "Tar" and "black fruit"
are often used when describing wine made with this grape.
Noble
A term that describes a superior wine of remarkable character and breed. It
may also be used to describe an eminent vineyard or grape variety known for
producing superb wines.
Nose
The wine snob term for the smell of a wine -- its "aroma" and "bouquet."
Nouveau
"New" in French. The term is strongly associated with "Beaujolais Nouveau,"
the first wine of the new Beaujolais vintage -- a light, fruity red best drank right
away.
Nutty
A subtle flavor in many wines, or a strong flavor in Sherry, Madeira or Tawny
Port.
O
Oaky
A flavor and aroma that shows the influence of the oak barrels in which a wine
was aged.
Oloroso
One of the two categories of Sherry, olorosos are typically dark and full-bodied.
Fino is the other category.
Organic
A broad term for "earthy," aromas and flavors. Also, there is a movement
among enophile tree-huggers to produce organic wines.
Oxidized
A chemical term for the reaction that occurs when wine interacts with air in the
bottle and turns brown and nasty -- wine that's "gone off."
P
Passito
An Italian wine-making process whereby the grapes are placed in a room to
dry and then pressed. This concentrates the sugars in the grape juice, and is
usually used to make sweet wines.
Pauillac
A small town in the Haut-Medoc part of Bordeaux, France, which is considered
perhaps the world's greatest vineyard region.
Penedès
A Spanish wine district near Barcelona. Torres wines come from here.
Peppery
A spicy flavor and aroma like black pepper that is often associated with Syrah
and Grenache wines.
Perequita
A red Portuguese grape that can make hearty, dry wines.
Perfume
A flowery aroma indicating that a wine that may be out of balance.
Persistent
A term synonymous with "long," as in "long finish."
Pétillant
A French term that equates to "slightly sparkling."
Petit Verdot
Red wine grape used in the Bordeaux "claret" blend.
Petite Syrah
A Californian red grape that makes long-lasting, dark red wines typically
described as having plumb-like qualities.
Piemonte
A wine region in the Alpine foothills of Italy which produces some of the
counrty's best red wines.
Pinot Blanc
A white grape, that produces a dry, full white wine.
Pinot Grigio
Italian for "Pinot Blanc."
Pinot Meunier
A varietal frequently used in the Champagne blend.
Pinot Noir
A red grape originally from Brugundy, France but now grown in California and
Oregon, Pinot Noir is considered by many to be world's finest. It can makes
highly complex wines, often described "earthy" and "velvety."
Pinotage
A red grape that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, grown in South
Africa. It makes fruity, dark red wine.
Pouilly-Fuissé
A white Burgundy (France) wine based on the chardonnay grape made in the
region of the same name. When I was young we used to joke about the name,
calling it "pussy-fussy" in pidgin French.
Pouilly-Fumé
A white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire region of France. It'd a
great food wine as it is dry and very tannic.
Priorato
A wine-growing region of Spain, near Barcelona that produces very hearty red
wines.
Provence
A wine-growing region of Southern France on the Mediterranean.
Pungent
Same as acidic.
A red grape of the Piedmonte region of Italy. Cosidered "noble," Nebbiolo is
used in red wines like Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara. "Tar" and "black fruit"
are often used when describing wine made with this grape.
Noble
A term that describes a superior wine of remarkable character and breed. It
may also be used to describe an eminent vineyard or grape variety known for
producing superb wines.
Nose
The wine snob term for the smell of a wine -- its "aroma" and "bouquet."
Nouveau
"New" in French. The term is strongly associated with "Beaujolais Nouveau,"
the first wine of the new Beaujolais vintage -- a light, fruity red best drank right
away.
Nutty
A subtle flavor in many wines, or a strong flavor in Sherry, Madeira or Tawny
Port.
O
Oaky
A flavor and aroma that shows the influence of the oak barrels in which a wine
was aged.
Oloroso
One of the two categories of Sherry, olorosos are typically dark and full-bodied.
Fino is the other category.
Organic
A broad term for "earthy," aromas and flavors. Also, there is a movement
among enophile tree-huggers to produce organic wines.
Oxidized
A chemical term for the reaction that occurs when wine interacts with air in the
bottle and turns brown and nasty -- wine that's "gone off."
P
Passito
An Italian wine-making process whereby the grapes are placed in a room to
dry and then pressed. This concentrates the sugars in the grape juice, and is
usually used to make sweet wines.
Pauillac
A small town in the Haut-Medoc part of Bordeaux, France, which is considered
perhaps the world's greatest vineyard region.
Penedès
A Spanish wine district near Barcelona. Torres wines come from here.
Peppery
A spicy flavor and aroma like black pepper that is often associated with Syrah
and Grenache wines.
Perequita
A red Portuguese grape that can make hearty, dry wines.
Perfume
A flowery aroma indicating that a wine that may be out of balance.
Persistent
A term synonymous with "long," as in "long finish."
Pétillant
A French term that equates to "slightly sparkling."
Petit Verdot
Red wine grape used in the Bordeaux "claret" blend.
Petite Syrah
A Californian red grape that makes long-lasting, dark red wines typically
described as having plumb-like qualities.
Piemonte
A wine region in the Alpine foothills of Italy which produces some of the
counrty's best red wines.
Pinot Blanc
A white grape, that produces a dry, full white wine.
Pinot Grigio
Italian for "Pinot Blanc."
Pinot Meunier
A varietal frequently used in the Champagne blend.
Pinot Noir
A red grape originally from Brugundy, France but now grown in California and
Oregon, Pinot Noir is considered by many to be world's finest. It can makes
highly complex wines, often described "earthy" and "velvety."
Pinotage
A red grape that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault, grown in South
Africa. It makes fruity, dark red wine.
Pouilly-Fuissé
A white Burgundy (France) wine based on the chardonnay grape made in the
region of the same name. When I was young we used to joke about the name,
calling it "pussy-fussy" in pidgin French.
Pouilly-Fumé
A white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire region of France. It'd a
great food wine as it is dry and very tannic.
Priorato
A wine-growing region of Spain, near Barcelona that produces very hearty red
wines.
Provence
A wine-growing region of Southern France on the Mediterranean.
Pungent
Same as acidic.
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