Wine Grapes, Words, and Terms: How to Pronounce? What Do They Mean?
What I’m Drinking Today to Entice Spring to Come Early
Have you ever gone to a wine tasting and felt intimidated by someone who tells you that you are pronouncing the (term, grape, or process) incorrectly? Well, shame on them. Rude! Sometimes even sommeliers pronounce Merlot differently (Mehr-low and Merrr-low – do not pronounce the t at the end).
Or, conversely, someone in a tasting room throws around terms like malolactic fermentation or lees stirring, and you have no idea what they are talking about.
I’m here to help you with some basics. But, honestly, let the impertinent wine pourer know that you get your knowledge from someone who perhaps has credentials. The Wine Wanderings 2025 Wine Glossary is below for you to download.
How to Pronounce the Top 40 Grapes
Julien Miquel is a French winemaker and YouTuber best known for making word pronunciation videos on his channel. He speaks English, Spanish, and Italian is here to tell you the English and the native pronunciations of 40 major grapes. Were you surprised by any? If so, comment here.
How to Pronounce French Wine Names?
Jacky Blisson, MW, author. I make it a practice to listen to all the MWs in the world when I can, since are only 425 in total. Jacky does a great job at saying these terms and grapes with the correct French accent.
The Most Famous Master of Wine: Jancis Robinson, OBE, MW
What is my top reference book? Who is the most famous Master of Wine? I subscribe to the weekly Purple Pages newsletter by Jancis Robinson, OBE MW, Officer of the Order of the British Empire (2003, Queen Elizabeth II), wine writer, author, wine critic. Her publications include The Oxford Companion to Wine, now in its 5th Edition. She writes a weekly column for The Financial Times. In 2024 Robinson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Master of Wine organization.
“…the most respected wine critic and journalist in the world.” – Decanter Magazine.
Jancis Robinson has curated and advised the wine collection for the Royal Family in the UK. She has donated her personal papers to the University of California, Davis, which were cataloged by the University library and have become public as of 2017. Would you like to hear how she got started? I hope you enjoy her journey in the above Youtube video. Jancis Robinson, MW is my hero and writing about wine has been one of the joys of my life.
What I’m Drinking This Week to Entice Spring to Come Early
2024 Stoller Family Estate Rosé of Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR $28
My favorite rosé of Willamette Valley has just been released and I was sent a bottle! A rosé pioneer in the region for over 20 years, Stoller is one of the best wineries to visit in the Willamette Valley, voted by USA Today 2024, “Cheers to the Best: Top 10 Wine Tasting Rooms You Need to Visit.” The 2023 vintage scored 91 Points in Wine Enthusiast ratings.
2024 Astrolabe Awatere Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand $22
Many white wines of 2024 from Down Under have been released this last Fall (Harvest seasons are flipped with the Northern Hemisphere) and normally they are not yet rated. The 2023 vintage of Astrolabe was 91 Points in Wine Enthusiast.
2022 Merry Edwards, Pinot Noir Russian River Valley $64
Merry Edwards was known as “the queen of Pinot Noir” in this area and is one of the first women winemakers in California. She also was the founding winemaker of Matanzas Creek Winery in 1977 and the eponymous Merry Edwards Winery and Vineyards in 1977.
Wine Spectator, 92 points.
Download the 2025 Wine Wanderings Glossary of Wine Terms
Wine Wanderings Editorial Calendar 2025
The Science of Wine: A Gary Farrell Vineyards and Winery Experience
Tablas Creek and the Rhone Rangers of Paso Robles, an Interview with Jason Haas, Proprietor
LIVE from TWGGA: Texas Wine and Grapegrowers Annual Conference
What is the Wine Custom Crush Business?
LIVE from the Texas Wine and Grape Growers, TWWGA Annual Conference
Demystifying a Wine Tech Sheet. What Does It Mean? Why Should You Care?
The Popularity of City Wineries
LIVE from Paris, France: Exploring Notre Dame and the Louvre Once More
Climate Change and How It Is Affecting Vineyards
LIVE from the Seine River: An AmaWaterways Wine River Cruise
An Interview with Mike Lewellen, Managing Partner, Lucas & Lewellen Winery, Santa Barbara
10 Tips for Planning Your Next Trip to Paris
Malbec: Domestic and International Finds
Barolo and Barbaresco: Let’s Get an Update
The Real Cost of Wine Tariffs: Economic Impact on Local U.S. Restaurants
The Magic of Tuscany: Touring the Region
Live from Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail: Where to Taste with Tourism Tips
Book Review: Big Macs and Burgundy
***
(Editor’s Note: Please read “What I Wish I Could Tell the Surgeon General,” by Karen MacNeil, Author, The Wine Bible.)
***
Travel Opportunities
****
Cruise with Wine Wanderings: Cruise Travel Reminder: River Seine – Paris – Normandy – Giverny on AmaWaterways - It is Soon!
Cruise the Danube on AmaWaterways with Wine Wanderings and Wölffer Estate Winery, April 20, 2026, Romantic Danube.
****
In Case You Missed It in the News
Federal Job Cuts halts research into wildfire effects on Wine Country.
The cuts in jobs at the USDA is bad news for our $40 Billion wine industry. Smoke-taint and fires affect all wine regions of the world and many kinds of agriculture. Australia and the US were leading in research on how to keep the grapes from absorbing the smoke-taint. In California, between 165,000 and 325,000 tons of grapes were left on the vines due to potential smoke taint during the last several severe fire seasons. Most wineries are small family-owned businesses.