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The Wine Library

ArgentinaItalyFranceGermanySoil Information A - GSoil Information G - PSoil Information Q - ZMapsArgentinaArgentina

Denominacion Origen Controlada (D.O.C.) - Restricts use of geographical names, which grape variety can be grown, minimum grape ripeness and how the vines are grown. Wines under this regulated name are considered to be the naturally ripest grapes.

Indicacion Geografica (I.G.) - Restricts use of geographical names, vinified and bottled in a designated area.

Indicacion de Procendencia (I.P.) – Table Wine. These should contain at least 80% of grapes from the IP region.

Language on the Label

Bodega – Vineyard responsible for cultivating, aging, bottling and distribution,

Cavas – sparkling wine made by the method Champenoise.

Enverado – Wine made from un-ripened grapes

Espumante – Sparkling Wine

Gernericos – Wine is made from various grapes

Instituto Nacioal de Vitivinicultura (I.N.V.) – Governing body that is responsible for the grading, classification and expansion of wine regions.

Noble – Wine aged in oak for at least 2 years

Reserva (Crianza) – Wine aged in oak for at least 3 years

Roble – Oak

Varietales – Wine is made from a single grape

Sweetness Level

Seco – contains less than 4 grams of sugar per liter

Amable – Contains between 4 to 12 grams of sugar per liter

Abocado – Sweet – Contains between 12.10 to 50 grams of sugar per liter

Dulce – Contains over 50 grams of sugar per liter

ItalyItaly

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Grantita (D.O.C.G.) - Restricts use of geographical names, which grape variety can be grown,

minimum grape ripeness and how the vines are grown. Wines under this regulated name are considered the finest in regards to attention

to detail. Similar to Grand Crus

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (D.O.C.) - Restricts use of geographical names, which grape variety can be grown, minimum grape

ripeness and how the vines are grown. Similar to Frances Appelation Controlee.

Indicazione Geografica Tipica (I.G.T.) - Labels are broad. No vintage or grape varietals stated on label. Not necessarily bad quality but not from a recognized region or with specific characteristics relating to a distinct wine or grape.

Vino de Tavola - Non traditional varieties and higher yields per vineyard allowed.

Language on the Label

Classico - Original, rather than expanded zone

Consorzio - Growers Association

Fizzante - Semi-Sparkling

Gradi - Alcohol Strength

Metado Classico Tradizionale - Bottle fermented Spumante Sparkling Wine

Passito - Strong sweet wine made with dried grapes

Riserva - Special, long-aged selection

Superior - More aging than normal DOC contains 1% more alcohol

Vendemmia Tardiva - Late Vintage

Sweetness Level

Abboccato - Lightly sweet

Amebile - Semi-sweet

Dolce - Sweet

Secco - Dry

FranceFranceAppelation d Origine Controlee (AOC) - Restricts use of geographical names, which grape variety can be grown, minimum grape ripeness and how the vines are grown.Vin de Pays - Country wine. Non traditional varieties and higher yields per vineyard allowed. Vin de Table - Labels are broad. No vintage or grape varietals stated on label. Not necessarily bad quality but not from a recognized region or with specific characteristics relating to a distinct wine or grape.Language on the Label Appelation Communale - wine that is produced within a certain village may use the name.Blanc de Blancs - All chardonnay champagneBlanc de Noir - Chamapge made exclusively from dark skinned grapesBurgandy - Cote d Or, Cote d Beaune, Cote d NuitsCru - Superior plot of land - Premier 10 years aged / Grand 5 years agedCuvee - A blend of different wines fermented with different qualities Institute National de lOrigine et de la Qualite (INAO) - Governing body that is responsible for the grading, classification and expansion of wine regions.Methode Classique - Sparkling wine made in the same method as champageNon-Vintage - Champagne aged for more than one yearRecolte - VintageReserve - Meaningless termSuperieur - Slightly higher alcohol contentVintage - Wine from a specific yearSweetness LevelExtra Brut - Bone DryBrut - DrySec - DryishDemi Sec - Medium SweetDoux - Relatively SweetGermanyGermanyQualitatswein mit Pradikat (O.m.P.) - Restricts use of geographical names, which grape variety can be grown, minimum grape ripeness and how the vines are grown. Wines under this regulated name are considered to be the naturally ripest grapes.Qualitatswein Bestimmeter Anbaugebiete (Q.B.A.) - Restricts use of geographical names, which grape variety can be grown, minimumgrape ripeness and how the vines are grown. The`quality level is below QmP.Landwein - Country wine. Non traditional varieties and higher yields per vineyard allowed. Germany answer to Frances Vin de PaysLanguage on the Label Kabinett - Apertifs, refreshing winesSpatlese - Late harvest can age well.Aulese - Made from riper grapes with some botrized grapes (aging is essential)Beernauslese - Sweet Wines from botrytis grapes Eiswein - High sugar and acidity concentrated by freezing on the wineTrockenbeerenauslese - hand picked grapes fully dried on the vine by botrytisGrosses Gewachs - Top Quality dry wines of at least spatlese ripenessClassic - Dry tasting wines (15g/L) for every day drinking from a single varietySelection - Superior dry-tasting wines (12g/L) from a single variety Sweetness LevelTrocken - DryFeinherb - Medium dryWeingut - SweetSoil Information A - GSoil Information

Alluvial Soil - Highly fertile soil found in the along the banks of a river.

Limestone - Grapes tend to develop more perfume notes.

Basalt - Volcanic rock that is high in sodium carbonate and limestone.

Calcareous soil - Alkaline soil with high levels of calcium and Magnesium carbonate. Typically cool in temperature soil that provides

good water retention and drainage. Calcareous clay soils have high limestone content that neutralizes natural acidity of the soil.

However the cool temperatures of the soil normally delay ripening in the grape which tends to produce more acidic wines.

Carbonaceous Soil - Soil produced through the anaerobic decomposition of rotting vegetation. This type of soil includes anthracite,

coal, lignite and peat.

Chalk - Very porous soft limestone soil that vine roots can easily penetrate. It provides good drainage and works best for grapes

with high acidity levels.

Clay - Sedimentary rock based soil that has good water retention ability but poor drainage. The soil is often very cool and high in

acidity.

Flint - Siliceous stone that reflects and retain heat well. The Pouilly-Fumé wine of the Loire Valley is generally produced on Flint-

based soil and is said to have "gun-flint" smell in the wine.

Granite - Composed of 40-60% quartz, 30-40% Orthoclase and various amounts of hornblende, mica, and other minerals. This soil

warms quickly and retains heat well. The soil's high level of acidity works to minimize the acid levels in the grapes which works

well with acidic grapes like Gamay. (Alsace France)

Gravel - Loose siliceous pebble soil that has good drainage but poor fertility. Vines planted in this type of soil must penetrate deeply

to try to and find nutrients in the subsoil. Wine made from vines produces on clay gravel beds have less acidity than those planted

on limestone gravel beds. (Bordeaux France)

Soil Information G - PSoil Information

Greywacke - Sedimentary soil formed by rivers depositing quartz, mudstone and feldspar. (Germany, New Zealand and South

Africa)

Gypsum - Calcium sulfite based soil that is formed through the evaporation of seawater. It is a high absorbent soil that has average

drainage ability.

Hardpan - A dense layer of clay that is impenetrable by roots and water. In some areas of Bordeaux, a sandy iron-rich layer is

located deep enough below the surface to act as a water table for the vine.

Keuper - Soil type consisting of marl and limestone common in Alsace dating back from the Upper Triassic period.

Kimmeridgian soil - A gray colored limestone based soil originally identified in Kimmeridge, England. Kimmeridgian clay is calcareous

clay containing Kimmeridgian limestone. (Loire Valley, Champagne, Burgundy France)

Lignite - It is a brown colored carbonaceous soil that is an intermediate between peat and coal.

(Germany, France)

Limestone - Sedimentary based soil consisting of carbonates. The most common colored limestone found in wine producing area is

buff-gray in color (with the exception of white chalk). The water retention abilities vary from composition but limestone is

consistently alkaline and is generally planted with grapes of high acidity levels. (Alsace France)

Llicorella - The soil is a mix of slate and quartz. The soil is very porous and drains well. Syrah, Grenache and Carignan have done

well in this soil type. (Montsant - Spain)

Loam - Warm, soft, fertile soil composed of roughly equal amounts of silt, sand and clay. It is typically too fertile for high quality

wines that need to limit yields in order to concentrate flavors.

Loess - A silt-based soil composed of wind borne materials that are normally weathered and decalcified. The soil has good water

retention and warming properties.

Marl A calcerous clay-based soil that conducts heat poorly and adds acidity to the wine. Vine planted in this type of soil normally

ripening later than in other soil types. Marlstone is limestone based clay that acts similar to Marl.

Mica - Silicate based soil composed of fine, decomposed rock formations.

Muschelkalk -Soil type consisting of various compositions of sandstone, marl, dolomite, and shingle. (Alsace France)

Perlite - A volcanic soil type that is light, powdery and lustrous.

Soil Information Q - ZSoil Information

Quartz - Common material found in most vineyard soils-especially sand and silt based soils. The high Soil pH of quartz can reduce the

acidity of the resulting wines but its heat retaining properties that stores and reflect heat can increase ripening of the grape which

normally results in wine of higher alcohol content.

Sand - warm, airy soil that is composed of tiny particles of weathered rocks. One of the few soils that the phylloxera louse does not thrive

in, the soil drain wells but does not have good water retention. Sandstone is a sedimentary soil composed of sand particles that has

been pressured bound by various iron based minerals. (Alsace France)

Sandy Soil - Grapes tend to yield a softer product.

Schist - Laminated, crystalline rock based soil that retains heat well and is rich in magnesium and potassium but is poor in organic

nutrients and nitrogens.

Shale - Fine grain sedimentary based soil that can turn into slate when under pressure. The soil is moderately fertile and retains heat well.

Siliceous soil - Soil composed of acid rock that is crystalline in nature. The soil has good heat retention but needs the added composition

of silt, clay and other sedimentary soils to have any kind of water retention. The range of this soil can include organic materials flint or

inorganic materials like quartz. (Bordeaux France)

Silt - Soil type consisting of fine grain deposits that offer good water retention but poor drainage. It is considered more fertile the sand.

Silex - A flint and sand based soil type found primarily in the Loire Valley that is a formed from a mixture of clay, limestone and silca.

Slate - Soil type that is a dark gray, plate like rock that formed when clay, shale, siltstone and other sediments are subjected to pressure.

The soil retains heat well and warms up relatively quickly.

Steige - A schist based soil. (Alsace France)

Terra Rossa - A sedimentary soil, known as "Red Earth, that is created after carbonates have been leached out of limestone. The

breakdown leaves behind iron deposits which oxidizes and turns the soil a rustic red color. The soil drains well and is relatively high in

nutrients. (Coonawarra Australia)

Ultisol - a highly-weathered, largely-infertile, clay-based soil - usually brilliant red in color - found in south America, especially near the

Piedmont plateau.

Volcanic soil - Soil that is created by one of two volcanic activities:

Vent-based soil is material that has been ejected into the air, cooled and settled to the earth. These include pumice and tufa.

Lava-based soil are the product of lava flows from the volcano. 90% of lava-based soil is composed of basalt with the other 10% including andesite, pitchstone, rhyolite, and trachyte.

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