(This article appeared in the May 16/17 issue of the Wall Street Journal)
Singing the ABCs of Wine
By DOROTHY J. GAITER AND JOHN BRECHER

It's time for a new, improved, updated A-Z glossary. What we've done here is include fresh items that we wouldn't have included just a few years ago (our last glossary ran in 2003). In previous glossaries, for instance, P stood for Robert Parker, but, looking forward, D and V are the new P. These are words and people whose names are good to know right now for some reason, if only because they are symbols of something larger. We have made tough choices to get each of these down to a single listing. This sometimes entailed arguments, threats and compromise, and in the long run we just couldn't agree on R, which is why there are two.
[Albarino] Jeff Bush

Albariño. Signature white wine from Spain -- sunny, peachy, floral and mouthwatering. Spanish wines -- red, white, rosé and its sparkling Cava -- tend to be excellent values these days.

Bronco Wine Co. California-based Bronco grew into one of the biggest wine companies in the U.S. thanks to "Two-Buck Chuck" and other lower-priced brands. Now its CEO, Fred Franzia, has become increasingly visible as an advocate for inexpensive wine that's an everyday pleasure. (Fred Franzia does not produce Franzia boxed wines, which are made by another giant company known for inexpensive wines, the Wine Group.)

Celebrity wines. This replaces critter wines, the fading fad in which the cute animal on the label was a bigger selling point than the wine inside the bottle. Now anybody who's anybody, living or dead, from golfers to rock stars to actors, has his or her own wine label. In tastings, we have preferred celebrity to critter wines, so far, but we're not sure how long that will be true.

Dr. Vino. The world is awash in wine bloggers -- and we figure the more people who read and write about wine the better -- and one good example is drvino.com, which is well-written, well-researched, calm and, dare we use the word, sober.

Extracted. It's hard to avoid this word in any discussion of wines these days. Essentially it means just what it sounds like: a wine that's concentrated and intense. Even normal people these days like to argue about whether various wines are overly extracted.

Tastings columnists Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher update their wine glossary with the new terms and names every wine drinker should know.

Flights. Not long ago, only wine geeks talked about "flights" of wine -- that is, several wines tasted against each other because of some common trait, such as Sauvignon Blancs from around the world. Now, because of the explosion of wine bars, flights have taken off.

Grüner Veltliner. Austria's signature white, far more widely available now than just a short time ago. It's so trendy that some people, unfortunately, call it GrünVelt, GrünV, GV or even GrüV, but we'd stick with GROO-ner felt-LEE-ner.

Haw River Valley (North Carolina). New official wine appellation (known as an AVA, or American Viticultural Area), simply one example of the extraordinary growth of wineries all across the U.S. There are now more than 3,000 wineries that are not in California, including about 80 in North Carolina.

Interstate shipping. Thanks to the Internet and a 2005 Supreme Court ruling, the amount of wine moving among states has grown tremendously. While some states still do not allow interstate (or, in some cases, in-state) shipping, most Americans now can order wine from stores and wineries in other states.

Jerk. Because of the increasing confidence and sophistication of wine drinkers all over the world, more and more people hear an insufferable wine bore and say, "Wow, that guy [it's always a guy] is a jerk," instead of saying, "I guess I don't know anything about wine." In terms of wine, we think jerk is a term you will be hearing more in the next few years.
[Kabinett] Jeff Bush

Kabinett. We know it's probably just wishful thinking, but we think maybe Riesling really is about to turn a corner as consumers realize what a beautiful, food-friendly wine it is. If they do, they are sure to discover lighter German Rieslings that are classified as Kabinett.

Languedoc. Productive region in southern France that produces an ocean of wine, some of it good. Producers are working hard to improve quality; there is a new, official Languedoc regional appellation as of 2007; and its solid wines are affordable in a time of economic strain, so Languedoc's profile might rise in the next few years.

Malbec. Argentina's signature red. Earthy yet easy to drink, this is very much the red wine of the moment.
[Four Vines] Jeff Bush

Naked. Unoaked wines, sometimes called naked, have become trendy because the overuse of oak (or oak chips, or oak staves, or oak flavorings) has become epidemic. Our feeling is that oak itself isn't really the villain, that lazy winemaking and inferior grapes are. Still, a little bit of over-reaction isn't a bad thing in this case and some naked wines are tasty.
[Badger] Jeff Bush

Organic. All things organic are hot these days and wines made from organically grown grapes are no exception, along with wines grown with biodynamic or sustainable agriculture. They are also improving in quality.

Prosecco. Delightful bubbly from the Veneto region of Italy that has surged in popularity recently because of its charm and low price.
[Quincy] Jeff Bush

Quincy. White wine made from Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire Valley of France. As consumers look for alternatives to Chardonnay and other big whites, they are increasingly discovering wines like this.

Reduction. Word often used in the heated debate between cork and screw-cap camps, in which some argue that this complex reaction causes off smells (at least briefly) in wines closed with screw caps.

Resveratrol. A compound in red wine that researchers believe has positive health effects, in far larger doses than a single bottle of wine.

"Sideways." The 2004 movie that boosted Pinot Noir and the Santa Barbara County wine industry and helped make a joke of Merlot.
[Tannat] Jeff Bush

Tannat. Signature red of Uruguay, one example of the many interesting wines now fighting for shelf space from all over the world.

Urban wineries. Places in cities, from Denver to Brooklyn, N.Y., to Hong Kong, where vintners are making wine far from the actual vineyard.

Vaynerchuk, Gary. Wine geek of the moment. His upbeat, charming commentary at tv.winelibrary.com has made him a star and brought him a huge book deal. His many followers are called Vayniacs.
Wine Notes

Wine doggy bags. Most states now allow diners to leave a restaurant with an unfinished bottle of wine, though they generally require that the wine be placed in a sealed container, which has inevitably come to be known as a "wine doggy bag." (For a listing of state laws, see winedoggybag.com.)

Xinomavro. Indigenous red grape of Greece, pronounced Ksee-NO-ma-vro, according to the Web site allaboutgreekwine.com, where you can hear it pronounced. Greek wines are interesting, well-made and often bargain priced.

Yarra Valley. Australian wine region known for its cooler climate. Australia produced lakes of bad wine over the past few years -- especially Chardonnay and Shiraz -- and, as a result, saw its industry suffer. But there is too much commitment, too much money and too much history for the bad times to last forever. We'd guess that Australia's quality comeback will be led by lesser-known regions, such as the Yarra Valley, and, separately, by its lesser-known varietals, such as Riesling.


Zweigelt. Austria's most widely planted red grape, sometimes seen as a rosé. The red is fun, charming and a little peppery.