A wine facts and pronunciation guide so that you can “Snob” with the best of them.

Barolo  (barr-oh-low) – A big robust, long-lived, red wine from Piedmont, Italy. The basis is the  Nebbiolo grape.

Brunello di Montalcino (brew-nel-lo dah mon-tal-chee-no) – A very long-lived and exquisite red wine from Tuscany, Italy, made famous by Dr. Ezio Rivella, who was a Banfi Vintner’s winemaker.

Burgandy (burr-gun-dee) – Famous wine area in southeast France, known worldwide for excellent red and white wines.

Cabernet Sauvignon (ka-behr-nay so-veen-yohng) – Famous red wine grape varietal. Its origin is from Bordeaux, France, but it is sometimes attributed with a Phoenician origin.

Champagne (shahm-pain) – Famous sparkling wine district in northeast France. Julius Caesar fortified this area and built its first underground storage caves.

Chardonnay (shar-doh-nay) – Exquisite white wine grape varietal. Its origin is both the Burgandy and Champagne districts in France.

Chenin Blanc (shay-nan-blawnk) – Excellent white wine grape varietal. Its origin is the Loire Valley of France where it goes by the name of Vouvray, first introduced commercially in the USA by Robert & Peter Mondavi around 1955.

Chianti Classico Riserva D.O.C. (key-aunt-tee) – Superb red wine from the Tuscany area of Italy. It is  known world wide as a good wine with most pasta and meat sauce dishes.

Fume Blanc (foo-may-blawnk) – French name for Sauvignon Blanc white wine grape varietal. First introduced commercially in the USA by Robert Mondavi around 1966. Fume Blanc has a crispy, smoky, rocky finish.

Gattinara (got-tee-nah-ra) – Outstanding red wine produced in the Piedmont area of northern Italy. It’s very long-lived and needs proper aging.

Gavi (gah-vee) – A crispy, dry excellent white wine from the Piedmont area of northern Italy. Gavi is named after a German princess. It is superb with fish or chicken dishes.

Gewurztraminer (guh-verts-tra-mee-ner) – This wine is an excellent Alsatian white wine grape varietal with aromatic aroma and bouquet and a totally dry finish. Great with braai!

Merlot (mare-low) – Red wine grape varietal with origins in the St. Emilion and Pomerol parishes of Bordeaux. This noble grape produces a medium-bodied or lighter style red wine.

Nebbiolo (neb-bee-o-low) – Famous red wine grape varietal from Italy. It is said to be the “anchor” for the great Italian red wines.

Pinot Grigio (pee-no-gree-geo) – Noted Italian white wine grape varietal, it produces a very light and delicate white wine. Try the new Danzante by Robert Mondavi and Marchesi de Frescobaldi.

Pinot Noir (pee-no n’war) – Very famous red wine grape varietal, it produces the great red Burgandy wines of  France.

Riesling (rees’ling) – Famous German white wine grape varietal that produces low-alcohol, fresh and fragrant German  Moselle and Rhine wines. The grape was discovered by Benedictine monks in 1775.

Sangiovese (san-ge-o-vay-zee) – Excellent Italian red wine grape varietal. It is the basic grape, along with others, for Italian Chianti. In California, it produces a softly dry, excellent red varietal wine.

Sauvignon Blanc (so-vee-yohng-blawnk) – A French white wine grape varietal, it is found both in the Bordeaux and Loire Valley wine areas of France. Its attributes include a light, dry, crisp taste.

Semillon (say-mee-yohng) – Another fine French white wine grape varietal, its origin is Bordeaux, France. Both France and California blend it to make superb dry or sweet wines.

Spatlese (shpate-lay-zuh) – German wine term that means the grapes are late harvested. The sugar content in the grape is higher than in a normal harvest and produces a sweeter wine.

Syrah (see-ra) – A very famous Rhone Valley of France red wine grape varietal, used in both Chateauneuf du Pape and Hermitage- both superb-quality Rhone wines.

Zinfandel (zin-fan-dell) – Excellent California red wine grape varietal with its origin in Apulia, Italy, which is geographically the “heel of the boot” of Italy. Zinfandel is a clone of the Sangiovese grape.