Wine Terms Starting with M

It is the most cultivated and important white grape in the Rioja region of Spain, where it is commonly called Viura. The grape has gained prominence due to its high yield and has largely replaced the traditional white Malvasia in this region.

Italian term for maceration

Italian term for the process of carbonic maceration

City in France known for producing value-for-money wines and for its fresh, simple white wines, produced mainly from the Chardonnay grape.

A term used to describe the climate of a large wine-growing area (e.g. an entire region) as opposed to microclimate.

A fortified wine made on the Portuguese island of the same name off the coast of Morocco since the 15th century.

The result of oxidation in wines. Maderized wines show aged colors and lack of fruit, similar to what is found in Madeira wine.

Italian term to refer to maderized wines

A red grape variety from Bordeaux also known as Cot. It produces a deep red tannic wine and is usually blended with one (sometimes more) of the other four grapes allowed in Bordeaux: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This wine is most common in regions such as Argentina, as a varietal, or South Australia.

It is one of the three predominant acids in grapes.  Malic acid is also present in many fruits, such as: apples, cherries, plums and tomatoes.

A secondary fermentation in which the acidity of the tart malic acid in the wine converts into a much mild and creamier lactic acid. The process reduces acidity in wine and releases some carbon dioxide.

Italian term for malolactic fermentation

A French term to describe a person or legal entity that buys grapes, grape must or wine to make wine on their own premises and market it under their own label. All of the big Champagne Houses belong in this category.

A fino sherry produced in Spain. It is so called because the flavor of this pale, dry sherry is reminiscent of manzanilla tea.

A term to refer to the distillate of marc. It can also refer to the marc itself or, in the Champagne region, to the individual fractions from the traditional vertical press.

Italian term to refer to a brand or trademark

Geographically, Margaret River it is one of Australia's largest wine regions. Located in the state of Western Australia, more than 20% of its wines are quality wines. Some of the most common grapes from this region are Chardonnay, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

It is the southernmost area where the fine wines of the Haut-Medoc region, in the Bordeaux area, are produced. It is also known by this name as one of the four wines that reached the category of First Growth in the Bordeaux classification of 1855.

This is an Italian fortified wine, dry or sweet, produced in the region surrounding the Italian city of Marsala on the island of Sicily. In Canada and the United States, it is more often used for cooking than for drinking, but in Italy it has traditionally been served as an aperitif. If kept in ideal conditions, Marsala can last for many years unopened, although it is advisable to consume it within 5 years of purchase.

Synonym of Charmat Method

Tasting term describing big, full-bodied, complex and round red wines, complex and round.

Italian term for a brick red color that can appear in some wines

Italian term for the process of maturation or aging of wines

A mature wine has aged to the point where all its elements come together: tannins, fruit and acidity. At that point, the wine also acquires secondary flavors and aromas.

Italian term for Mature

A light German wine flavored with sweet chestnut, plus strawberries or other fruits.

This is one of Australia's oldest wine regions, located in the south of the country and famous for producing a Shiraz wine of excellent quality from grapes that thrive in fine soils and warm summers.

An alcoholic beverage similar to wine. Instead of being made from grape juice, fermented honey and water are used.

Tasting term describing wine containing abundant flavors reminiscent of meat.

Tasting term describing wines with aromatic and flavor nuances, usually found in spirits such as: malt whisky.

Wines described as medium bodied leaving a medium mouthfeel.

Determining the aging vessel is at the discretion of the winemaker. From what wood to use to what toast level to use. The higher the toast level the more pronounced are the vanilla flavors in wine.

This is known as Bordeaux, the most famous wine region in France. The Médoc is divided into two smaller regions: the Bas-Medoc (“bas” stands for low in French) and the Haut-Medoc (“haut” stands for high in French). Of the two, Haut-Medoc produces higher quality wines, which is why you often see Haut-Medoc on wine labels from the region. Typically, higher elevation wines are more valued due to the inherent difficulty to ripen the grapes and the lower yields that could be achieved.

An 18-liter bottle of wine, equivalent to 24 standard bottles.

A term used to describe a probably well-aged wine that is soft and smooth, with no bite or harshness.

A wine defect, characterized by rotten egg, skunk or rubber aromas. These usually come from volatile sulfur compounds.

A term created by California winemakers for wines made from Bordeaux-style blends. These wines may contain varying amounts of any or all of the 6 major Bordeaux grape varieties.

A popular red grape in Bordeaux and around the world. Large quantities of Merlot are grown in Italy, the United States, South America and elsewhere.

This term is commonly used to describe the type of climate in a vineyard.

Tasting term describing the metallic (usually flinty or steel) flavor present in some winesMéthode Champenoise. Traditional protocol for creating sparkling wines in which a second fermentation takes place in the bottle. The method, developed in France, is used worldwide, but only Champagne from the Champagne region of France can legally use the term.

Winemakers producing sparkling wine in regions outside the boundaries of the Champagne appellation in France are allowed to use this phrase on the label to indicate that the sparkling wine has been made following the Méthode Champenoise protocol.

A 6 liter bottle of wine. Equivalent to 8 standard bottles.

A technique developed to help wines taste better when they are younger, especially during barrel tasting. Mostly used with grapes from warm climates, micro-oxygenation involves adding small amounts of oxygen to the wine. Or, it is the natural penetration of oxygen through the wood grains of the aging vessel or the cork over time.

Wines made by micro-vinification are fermented in barrels. This is the playground for the winemaker where they would vinify small batches of wine by modifying a variable to determine which method yields the best results. An example of this would be to vinify the grapes using different strains of yeast.

The mid-palate is the central part of the wine tasting that takes place after the initial taste and the finish. It is the time when most of the flavors are released and experienced. This is in reference to the human tongue where the front, mid and back of the tongue hold different taste receptors.

French term for what happens when irregularity in the grape bunch. This results in the grapes in each cluster not being uniform in size and developing at different stages and rates of ripening.

Italian term, especially used in sparkling wines, to refer to vintage dated wines

Italian term for minerals

This aroma or flavor comes from grapes grown in intense, rocky, mineral-laden soils. It gives a sensation of crushed rocks, stone or cement.

French for "put in the bottle", or "bottled". The phrase "mis en bouteille au châteaux" or "mis en bouteille au domaine", which often appears on French wine labels, indicates that the wine is bottled on an estate and that the grapes are grown on site.

French term used to designate wines that are in the medium to sweet range.

An odor indicating that the wine has been made from moldy grapes or has been stored in barrels deteriorated by mold.

This term is used to refer to a wine made from a single grape variety.

French term for an Appellation of Origin (AOC), in which all the vineyards in the appellation are owned by a single owner.

Italian term to refer to a monovarietal

Italian term to referto awine that is soft and balanced, with subtle sweetness and low to medium acidity

Moscato is the name given to the Muscat variety in Italy, which is used for Asti Spumante, its well-known sparkling wine. This is a highly aromatic grape variety. There are various types of Moscato.

Moselle is the German spelling of one of Germany's most important wine regions and of the river of the same name that meanders through the region known as Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. There are vineyards along the entire length of the river, but the wines made from Riesling grapes are the best known.

Italian term for the grape must, used for winemaking

French term used to refer to the foam that forms on the surface of a glass of sparkling wine when it is first poured, as well as the effervescent quality of the wine.

French term for sparkling wine.

Concentrated wines with sufficient volume to occupy the entire mouth with flavor.

Property located in Bourdeaux, and classified as First Growth, located in the commune of Pauillac. The wines produced there are highly recognized due to the artistic works present on their labels, in addition to their robust body.

Italian term for the Noble Rot, also known as Botrytis

Wine that is usually served as a punch. Previously, it was heated and seasoned. Popular in the winter, especially in the German speaking part of the world.

A type of grape that is a cross between a Riesling and a Sylvaner and is currently the most widely grown variety in Germany. It is also widely grown in New Zealand.

A popular dry, light white wine produced in the western part of France's Loire region, where the Loire River empties into the Atlantic ocean. This wine is considered perfect to accompany seafood, especially oysters.

Term used to describe a wine, almost always red, that is vigorous, full-bodied and powerful.

An undesirable, musty odor in a wine that has probably been stored in an unclean wooden barrel.

Prestigious title for a person who has studied and passed the Masters of Wine exam.