There are lots of terms used to help sell wine. Some are a bit geeky and might actually scare off people. What these all have in common is that none are any sort of guarantee of wine quality and whether you'll actually like it. Some of these might be on the bottle's label; others are thrown around by the folks who sell wine.
Whether you agree with any of these practices, locations, or other terms is not the point. It's that none actually help determine the quality. Keep that in mind when purchasing.
Biodynamic
Biodynamic agriculture sees the vineyard as one living thing with interdependent parts. The vines, animals & insects, soil, air and celestial influences are all interconnected. Essentially, it's organic farming plus additional spiritual practices, like linking harvesting to the phases of the moon.
There's absolutely nothing wrong with organic farming and taking care of the land. Some might see the burying cow horns filled with dung and dancing in the vineyard during a full moon as a little wacky. Many farmers do think the phases of the moon affect the plants, but I'm doubting a wine harvested during a full moon will be noticeably better than one not.
Napa Valley
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| Yep, this one's got it going all right |
It's world-famous so it must make the best wines, right? Well, there are many excellent wines from Napa and sometimes they can be quite expensive. It's supply-and-demand because folks will pay more to have that word on the label. I've had crappy wines from Napa just like from anywhere else. I've also had very good wines from Napa that aren't particularly expensive -- you just have to look harder.
Organic
Like Biodynamic it's better for the land. There is organic farming then there is organic wine (harder to find). It's always good to support organic farmers. I look for organic veggies at the grocery knowing I will pay a bit more, but won't always receive better quality produce.
Reserve
This is the most misused word on wine labels because there is no legal definition for it. You can throw it on any wine you want and some folks have misapplied it. The idea is wineries use it to label what they consider their better (and more expensive) offering.
Single Vineyard
This one has been all the rage in American wine for a decade or so. It's like single-source coffee or chocolate. You'll pay more for it because the perception is it's better.
Small, family-owned
As much as I prefer to support these people over the corporate or corporate-owned wineries it doesn't mean they necessarily know what they're doing. If there are two wines you like equally and they are roughly the same price then pick the family-run winery's offering. I'll even pay a bit more to support the local families.
Old Vine
This is a big one for Zinfandel. There are numerous Zin vineyards in California that have been around since before WWII and even since the 19th century. These vineyards are real treasures in the eyes of some people. The wines are a bit different, usually more concentrated, sometimes with pruney flavors, sometimes with higher alcohol, and a higher price. A few wineries will use Ancient Vines to denote really, really old vines.
As with Reserve there is no legal definition around what is Old Vines or Ancient Vines.
Terroir (tear-wahr)
This French word has really taken off in the past decade. It goes along with single-vineyard wines I suppose. It refers to a sense of place, whatever that means -- something to do with soil and climate at the vineyard -- and you can taste it apparently! So if someone says, "This wine has great terroir." I'll think, okaaayyy.
If you're looking for a wine glossary to help with all the terminology this one is pretty good.
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