Wine Terms Pronounced - the Grapes

Below are numerous grapes used in making wine with pronunciation and brief description included.

Alicante Bouschet – Ah Lee Cont Boo SHAY – French red grape used for jug wines

Amarone – Ah Ma ROW Nay – Italian red grape for full bodied wines

Cabernet Sauvignon – Cab Er NAY Sew Veen YON – King of the red grape producing rich full bodied wines

Carignan – Car Een YON – Fruity red grape frequently used to produce table wines

Carmenere – Car men YAIR – Red blending grape grown mostly in Chile

Chardonnay – Shar Doe Nay – King of the white grape producing excellent versatile wines

Chenin Blanc – SHAY Non Blon – White grape producing dry to slightly sweet fruity wine

Dolcetto – Dole CHET toe – Fruity red grape form the Piedmont region of NW Italy +3

Gamay – GAM May – Red grape from the Beaujolais region of Burgundy

Gewurztraminer – Gah VERTZ Tra Me Nur – Slightly sweet white grape from the Alsace region of Germany

Grenache – Grey NOSH – Widely planted versatile red grape for light to hearty wines - best known in Southern Rhone

Malbec – MALL Beck – Powerful red blending grape frequently used in Bordeaux (2 to 8%), increasing popularity as a varietal in Argentina

Malvasia – Mall Vah ZEE Ah – Sweet white grape used for blending into Chianti and as a stand alone desert wine

Marsanne – Mar SAHN – White grape of the Rhone region of France

Merlot – Mare LOW – Versatile red grape for blending or a soft mellow wine

Montepulciano – Mawn Teh Pull CHA No – Red grape producing full bodied table wines

Mourvedre – Moor VAY Druh – Strong red grape from the Rhone, Spain and California

Muscat – MUSS Cat – Sweet, fruity, aromatic white grape used for desert wines

Nebbiolo – Nay Be-OH Low – Powerful red grape of Italy's Piedmont region (Barolo, Barbaresco)

Petit Syrah – Puh TEE (TEET) See Rah – California grape producing deep-red, full-bodied, tannic, spicy wines

Petit Verdot – Puh TEE (TEET) Vare DOE – Bordeaux grape producing deep-red, full-bodied, tannic, spicy wines, popular for blending

Pinot Grigio – PEE no GREE Jo – French / Italian white grape for crisp, dry wine (also Pinot Gris)

Pinot Noir – PEE no No WAH – Red grape of Burgundy, also found in California and Oregon

Riesling – REES Ling – Grape of the German Rhine, aromatic, slightly sweet

Sangiovese – San Joe VAY Seh – Red grape of Tuscany for rich full bodied wine (Chianti, Brunello)

Sauvignon Blanc – Sew Veen YON Blon – Widely planted versatile white grape producing dry wines

Semillon – SAY me Yon – French white grape usually blended with Sauvignon Blanc, also varietal in California

Syrah – See RAH – Powerful red grape of northern Rhone, full-bodied, aromatic and tannic, increasing popularity in Australia

Tempranillo – Temp Ra NEEL yo – Powerful red grape of Spain (Rioja)

Trebbiano – Treb e AH no – Italian white blending grape used in Chianti and brandy (Cognac in France)

Ugni Blanc – OO Nee Blonk – French white blending grape (Trebbiano in Italy & Saint Emilion in Cal)

Zinfandel – Zin Fan DELL – Red grape producing big, powerful, full-bodied wines