Wine glossary: Regions

Regions terms

Appellation

An officially defined wine region with rules about what can be grown and how, such as Chablis or Rioja. The name on the label tells you where the wine comes from and often the style to expect.

Cool climate

Regions where grapes ripen slowly, such as Champagne, the Mosel or Marlborough. Expect lighter wines with higher acidity and fresher fruit.

Cru

French for “growth”: a named vineyard or village recognised for its quality. The exact meaning changes by region, as in a Grand Cru in Burgundy or one of the ten Beaujolais crus.

Diurnal range

The difference between day and night temperatures. Warm days ripen the grapes and cool nights help them keep their acidity.

Grand Cru

The top classification in some French regions. In Burgundy it marks the best single vineyards; in Champagne it applies to whole villages. Beware Saint-Émilion, where “Grand Cru” is a fairly basic level.

Left Bank and Right Bank

Bordeaux’s two sides. Left Bank wines (Médoc, Graves) lean on Cabernet Sauvignon; Right Bank wines (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol) lean on Merlot.

New World

Wine from newer wine-producing countries like the USA, Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand. Often a shorthand for riper, more fruit-forward styles.

Old World

Wine from Europe’s traditional regions — France, Italy, Spain, Germany and their neighbours. Often a shorthand for more restrained, earthy, savoury styles.

Premier Cru

In Burgundy and Champagne, the level just below Grand Cru. In Bordeaux’s 1855 classification of red wines, Premier Cru (first growth) is the very top tier instead.

Terroir

A French idea (roughly ‘ter-WAH’) covering everything about a place that shapes a wine — soil, climate, slope and local tradition. It’s why the same grape tastes different depending on where it’s grown.

Warm climate

Regions with plenty of sun and heat, such as Barossa, Napa or Mendoza. Expect riper fruit, fuller body and higher alcohol.