You not only are what you drink, you are how you say it! Here’s a guide to pronouncing some wine terms that are either common, or difficult. Stressed syllables are indicated by capital letters. (Note that French words are not syllabically stressed, unlike Italian, Spanish, & German, which are. Also, where some pronunciation guides suggest pronouncing, for example, the word Adega as ah DAY gah, that is actually incorrect; it should be ah DEH gah, without the diphthong so common in English, AY, YAY, etc. The EH indicates a pronunciation more like the e in enough—eh NUFF.)
| A | |
| Adega | ah DEH gah |
| Aglianico del Vulture | ah lee AHN ee coh dell Vool TOOR eh |
| Ahr | AHR |
| Albariño | ahl bah REE nyoh |
| Aligoté | ah lee go teh |
| Aloxe-Corton | ah luss cor ton |
| Alsace | al zass |
| Alto-Adige | AHL toh AH dee jheh |
| Amontillado | ah mon tee YAH doh |
| Amarone | ah ma ROH neh |
| Anjou | ahn jew |
| Appellation d‘Origine Contrôlée | ap el latz ee on dor ee jheen con trol eh |
| Arneis | ahr NASE |
| Auslese | OUSE leh zeh |
| Auxerrois | aus ser whah |
| Auxey-Duresses | awk seh deh ress, |
| B | |
| Baden | BAH den |
| Barbaresco | bar bah RES co |
| Barbera | bar BEAR ah |
| Bardolino | bar doe LEE noh |
| Barolo | bah RO lo |
| Bâtard-Montrachet | bah tar – mon rah sheh |
| Beaujolais | boh jho lay |
| Beaujolais Nouveau | boh jho lay noo voh |
| Beaujolais-Villages | boh jho lay vee lahj |
| Beaune | bohn |
| Beerenauslese | BEHR en OUSE leh she |
| Blanc de Blancs | blahnk duh blahnk |
| Blanc de Noir | blahnk duh nwahr |
| Blanchot | blahn shoh |
| Botrytis cinerea | boh TRY tis sin eh REH ah |
| Bougros | boo groh |
| Bourgogne | boor guh nyeh |
| Bourgueil | bor goye |
| Brouilly | broo yee |
| Brunello di Montalcino | brew NEL lo dee mon tahl CHEE no |
| brut | brute |
| Burgenland | BURR ghen land |
| C | |
| Cabernet Franc | cah behr neh frahnk |
| Cabernet Sauvignon | cah behr neh saw vee nyoh |
| Canaiolo | can eye OH loh |
| Carmignano | car mee NYAH no |
| Carmenere | car men err |
| Chablis | shah blee |
| Chambolle-Musigny | shom bohl – moo sih nyee |
| Chardonnay | SHAR doh nay |
| Chassagne-Montrachet | shah san yuh – mon rah sheh |
| Château | shah toh |
| Château de Fieuzal | shah toh fee oo zahl |
| Château Grillet | shah toh gree yeh |
| Château Haut-Brion | shah toh oh bree oan |
| Château Lafite-Rothschild | shah toh lah feet roth sheeld |
| Château Margaux | shah toh mahr go |
| Château Mouton-Rothschild | shah toh moo tahn roth sheeld |
| Château Pétrus | shah toh peh troos |
| Château Trotanoy | shah toh trot ahn wah |
| Château Y | shah toh ee grehk |
| Châteauneuf-du-Pape | shah toh nuf dew pahp |
| Chassagne-Montrachet | shahs anyuh mohn rah sheh |
| Chénas | sheh nahs |
| Chenin Blanc | shen in blahnk |
| Chevalier-Montrachet | sheh vah lyeh – mon rah sheh |
| Chianti | key AHN tee |
| Chianti Rufina | key AHN tee ROO fee nah |
| Chinon | she nohn |
| Chiroubles | sheh roob leh |
| Chorey-lès-Beaune | shor ay – leh – bone |
| Colheita | col YAY tah |
| Colli Orientali | CO lee or ee en TAH lee |
| Collio | CO lee oh |
| Condrieu | cohn dree oo |
| Corbières | cor bee air |
| Corton-Charlemagne | cor tawn – shahr luh mahn |
| Cosecha | coh SEH cha |
| Côte be Beaune | coat deh bone |
| Côte Chalonnaise | coat shal oh naze |
| Côte d'Or | coat dor |
| Côte de Nuits | coat deh nwee |
| Côte de Nuits-Villages | coat deh nwee – vee lahj |
| Cote du Rhone | coat deh rone |
| Côte Rôtie | coat roe tee |
| Côtes du Ventoux | coat due vahn too |
| Crianza | cree AHN zah |
| Cru Bourgeois | crew bour zjwah |
| cuvée | coo veh |
| D | |
| Dégorgement | deh gorge mohn |
| Demi-sec | deh mee seck |
| Denominaçao de Origen Controlada | deh nom ee nah SOU deh or ee JEN con tro LAH dah |
| Denominazione di Origine Controllata | deh nom ee NAHZ ee ohn eh dee oh REE gee neh con troh LAH tah |
| Dolcetto | dohl CHET oh |
| E | |
| Eiswein | ICE vine |
| Entre-Deux-Mers | On truh – douh – mair |
| Erzeugerabfüllung | EHRZ oi gher ab fu long |
| F | |
| Fitou | fee too |
| Fixin | fee san |
| Flagey-Échézeaux | flah jhay -eh sheh zoe |
| Fleurie | flehr ee |
| Fourchaume | for chahm |
| Franken | FRAHN ken |
| Friuli-Venezia Giulia | FREE oo lee – veh NETZ ee ah – JOO lee ah |
| G | |
| Galicia | gah LEETH ee ah |
| Garnacha | gahr NAH cha |
| Garrafeira | gar ah FAIR ah |
| Gattinara | gah tee NAH rah |
| Gavi | GAH vee |
| Genevrières | jen ev ree aire |
| Gevrey-Chambertin | jehv ray – sham ber tan |
| Gewürztraminer | gah VERTZ trah mee ner |
| Gigondas | jhee gohn dahs |
| Givry | jee vree |
| grand cru classé | grahn crew clas seh |
| Graves | grahv |
| Grenache | greh nosh |
| Grenouilles | greh n'wee |
| Grüner Veltliner | GREW ner VELT lee ner |
| Gütsabfüllung | GUTZ ab fu long |
| H | |
| halbtrocken | HAHLB tro ken |
| Haut-Médoc | oh – meh doc |
| Hermitage | er mee tahj |
| Hessische Bergstrasse | HESS ish sheh BERG strahs seh |
| I | |
| Indicação de Proveniência Regulamentada | in dee cah SOU deh pro vee EN see ah Reh goo lah men TAH dah |
| J | |
| Juliénas | jool yeh nahs |
| Jerez de la Frontera | Heh RETH deh la FRON teh rah |
| K | |
| Kabinett | KAB ee net |
| L | |
| Ladoix | lah dwah |
| Languedoc-Rousillon | lahn gweh doc – roo see yon |
| Les Clos | leh cloh |
| Les Forêts | leh for eh |
| Les Preuses | leh preuh'z |
| Liebfraumilch | LEEB frow milsh |
| Lirac | lee rahk |
| Listrac | lee strahk |
| Loire | l’wahr |
| Lugana | loo GAH nah |
| M | |
| Mâcon | mah caw |
| Mâcon-Villages | mah caw – vee lahj |
| Mâconnais | mah caw nay |
| Malvasia | mal va SEE ah |
| Maranges | ma rahnj |
| Margaux | mahr goh |
| Marsannay | mahr sah nay |
| Médoc | meh doc |
| Melon de Bourgogne | meh lohn deh boor guh nyuh |
| Menetou-Salon | meh neh too – sah lohn |
| Mercurey | mer cure ay |
| Meritage | MER eh tej |
| Meursault | muhr so |
| Midi | mee dee |
| Minervois | mee ner vwah |
| Mittelrhein | MIT tel ryne |
| moelleux | mweh luh |
| Mont de Milieu | mon deh meh lyew |
| Montagny | mon tah nye |
| Montée de Tonnerre | mon teh deh tun nair |
| Montepulciano d'Abruzzo | mon teh pul chee AH noh dah BRUTE so |
| Monthélie | mohn teh lee |
| Montlouis | mon loo wee |
| Montmains | mon man |
| Montrachet | mon rah sheh |
| Morey-Saint Denis | maw ree – san d’nee |
| Morgon | mor gohn |
| Mosel-Saar-Ruwer | MOH zel – zar – ROO ver |
| Moulin-à-Vent | moo lahn ah vahn |
| Moulis | moo lees |
| Müller-Thurgau | MOO ler – TER gow |
| Muscadet | moos cah deh |
| Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine | moos cah deh – sev’r – et – man |
| Muscat | moos caht |
| Musigny | moo sig n’yee |
| N | |
| Nahe | NAH heh |
| Nantais | nahn teh |
| Nebbiolo | neb bee OH lo |
| Neuchâtel | NOI sha tel, |
| Niederösterreich | nee der OZ ter ryke |
| Nuits-Saint-Georges | nwee – san – johrj |
| O | |
| Orvieto | or vee AE toh |
| P | |
| Pauillac | poy yac |
| Pays d'Oc | pay ee doc |
| Pays Nantais | pay ee nahn tay |
| Penedés | pen eh DAIS |
| Pernand-Vergelesses | pair nahn – vair juh less |
| Pessac-Léognan | peh sac – leh oh nyahn |
| Pfalz | FALLZ |
| Phylloxera | Fill LOX eh rah |
| Pinot Bianco | pee noh bee AHN coh |
| Pinot Blanc | pee noh blahnk |
| Pinot Grigio | pee noh GREE joh |
| Pinot Gris | pee noh gree |
| Pinot Meunier | pee noh muhn yay |
| Pinotage | pee noh TAHJ |
| Pomerol | pohm eh roll |
| Pommard | pohm mahr |
| Pouilly-Fuissé | pwee – fwee seh |
| Pouilly-Fumé | pwee – foo meh |
| Prädikat | PREH di cat |
| premier cru | prem yay crew |
| Priorato | pree oh RAH to |
| Puligny-Montrachet | poo lee nyee – mon rah sheh |
| Q | |
| Qualitätswein | KAL ee tates vine |
| Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiet | KAL ee tates vine beh STIM ter an BAU geh beet |
| Quincy | can see |
| Quinta | KEEN ta |
| R | |
| Regaleali | reh gah leh AH lee |
| Regnié | reh nyeh |
| Reuilly | ruh yee |
| Rheingau | RYNE gow |
| Rheinhessen | RYNE hess ehn |
| Rheinpfaltz | RYNE faults |
| Rhone | rown |
| Rías Baixas | REE ahse BYCE ahse |
| Ribera del Duero | ree BEAR ah del doo EHR oh |
| Ribolla Gialla | ree BOHL lah JAHL lah |
| Riesling | REESE ling |
| Rioja | ree OH hah |
| Rueda | roo EH dah |
| Rully | rue yee |
| S | |
| Saale-Unstrut | SAHL – UN strutt |
| Sachsen | SAHCK sen |
| Saint-Amour | sant – ah more |
| Saint-Aubin | sant – oh ban. |
| Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil | san – nih coh lahs – deh – bor goye |
| Saint-Romain | san – ro man |
| Saint-Véran | san – veh rahn |
| Sancerre | sahn sair |
| Sangiovese | san joe VEH seh |
| Santenay | san T’NAY |
| Saumur | soh muhr |
| Sauvignon Blanc | saw vee nyon blahnk |
| Savennières | sah ven nyair |
| Savigny-lès-Beaune | sah vee nyee – leh – bone, |
| Scheurebe | SHOY reb beh, |
| Seco | SEH coh |
| Semillon | SEM eh lon (Australian) |
| Sémillon | sem ee yon (French) |
| Soave | so AH veh |
| Spanna | SPAH nah |
| Spätburgunder | SHPATE ber gund er |
| Spätlese | SHPATE leh seh |
| St-Emilion | sant – em eel yon |
| St-Estèphe | sant – eh steff |
| St-Julien | sant – jewl yen |
| St. Veran | san vehr an |
| Steiermark | SHTY er mark |
| T | |
| Tavel | tah vel |
| Tempranillo | tem prah NEE yoh |
| Tinto | TEEN toh |
| Tocai Friulano | toe KYE free ou LAH noh |
| Torgiano | tor gee AH no |
| Tre Venezie | treh veh NETZ ee eh |
| Trebbiano | treb bee AH noh |
| Trentino-Alto Adige | tren TEE noh – AHL toh AH dee jheh |
| trocken | TRO ken |
| Trockenbeerenauslese | TROH ken BEER en OUSE leh seh |
| V | |
| Vacqueyras | vah keh rahs |
| Vaillons | vye yon |
| Valais | vah leh |
| Valmur | vahl moor |
| Valpolicella | val po lee CHEL lah |
| Vaudésir | voh deh zeer |
| Vendange Tardive | vahn dahnj tahr deev |
| Vendimia | ven DEE me yah |
| Veneto | VEN eh toh |
| Verdejo | ver DEH ho |
| Verdicchio | ver DEE key oh |
| Vernaccia di San Gimignano | ver NOTCH cha dee san jee mee NYAH noh |
| Viejo | vee EH ho |
| Viña | VEEN yah |
| Vinho | VEEN yo |
| Vinho Verde | VEEN yo VAIR deh, |
| Vino Nobile di Montepulciano | VEEN o NO bee leh dee
mon teh pul CHAH noh |
| Vins de pays | van deh pay ee |
| Vins de table | van deh tah bleh |
| Vins Délimités de Qualité Supérieure | van deh lim ee teh deh kal ee teh soo per ee ehr |
| Viognier | vee oh nyeh |
| Volnay | vohl nay |
| Vosne-Romanée | vohn – roh mah neh |
| Vougeot | voo zjoe |
| Vouvray | voo vray |
| W | |
| Wachau | va COW |
| Weissburgunder | VICE bur gund er |
| Wien | VEEN |
| Willamette Valley | wil LAM ette |
| Württemberg | VERT tem berg |
