PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR THE UPDATED GLOSSARY (April 2018).
A ritocchino?
A giropoggio?
Please see below my updated glossary of Italian wine terms translated. I’m always trying to add new entries and I’m always happy to receive requests and suggestions. And if you catch an error or typo, please let me know.
Thanks for reading and thanks for speaking Italian wine! I hope you will find the glossary as useful as I do.
In other news…
The Italian government has finally declared a state of emergency in Puglia: there are fears that, if left unchecked, the alarming and widespread outbreak of Pierce’s Disease could threaten agriculture beyond Puglia’s borders.
Please see this post that I published yesterday for my client Cantele.
| ITALIAN | ENGLISH |
| a giropoggio | east-west row orientation |
| a ritocchino | north-south row orientation |
| acciaio [inossidabile] | stainless-steel [vat/tank] |
| affinamento | aging |
| alberello | head-trained [vines] |
| allevamento | training |
| argilla | clay |
| arresto di fermentazione | stuck fermentation |
| assemblaggio | blend |
| barbatella | grafted cutting |
| barrique | barrique [small French oak cask] |
| bâtonnage | stirring on the lees |
| biodinamica | biodynamics/biodynamic |
| biologico | organic |
| botte | traditional large cask |
| bucce | skins |
| Cabernet [Sauvignon] | Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Cabernet Franc | Cabernet Franc |
| calcare/calcareo | limestone/calcareous [limestone-rich] |
| cappello sommerso | submerged cap maceration |
| chioma | canopy |
| cordone speronato | cordon-trained spur-pruned [vines] |
| cru | vineyard designation/single vineyard |
| cuvée | blend |
| délestage | rack and return |
| deraspare/deraspatrice | de-stemm/de-stemmer |
| diradamento | pruning/thinning grapes/dropping fruit |
| DOC | DOC [designation of controlled origin] |
| DOCG | DOCG [designation of controlled and guaranteed origin] |
| DOP | PDO [Protected Designation of Origin] |
| doppio capovolto | double-arched cane [training] |
| esca | esca [alt.: black dead arm or black measles] |
| escursione termica | [diurnal] temperature variation |
| fementazione arrestata | stuck fermentation |
| femminella | lateral shoot |
| follatura | punching down |
| galestro | galestro [a marl- and limestone-rich subsoil unique to Tuscany] |
| giropoggio | east-west row orientation |
| grappa | grappa |
| grappolo | cluster/bunch |
| Guyot | Guyot |
| IGP | PGI [Protected Geographical Indication] |
| IGT | IGT [typical geographical indication] |
| leccio | holm oak |
| lievito naturale | native/ambient/indigenous/wild yeast |
| lievito selezionato | cultured yeast |
| limo | silt |
| macchia mediterranea | Mediterranean maquis [shrubland] |
| maestrale (vento di maestrale) | north-westerly wind |
| malolattica | malolactic fermentation |
| marna/marne | marl |
| millerandage | millerandage [alt.: shot berries, hens and chicks, or pumpkins and peas] |
| monovitigno | single-grape variety [wine] |
| mosto | must |
| oidio | oidium [powdery mildew] |
| peronospora | peronospora [downy mildew] |
| pied de cuve | pied de cuve [native yeast starter] |
| pigiatura | pressing |
| portinnesto | rootstock |
| quercia | oak |
| rimontaggio | pumping over |
| ritocchino | north-south row orientation |
| sabbia/sabbioso | sand/sandy [sandy soil] |
| Sauvignon [Blanc] | Sauvignon Blanc |
| siccità/stress idrico | hydric stress |
| sistema di allevamento | training |
| sottosuolo | subsoil |
| stralciatura | deshooting |
| stress idrico/siccità | hydric stress |
| sulle bucce | skin contact [macerated on the skins] |
| sulle fecce nobili | lees aged [aged on its lees] |
| sur lie | lees aged [aged on its lees] |
| terreno/terreni | soil |
| tignola della vite | vine moth [Eupoecilia ambiguella] |
| tralcio | shoot/cane |
| tramoggia | hopper/feeder |
| tufo | tufaceous subsoil [porous limestone] |
| vasca | vat/tank |
| vento di maestrale | north-westerly wind |
| vigna/vigne | vine/vineyards |
| vigneto | vineyard |
| vinaccia/vinacce | pomace |
| vite | vine |
| vitigno | grape variety |
Do Bianchi 
Hi Jeremy, thank you for sharing your fantastic glossary, it’s so useful! I found a small typo in Italian: “malolactica” instead of “malolattica”.
Emanuela, thanks so much for checking it out and thanks for the heads-up on the entry for malolattica. :)
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