Alberese Generally defined as white, limestone-rich soil found mostly on the valley floors of the Tuscany region.

Azienda means “farm” in Italian.

Climat A term used in Burgundy, France, to refer to a specific vineyard site. The specific plot of vines has been precisely demarcated and likely recognized by it’s name for centuries. For example, Côte du Py is a climat in the appellation, Morgon AOC, of the Beaujolais region.

Crianza Refers to a wine coming from Rioja DO in Spain where the wine has seen at least 1 year of aging in a cask plus a few months (usually another year) spent aging in the bottle. This is typically the most accessible tier of Rioja DO wines because they are excellent value for money. 

Cru This is a French term used to define a superior growing area, relating broadly to either a vineyard or a group of vineyards. For example, there are 10 Crus of Beaujolais, of which Morgon AOC is one of.

Galestro A rocky, schist-clay soil type that is commonly found throughout high elevations of the Tuscany region of Italy. Some areas of Tuscany, such as Chianti Classico, can reach high temperatures where vines would be susceptible to heat stresses.  However, because Galestro soils can hold on to water well, this soil type can support the Sangiovese vine to ripen slowly in times of need.

Gran Reserva A labelling term found on Spanish wines from the Rioja DO appellation. This term infers that the wine has been aged for a total of 5 years with at least 2 years in oak + 2 years resting in bottle.

Grand Cru Classé is a sub-classification of AOC (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée) in Bordeaux, France, which recognizes a producer rather than a vineyard. The most famous classification system in the history of wine is Bordeaux’s 1855 Classification, requested by Napolean III, which ranked 61 Grand Cru Châteaux on their trade market value at the time.

Joven Translates to “young” in Spanish. This term refers to a young wine with minimal oak aging (under 6 months). 

Pergola The pergola training system is an ancient vine-training technique which is applied in some vineyards today, such as in the Valpolicella region of Italy, or the Rias Baixas region of Spain. Vines are trained on vertical poles up to more poles that are supported horizontally, thus creating a roof overhead. This type of training and pruning helps promote air flow through the vines, keeping grapes dry and without rot.

Reserva If found on a Spanish wine from the Rioja appellation, this refers to the total amount of aging the wine has seen: in total it will have seen 3 years of aging with at least 1 year in oak barrels and another 6 months in bottle.

Terroir A description that encompasses the climate, soil type, elevation and topography of a winegrowing area or region, which has imparted a distinct characteristic in the wine from this area. In other words, the wine has a specific sense of place.