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Essential vocabulary

The Spanish department of GIRALDA CENTER-SPANISH HOUSE offers you the following information to help you discover the wealth of Spanish wines. We consider that it forms part of the gastronomic culture of this country, and it will also help you to learn Spanish.

How is it possible to translate these sensations; to express the colour, the aroma and flavour of a wine?.

FINO: A biological high alcohol wine typical of Andalusia.

FRUTAL/FRUITY: The aromatic quality of some wines, or the presence of aromas that are reminiscent of fruit (blackberries, raspberries, banana, pineapple, peach, etc).

GENEROSO: Special wine with an alcoholic content of between 15 and 23%.By extension, this term is also applied to high alcohol table wines.

GRAN RESERVA: Name given to wines which have been aged for a significant period of time in oak barrels and in the bottle. Although the classification varies from one region to another, it generally means a wine aged for more than three years.

HOLLEJO: skin of the grape.

JOVEN: Unaged wine characterised by its fresh and fruity qualities.

MANZANILLA: A high alcohol fino produced in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, in Andalusia.

OLOROSO: Fortified wine from Jerez, ranging from 18 to 20% alc. vol and with an aroma reminiscent of walnuts. Obtained by oxidised ageing. Dark gold in colour and full-bodied.

ORUJOS/MARC: Residue left after the pressing of the grapes. After the wine has been extracted from the press, the marc can be used in the distillation process or for making aguardiente, literally ‘fire water’.

PALE DRY: A type of fino wine.

PALE CREAM: A sweet wine with the same colour as fino.

PALIDO/PALE: Used to describe wines of low chromatic intensity.

PALO CORTADO: An uncommon wine which is a cross between an amontillado and an oloroso, with the perfume of the first and the taste of the second.

RESERVA: On a bottle, this word indicates that the wine has been aged for a significant period of time, usually three years.

ROBLE/OAK: Aroma and taste produced in a wine aged in aromatic oak barrels, which should be in perfect harmony with the wine’s roundness.

ROSADO/ROSÉ: A kind of wine made from red grapes fermented without the grape skins, giving the wine a lighter colour.

SANGRIA: Typical Spanish refreshing drink made from wine and fruit, particularly lemon.

SECO/DRY: Wine which has completed its fermentation so that all the sugar has been turned into alcohol.

SOLERA: The lowest row in the tiers of barrels where the oldest wines are aged. The term is also used to describe the ageing system which consists of improving young wine with the addition of older wine, as in the case of the fortified wines of Jerez.

TANINO/TANNIN: Astringent natural substance found in the seeds and skin of the grape. During ageing the oak of the barrels used also adds natural tannins to the wine.

TINTO/RED: Basic wine category for those wines made from red grapes and fermented with the grape skins. Its colour ranges from cherry red through to bluish-black.

VARIETAL/VARIETAL WINE: Wine made from one dominant grape variety.

VENDIMIA/HARVEST: Harvesting of the grapes.

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