If you have ever found yourself gazing at a restaurant wine list unsure of how to properly pronounce the wine you want to select, rather than attempting to pronounce the name and facing the potential embarrassment of saying it wrong, many often point to the selection with an apologetic grin.

Since wines originate from all over the world, pronouncing many wines can be rather tricky. It may be helpful to think back to high school French, Italian, German or Spanish lessons. For those of us whose memory of those language lessons has faded or who didn’t take language courses, here is a pronunciation guide for many common wines and wine terms.  After all, you should never have to feel stressed or discouraged when you want to enjoy some wine.

The words appearing in italics are wine terms or descriptors.

It may be helpful to know that terms having a French origin do not vocalize the last letter.

Sláinte mhaith