Talking About Wine in English - Learn English vocabulary for small talk

Hi guys, Christina from Speak Better, Feel Great TV,

the place to boost your English and boost your career

Today

I’m treating myself to a nice

glass of wonderful French wine.

A full-bodied, oaky Shiraz

great varietal you know what I mean

No?

No,

maybe you don’t.

But that’s ok

because today’s lesson is

all about.

wine vocabulary

Why wine?

Both you and I know

that Americans are impressed

with the French and their knowledge of wine.

If you have some American colleagues visiting,

this is your opportunity to shine!

But

if you want to really impress them

you'll need vocabulary more advanced than just

“It tastes good”.

First,

the basics

you can have

red wine

white wine

rosé wine.

Americans also sometimes say blush wine

blush wine

Like

blush.

Maybe if there are just two of you,

a pitcher.

That’s a really big pitcher though.

That’s not a wine pitcher

But

for the pitcher you don’t have to bother with the exact quantity.

Americans don’t really know the metric system anyway.

You can suggest a small pitcher,

a medium pitcher

or

a large pitcher.

Or simply

a glass of wine.

To describe the wine, you can talk about what type of wine it is.

Americans especially know the wines by the varietals.

The varietals

Notice the pronunciation: va- RI-e-tals.

Varietals.

The varietal is the type of grape

For example,

Chardonnay

and

Pinot Grigio for white wines

and

Merlot

and

Shiraz

also known as Syrah

for reds.

If the wine is a mix of varietals,it’s a blend.

A blend.

For example,

this wine is a blend of

Marsan

Sauvignon Blanc,

and

Grenache Blanc.

A blend.

It’s a blend of these types of varietals.

Single varietal

Blend.

Before or after the meal,you can suggest a glass

of Champagne

or

another sparkling wine

Be prepared for this question

“What’s the difference between Champagne and sparkling wine?”

Because

for us Americans,

if it’s got bubbles,

it’s Champagne.

Ooh, champagne

from

Die?

Die? Die champagne?

It’s not champagne?

But it’s got bubbles.

So it’s champagne from Die?

Why is it not champagne? It’s got bubbles!

So

you may want to explain that Champagne

only comes from the region called

Champagne.

Everything else

is just sparkling wine!

That can be a good moment

to talk about wines that come from a specific region,

what they call AOC in French

It literally translates to “controlled designation of origin”

but

you can just say that AOC wine has to come from a specific region

That’s why Champagne

can’t come from Die

or

California.

There’s no such thing as Napa Valley Champagne.

Now,

the best part: describing the taste

Now

Don’t worry,

you don’t need long poetic fluff

Mmm

it tastes slove from

freshly picked cherries,

ripening in a basket

at the foot of a tree

on a sunny afternoon

Huh?

It tastes good

There’s no need to be that elaborate.

You can just use some basic words, no need to be snobby about wine!

A wine can taste crisp

like a crisp Alsatian wine

Maybe it’s fruity.

Like a fruity

Burgundy wine.

Maybe

it's okay

Oaky,

especially if it’s been aged in oak barrels.

Oak barrels.

You can describe red wine as tannic.

tannic

if it feels dry in your mouth

Wine can also be

light-bodied

medium-bodied

or

full-bodied

Light-bodied,

medium-bodied

fullbodied

depending on how “heavy” it feels in your mouth.

Woo

That’s a lot of vocabulary for this week.

If you want to learn more vocabulary go ahead and subscribe to the Speak Better Feel Great Blog

at christinarebuffet.com.

You’ll get a free video lesson every week

plus

exclusive bonuses.

Now

before we say good-bye,

I want to hear from you

Remember

you can boost your English and boost your career

by practicing your English here at Speak better fell great TV.

So

tell us,

have you ever described wine in English to a client or visitor in France?

Did you impress them with your knowledge?

Share your story in the comments below

We’d love to hear from you!

And

if you have a friend who likes wine and who likes learning English,

share this video with them!

and really appreciate

Now let me say

cheers to you,

and I’ll see you next time!