Appendix 2: Glossary
Chinese-English wine vocabulary covering the high-frequency professional terms used in this book.
Chinese–English wine vocabulary covering the high-frequency terms used in this book.
Viticulture
Section titled “Viticulture”| English | Chinese | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Terroir | 风土 | Climate + soil + topography + human factors |
| Winter vine burial / maiteng | 埋藤 | Northern Chinese practice of covering vines for winter |
| Vitis vinifera | 欧亚种 | The global mainstream wine-grape species |
| Vitis amurensis | 山葡萄 | Native to NE China and the Russian Far East |
| Diurnal temperature range | 昼夜温差 | Day-night temperature differential |
| Irrigation | 灌溉 | Mandatory in arid Chinese regions |
| Old vine (vieilles vignes) | 老藤 | Typically 20+ years |
| Organic viticulture | 有机种植 | No synthetic agrochemicals |
| Biodynamic | 生物动力法 | Steiner’s framework, Demeter certified |
| Gravel | 砾石 | Typical of Ningxia’s Helan alluvial fans |
| Sierozem | 灰钙土 | Main soil of Ningxia |
| Loess | 黄土 | Main soil of Shanxi |
| Phylloxera | 根瘤蚜 | Pest that devastated 19th-century European vineyards |
| Anthocyanin | 花青素 | Pigment in grape skins |
| Resveratrol | 白藜芦醇 | Polyphenol in grape skins |
Winemaking
Section titled “Winemaking”| English | Chinese | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Dry | 干型 | Residual sugar <4 g/L |
| Off-dry | 半干 | Residual sugar 4–12 g/L |
| Sweet | 甜型 | Residual sugar >45 g/L |
| Icewine / Eiswein | 冰酒 | Picked after natural freeze at −8°C or below |
| Late harvest | 晚收 | Delayed picking to raise sugar |
| Oak aging / Barrel aging | 橡木桶陈酿 | French oak most common |
| French oak barrel (barrique) | 法国橡木桶 | 225 L standard |
| Malolactic fermentation (MLF) | 苹果酸乳酸发酵 | Converts sharp malic to soft lactic |
| Blend | 混酿 | Multi-variety blending |
| Varietal / single varietal | 单一品种 | Single-grape wine |
| Single vineyard | 单一园 | From a defined parcel |
| Orange wine / amber wine | 橙酒 | White grapes fermented with skin contact |
| Natural wine (vin naturel) | 自然酒 | Minimal-intervention winemaking philosophy |
Tasting
Section titled “Tasting”| English | Chinese | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Blind tasting | 盲品 | Tasting with labels covered |
| Legs / tears | 挂杯 | Streaks down the glass |
| Tannin | 单宁 | Polyphenols from skin and oak |
| Acidity | 酸度 | One of wine’s structural elements |
| Body | 酒体 | Weight in the mouth |
| Finish / length | 余味 | Persistence of flavor after swallowing |
| Minerality | 矿物感 | Contested term for a dry, non-fruit texture |
| Structure | 结构 | Combined frame of acidity, tannin, alcohol |
| SAT | Systematic Approach to Tasting | WSET’s structured tasting method |
Regions and Institutions
Section titled “Regions and Institutions”| English | Chinese | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Geographical Indication (GI) | 地理标志 | Origin protection |
| Classified growth (Cru classé) | 列级庄 | Ningxia’s Bordeaux-modeled classification |
| Helan Mountain East (Hèlánshān Dōnglù) | 贺兰山东麓 | Ningxia’s core region |
| OIV | Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin | International Organisation of Vine and Wine |
| DWWA | Decanter World Wine Awards | Major UK-based international wine competition |
| VQA | Vintners Quality Alliance | Canadian wine quality alliance |
Variety Names
Section titled “Variety Names”| English / French | Chinese | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cabernet Sauvignon | 赤霞珠 | Most-planted wine grape in China |
| Marselan | 马瑟兰 | Cabernet × Grenache, introduced to China in 2001 |
| Cabernet Gernischt | 蛇龙珠 | DNA confirmed as Carménère in 2012 |
| Merlot | 梅洛 | Common blending partner with Cabernet |
| Cabernet Franc | 品丽珠 | Right-bank Bordeaux signature |
| Syrah / Shiraz | 西拉 | Rhône-origin, used in Shandong and Yunnan |
| Pinot Noir | 黑皮诺 | Burgundy’s signature; still experimental in China |
| Chardonnay | 霞多丽 | Most-planted white wine grape in China |
| Riesling | 雷司令 | Germanic white; very limited Chinese plantings |
| Longyan | 龙眼 | Native white of Huailai |
| Vidal | 威代尔 | Main ice-wine variety |
| Petit Manseng | 小芒森 | French southwest variety; sweet white in Huailai |
| Beibinghong | 北冰红 | Chinese-bred; only red ice-wine grape worldwide |
| Grenache / Garnacha | 歌海娜 | Cabernet’s parent in Marselan crossing |
| Gamay | 佳美 | Beaujolais grape; limited Chinese plantings |
| Italian Riesling (Welschriesling) | 贵人香 | Unrelated to true Riesling |
| Chenin Blanc | 白诗南 | Loire-origin, rare in China |
| Sémillon | 赛美蓉 | Bordeaux white; rare in China |