Wine Vocabulary in Russian

Wine is not just a drink, it is a whole philosophy. To talk about wine, you need to have a special linguistic training. Here’s a brief guide to some key terms in the Russian wine vocabulary.

Wine can be

• белое (white) or красное (red)
• сухое (dry), полусухое (semi-dry), сладкое (sweet) and полусладкое (semi-sweet)

It is quite common to call any sparkling wine шампанское, though a term “игристое вино” (sparkling wine) would be more appropriate.

For wines that have been aged, “выдержка” (aging) signifies the duration of maturation. Whether it’s выдержанное вино (aged wine) or молодое вино (young wine), this term indicates the aging process.

Винная карта (wine list) will help you get acquainted with the range of wines in the restaurant. Describing the array of aromas in a wine, “букет” (bouquet) encompasses the scents that contribute to the overall sensory experience. The words “аромат” (aroma), “вкус” (taste) and “послевкусие” (aftertaste) with epithets will allow you to evaluate the quality of the wine and your sensations.