You don't have to be a specialist in wine or fluent in French to know the terms used in French wine, here's a short list:- Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) Loosely translated, this means "controlled name of origin." It is a strict set of carefully enforced French laws that specify wines by geographical origin and minimum production conditions. The more specific the appellation, the better the wine. From general to specific, Bordeaux appellations are as follows: Bordeaux, Bordeaux Supérieur, district name (such as Médoc; Graves; Entre-deux-Mers), and finally commune or village name (such as Listrac or Pauillac). There are 57 appellations in Bordeaux. All the other French regions have simular appellation structures. Also, both Italy and Spain have forms of wine AOC controlling the quality of their wines. Unfortunately the 'New World' does not. Château The French term 'Castle' is used to describe a vineyard of a regulated size that has wine-making and storage facilities on the property. There is not necessarily a big house or Castle on the vineyard. Alternatively the word 'Clos', which means 'Enclosed vineyard' or 'Domain', which means 'area' are used. There are over 8,000 individual château in Bordeaux! These words are generally used to label wines. The name on a second wine could be a completely factious place! Chêne Chêne is the French word for oak. "Elevé en fûts de chêne" on the label means aged in oak barrels. Clairet In the UK this name has become known as a reference simply to a Bordeaux Red wine (claret), but it is actually the name of a little known pale red Bordeaux wine - not to be confused with a Rose. Made in the same way as a red wine, from red-wine grapes, the skin of the grapes is only left in the "Must" (see below) for a short period, when it is removed leaving just the juice and 'meat' of the grape. This makes for a pale red colour wine, darker than a rosé, but lighter than a full Red. Côtes and Côteaux Hillsides planted with vineyards. Cru or Crue High-quality vineyards. "Grand Cru Classé" means the wine comes from an excellent officially classified vineyard. Cru Bourgeois This classification on the label indicates a château-bottled wine from the Médoc district and other areas that has met specific technical and qualitative standards. These wines are good value. Cuvée A blend of different wines. Fining Agent A substance added to wine after fermentation and before bottling that removes suspended particles from the wine. This can be egg whites, regularly used in the Bordeaux region. Lees The sediment (dregs) that occur during fermentation and ageing. Marc The skins, pulp and pips that remain after grapes have been pressed. Must The juice extracted from the grapes. Noble Rot Refers to a mould, Botrytis cinerea, allowed to develop on Sémillon grapes to be used in making sweet Bordeaux white wines. Oaked This is not to be confused with aging in oak barrels. It refers to the practice of putting oak chips into the wine during ferment to give the wine an oak flavour. Premières A classification used in some areas similar to the 'Cru' classification. A high-quality vineyard. Tannins Organic compounds in grape stems, seeds and skins that add richness and character to wine and act as a preservative for proper ageing of red wines. Véraison Colour change in the berries. Vinify The making of wine from grapes. Vintage The year in which the grapes were picked.