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.
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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!