The percentage of ethyl alcohol per volume of wine, measured at 20 °C. It is the mandatory alcohol statement on wine labels in virtually every market. It is estimated from the initial and final density of the must during fermentation.See also:ABV calculator
The historic French appellation system guaranteeing that a wine comes from a delimited zone and follows an approved production code (grape varieties, yields, winemaking practices). It is administered by the INAO. Under current EU law it maps to the AOP category.
The EU protected designation of origin, equivalent to the Spanish DOP or the French AOC. It certifies that every production stage happens within the delimited geographic area under the approved specification. It is the strictest level of origin protection in the European Union.
The Austrian fiscal strip that bottles of sparkling wine (Sekt) must carry as proof that the sparkling wine tax (Sektsteuer) has been paid. It is obtained from the tax authority and applied over the bottle closure before sale. Managing banderoles is part of a winery's compliance duties in Austria.
A wooden vessel, typically oak, used to ferment or age wine. The most common format is the 225-litre Bordeaux barrique. It contributes micro-oxygenation and aromatic compounds (vanilla, spice, toast) depending on wood origin, toast level and number of previous uses.
The stock declaration German and Austrian wineries file annually with the wine authority, reporting wine and must inventories at a cut-off date (31 July in the EU). It feeds official sector statistics and complements the harvest declaration.
The combination of wines from different varieties, blocks or vintages into the final wine. Blending pursues consistency of style and balance. Appellation rules commonly regulate which proportions and origins are admissible in a blend.
A scale measuring soluble solids — mostly sugars — in grape must: one degree Brix equals 1 gram of sucrose per 100 grams of solution. It drives harvest-timing decisions and potential-alcohol estimates. Brix is standard in the Americas, while Europe leans on Oechsle, Babo or Baumé.See also:ABV calculator
The unique identification code Argentina's INV assigns to every registered vineyard and winery establishment. It accompanies all filings and sworn declarations to the agency, linking product traceability back to the establishment of origin.See also:INV vineyard registry guide (ES)
The free-circulation certificate issued by Argentina's INV authorizing a tested and approved wine lot to leave the winery and be sold. Without a valid CLC the product cannot circulate. It is requested per lot and requires prior analysis of the product.See also:INV CLC guide (ES)
The federal label approval the US TTB requires before a wine can be sold in interstate commerce. Each label (brand, vintage, varietal) needs its own certificate, filed online through COLAs Online. Changes allowed without a new approval are limited to a closed list.See also:COLA guide
The maturation period of a wine in barrel and bottle before release. In Spain it is also a regulated label term: a red Crianza requires at least 24 months of aging, including a minimum of 6 in barrel (more in some appellations). Outside that legal frame it is used as a general aging term.
Austria's appellation system protecting regionally typical wines with a defined profile (for example Wachau DAC or Kamptal DAC). Each DAC sets permitted varieties, tiers (Gebietswein, Ortswein, Riedenwein) and analytical requirements. Wines outside the specification are labelled under the generic federal-state designation.
The final step of the traditional sparkling method, expelling the frozen lees plug from the bottle neck after riddling. After disgorgement the dosage liqueur is added, setting the sweetness level (brut nature, brut, demi-sec). Some producers state the disgorgement date on the label as a quality cue.
The Chilean tax document that covers the physical transport of goods, including wine, between premises or to customers. Since 2020 it is issued electronically with the SII. In the wine industry it accompanies every product movement and backs traceability and SAG controls.See also:SAG Chile compliance
The set of periodic sworn declarations Argentine wineries file with the Instituto Nacional de Vitivinicultura: stocks, production, dispatches, blends and wine movements. They are filed electronically and omissions or inconsistencies trigger penalties. They are the backbone of Argentine wine control.See also:INV monthly dispatch DJ guide (ES)
A protection scheme linking a wine to a delimited geographic zone and a production code supervised by a regulatory council. It guarantees origin, varieties, yields and authorized practices. Variants exist across Spain, Argentina, Chile and other countries (DOC, DOCa, DOP).
Italy's mid-tier appellation, above IGT and below DOCG. Its disciplinare regulates the production zone, varieties, maximum yields and minimum aging, approved by decree. Italy has more than 300 active DOCs.
The highest tier of Italian appellations, reserved for historic zones with reinforced controls. Beyond the production code, every lot passes chemical analysis and a tasting panel, and bottles carry a numbered state strip (fascetta) as a guarantee. Examples: Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico.
The sales channel where the winery sells directly to the final consumer: cellar-door sales, e-commerce, wine clubs and home shipping. In the United States it is regulated state by state through DTC shipping licenses. It is usually the highest-margin channel for small and mid-size wineries.
The electronic document covering movements of excise goods (including wine) under duty suspension within the European Union. It is raised in the EMCS system before dispatch and closed by the consignee's report of receipt. It replaced the paper accompanying document.
A digital label reached via QR code that complements the physical wine label. Since 8 December 2023, EU Regulation 2021/2117 requires ingredient and nutrition information for wine sold in the EU and allows it to be provided electronically. The QR must lead to the mandatory content without marketing or user tracking.See also:E-label for wine
The international retail barcode standard (now GTIN-13) that uniquely identifies a commercial product. Each wine SKU — format, vintage, market — normally carries its own EAN issued under a GS1 license. It is a practical requirement for supermarkets, distributors and marketplaces.
The EU computerised system controlling movements of excise goods under duty suspension between member states. Registered operators raise and receive e-AD documents through it. For a winery shipping intra-EU, operating in EMCS is the condition for moving wine without paying excise at origin.
The German and Austrian harvest declaration: growers report harvested quantities per variety and origin to the competent authority after the vintage. Deadlines and forms vary by federal state. Together with the Bestandsmeldung it closes the producer's annual reporting cycle.
The mandatory filing in which a grower reports to the wine authority the kilograms harvested per variety and origin each vintage. In Argentina it is filed with the INV; in the EU each member state has its own form and deadline. It anchors the traceability of the resulting wine and sector statistics.See also:INV harvest declaration guide (ES)
The EU origin scheme that is less restrictive than PDO/AOP: one production stage in the area and a quality attributable to that origin are enough. In wine it replaced the old country-wine mentions. It allows more flexibility in varieties and yields.
Italy's geographical indication category, the national equivalent of the EU IGP. It identifies wines from a broad zone with more flexible rules than DOC/DOCG. It was the route through which the so-called Super Tuscans emerged, high-end wines outside traditional specifications.
The Argentine agency supervising the entire wine chain: vineyard and winery registration, production controls, analysis, transit and exports. It manages the mandatory sworn declarations and issues the certificates that allow wine to circulate. Its headquarters are in Mendoza.See also:INV compliance
The mandatory cellar book in Germany and Austria recording, in chronological order, all inputs, treatments, movements and outputs of wine and must. It may be kept on paper or in an electronic format accepted by the authority. It is the base document of any winery inspection in those markets.
The Austrian scale for measuring must sugar, expressed in degrees KMW (°KMW). One degree KMW is roughly five degrees Oechsle. It legally defines Austrian quality levels (Qualitätswein, Kabinett, Spätlese and beyond).
The sediment of dead yeast and solids left after fermentation. Aging on the lees (sur lie), with or without stirring (bâtonnage), adds volume, creaminess and bakery notes to the wine. How long the wine stays on lees, and how often they are stirred, is a stylistic decision of the winemaker.
The contact of must with skins and seeds to extract colour, tannin and aroma. Its length and temperature largely define the wine profile: from short macerations for rosé to extended ones for age-worthy reds. Cold pre-fermentation soaks and carbonic maceration are common variants.
The conversion of malic acid into lactic acid by lactic bacteria after (or during) alcoholic fermentation. It softens perceived acidity and adds microbial stability and buttery notes. It is standard practice in reds and optional in whites depending on the intended style.
Fresh grape juice obtained by crushing or pressing, before or during fermentation. It is the raw material of wine, and its composition (sugar, acidity, pH) drives winemaking decisions. Concentrated and sulfited musts are regulated products with their own destinations.
The French accompanying document covering domestic movements of bulk wine between operators. Issued under the control of French customs (DGDDI), it travels with the shipment together with product and establishment data. Its electronic version is managed in the customs systems.
The German scale measuring must density relative to water: a must of 1.080 g/L reads 80 °Oe. It determines potential alcohol and legally classifies German quality levels (Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese and up). It remains the ripeness benchmark in Germany and Switzerland.
The skins, seeds and stems left after pressing the grapes. It can be destined for distillation (pomace brandy, grappa), composting or by-products. In several countries its removal and destination are regulated and must be declared to the wine authority.
The mandatory Italian field logbook where growers record plant-protection treatments, fertilization and vineyard operations per block. It is checked in cross-compliance and certification audits (organic, SQNPI). Its conceptual equivalent exists across the EU as the treatment register.
Transferring wine from one vessel to another to separate it from its lees and aerate it in a controlled way. It is repeated several times during aging depending on the intended style. Each racking is a movement that must be entered in the cellar records.
The Chilean agency supervising wine production and export: registration of vineyards and wineries, harvest declaration, certification of designations of origin and export analysis. It issues the official certificates that accompany Chilean wine into destination markets.See also:SAG Chile compliance
Italy's national agricultural information system, where wineries keep the mandatory electronic in-and-out wine register (registro di cantina). Every movement — grape intake, racking, bottling, sales — is recorded electronically within set deadlines. It replaced paper registers in 2017.
The wine declaration system of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil), the state concentrating most Brazilian production. It records harvest, production and stock of wineries with the state agriculture secretariat. It coexists with the federal MAPA registry for the sector.
The internal code identifying one specific commercial reference: the same wine in a different format, vintage or market is a different SKU. It is the unit for managing stock, prices and per-bottle costs. It should not be confused with the EAN, which is the product's public barcode.
The ability to reconstruct the full journey of a wine: from the vineyard block and harvest date to the dispatched bottle, through every vessel, blend and treatment. It is a regulatory requirement in most markets (INV in Argentina, EU registers, TTB in the US) and a precondition for certifications and export.See also:INV traceability
The US federal agency regulating wine production, labelling and taxation. It grants winery basic permits, approves labels through the COLA process and collects the federal excise tax per gallon. Wineries periodically report production and movements on its official forms.See also:TTB compliance
The private association of elite German wine estates with its own vineyard classification pyramid: Gutswein, Ortswein, Erste Lage and Grosse Lage (with the dry Grosses Gewächs, GG). It is not a state legal category, but it works as a recognized quality benchmark in the market. The eagle-and-grapes capsule identifies member estates.
The annual grape harvest and, by extension, the period in which it takes place. Harvest timing balances technological ripeness (sugar, acidity) and phenolic ripeness (tannins, colour). Its data — kilograms per variety and origin — feed the mandatory harvest declaration in most producing countries.See also:INV harvest declaration guide (ES)
The official German vineyard registry inventorying each estate's parcels: surface, varieties, planting rights and ownership. It is the administrative basis for planting authorizations and the grower's annual declarations. Each federal state manages its own registry.
Tourism built around winery and vineyard visits: tastings, guided tours, lodging and gastronomy. For many wineries it is a direct revenue stream and the main gateway to DTC sales and wine-club memberships.