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Pronunciation guide

The 30 most mispronounced wine names

These are the wine names that trip people up most often, in restaurants, in shops and in wine exams. For each one you get the pronunciation that native speakers use, the syllable to stress, the version you usually hear instead, and a one-line fix.

30 terms. Each has native audio, IPA, an easy respelling and the meaning on its own page.

Most of the trouble comes from three habits. English speakers pronounce final consonants that French drops (Cabernet, Pinot, Pouilly). They stress the first syllable where French stresses the last and Italian usually stresses the second-to-last. And they guess at letter pairs: the French “gn” and Italian “gl” are soft, the Italian “ch” is hard, the German “w” is a v.

You do not need a perfect accent. Established English forms such as “sham-PAYN” for Champagne are correct and listed as accepted on each term page. The goal is to be understood by a sommelier, a wine merchant or an examiner without a second attempt.

  1. Gewürztraminer geh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner /ɡəˈvʏʁtstʁaˌmiːnɐ/ German · An aromatic white grape variety producing wines with distinctive lychee and rose petal aromas. Often heard as geh-WURTS-trah-mee-ner. German w always sounds like English v: geh-VURTS-trah-mee-ner.
  2. Châteauneuf-du-Pape shah-toh-nuhf doo PAHP /ʃɑtoˈnœf dy ˈpap/ French · A renowned appellation in southern Rhône known for full-bodied red blends from up to 13 grape varieties. Often heard as shah-toh-NOOF doo PAHP. French eu in neuf is a rounded sound like German ö, not oo: shah-toh-nuhf doo PAHP.
  3. Pouilly-Fuissé poo-yee fwee-SAY /puˈji fɥiˈse/ French · An appellation in southern Burgundy known for rich Chardonnay wines with stone fruit and mineral notes. Often heard as poo-yee foo-SAY. French ui glides quickly into ee, so say fwee, not foo: poo-yee fwee-SAY.
  4. Pouilly-Fumé poo-yee foo-MAY /puˈji fyˈme/ French · An appellation in Loire Valley known for Sauvignon Blanc wines with flinty mineral notes. Often heard as poo-LEE foo-MAY. In Pouilly, the ill sounds like y, with no l: poo-yee foo-MAY.
  5. Puligny-Montrachet poo-lee-NYEE mohn-rah-SHAY /pyliˈɲi mɔ̃raˈʃɛ/ French · A prestigious village in Burgundy known for world-class Chardonnay wines with great finesse. Often heard as poo-lig-NEE mohn-rah-SHAY. French gn is one sound like ny in canyon, with no hard g: poo-lee-NYEE mohn-rah-SHAY.
  6. Gevrey-Chambertin zhev-RAY shahm-ber-TAN /ʒɛvˈrɛ ʃɑ̃bɛrˈtɛ̃/ French · A prestigious village in Burgundy known for powerful and structured Pinot Noir wines. Often heard as GEV-ree shahm-ber-TAN. French g before e is a soft zh like the s in measure: zhev-RAY shahm-ber-TAN.
  7. Nuits-Saint-Georges NWEE san ZHORZH /nɥi sɛ̃ ʒɔrʒ/ French · A village in Burgundy known for robust and earthy Pinot Noir wines. Often heard as NWEETS san ZHORZH. The final ts in Nuits is silent, so the word ends on the ee sound: NWEE san ZHORZH.
  8. Meursault mur-SOH /mœrˈso/ French · A village in Burgundy known for rich and buttery Chardonnay wines with nut flavors. Often heard as mur-SAWLT. In sault the au sounds like oh and the l and t are silent: mur-SOH.
  9. Viognier vee-own-YAY /vjɔˈɲe/ French · A white grape variety producing aromatic wines with flavors of peach and apricot. Often heard as vee-own-YAIR. The final r in -ier is silent in French, so end on a clear ay: vee-own-YAY.
  10. Sauvignon Blanc so-vin-yawn BLAHNG /soviɲɔ̃ ˈblɑ̃/ French · A white grape variety known for producing crisp wines with high acidity and flavors of gooseberry and grass. Often heard as ZO-vin-yawn. Sauvignon starts with a sharp s as in see, never a buzzing z: so-vin-yawn BLAHNG.
  11. Cabernet Sauvignon kab-er-NAY so-vin-YAWN /kabɛʁnɛ soviˈɲɔ̃/ French · A black grape variety known for producing full-bodied red wines with high tannins and flavors of blackcurrant and cedar. Often heard as KAB-er-net. The final t of Cabernet is silent, so it ends on an open ay: kab-er-NAY.
  12. Pinot Noir PEE-noh NWAR /pino ˈnwaʁ/ French · A black grape variety producing elegant red wines with delicate tannins and flavors of red cherry and earth. Often heard as PEE-not. The final t of Pinot is silent, so the word ends on a clean oh: PEE-noh.
  13. Chablis shah-BLEE /ʃaˈbli/ French · A wine region in northern Burgundy known for unoaked Chardonnay with mineral and citrus notes. Often heard as shah-BLEES. The final s in Chablis is silent, so end on a clean ee: shah-BLEE.
  14. Sancerre sahn-SAIR /sɑ̃ˈsɛr/ French · An appellation in Loire Valley known for Sauvignon Blanc wines with citrus and mineral notes. Often heard as zahn-SAIR. A French s at the start of a word is always sharp like in 'sun', never a buzzing German s: sahn-SAIR.
  15. Vouvray voo-VRAY /vuˈvrɛ/ French · An appellation in Loire Valley known for Chenin Blanc wines ranging from dry to sweet including sparkling. Often heard as foo-FRAY. In French, v always sounds like German w (English v), never f: voo-VRAY.
  16. Côtes du Rhône koht doo ROHN /kot dy ˈron/ French · A regional appellation in Rhône Valley producing red blends primarily from Grenache and Syrah. Often heard as KOHTS doo ROHN. The final s in Côtes is silent, so stop cleanly on the t: koht doo ROHN.
  17. Grenache greh-NAHSH /ɡʁəˈnaʃ/ French · A black grape variety producing wines with high alcohol and flavors of red fruit and spice. Often heard as GREN-ash. French stresses the last syllable, and the first e is a soft uh: greh-NAHSH.
  18. Nebbiolo neb-BYOH-loh /nebˈbjɔːlo/ Italian · A black grape variety from Piedmont producing age-worthy wines with high tannins and flavors of tar and roses. Often heard as neh-bee-OH-loh. Italian bb is a double consonant, so hold the b a moment longer and glide straight into the yoh: neb-BYOH-loh.
  19. Montepulciano mon-teh-pool-CHAH-noh /ˌmontepulˈtʃaːno/ Italian · A black grape variety from Abruzzo (not to be confused with Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) producing rustic wines. Often heard as mon-teh-pool-see-AH-noh. In Italian, ci before a vowel is a single ch sound: mon-teh-pool-CHAH-noh.
  20. Brunello di Montalcino broo-NEL-loh dee mon-tahl-CHEE-noh /bruˈnɛllo di montalˈtʃiːno/ Italian · A DOCG in Tuscany producing powerful Sangiovese wines requiring extended aging. Often heard as broo-NEL-loh dee mon-tahl-SEE-noh. In Italian, c before i sounds like English ch, never s: broo-NEL-loh dee mon-tahl-CHEE-noh.
  21. Chianti kee-AHN-tee /ˈkjanti/ Italian · A wine region in Tuscany known for Sangiovese-based red wines with cherry and tomato notes. Often heard as chee-AHN-tee. In Italian, ch before i always sounds like a hard k: kee-AHN-tee.
  22. Pinot Grigio PEE-noh GREE-joh /ˈpiːnoʊ ˈɡriːdʒoʊ/ Italian · A white grape variety (same as Pinot Gris) producing light-bodied wines with citrus and mineral notes. Often heard as gree-JEE-oh. In Italian, the i in gio only softens the g to a j sound and is not spoken as its own syllable: GREE-joh.
  23. Moscato d'Asti moh-SKAH-toh DAHS-tee /mosˈkaːto ˈdasti/ Italian · A DOCG in Piedmont producing lightly sparkling sweet wines from Moscato with grape flavors. Often heard as moh-SKAT-oh DAHS-tee. The a in Moscato is a long open ah, as in father, not the a of cat: moh-SKAH-toh DAHS-tee.
  24. Rioja ree-OH-hah /rjoxa/ Spanish · A major wine region in Spain known for Tempranillo-based red wines aged in American and French oak. Often heard as ree-OH-jah. In Spanish, j is a breathy h sound from the back of the throat, never the English j: ree-OH-hah.
  25. Ribera del Duero ree-BEH-rah del DWEH-roh /riˈβeɾa ðel ˈdweɾo/ Spanish · A wine region in Spain known for powerful Tempranillo (Tinto Fino) wines with dark fruit flavors. Often heard as ree-BEH-rah del DOO-roh. In Duero the u glides quickly into e, giving dweh, not the Portuguese Douro: ree-BEH-rah del DWEH-roh.
  26. Albariño al-bah-REE-nyoh /alβaˈɾiɲo/ Spanish · A white grape variety from Galicia producing aromatic wines with high acidity and stone fruit flavors. Often heard as al-bah-REE-noh. The ñ is a soft ny sound, as in canyon, not a plain n: al-bah-REE-nyoh.
  27. Tempranillo tem-prah-NEE-yoh /tempɾaˈniʝo/ Spanish · A black grape variety from Spain producing medium to full-bodied wines with flavors of strawberry and leather. Often heard as tem-prah-NEE-loh. In Spanish, ll sounds like the y in yes, not an l: tem-prah-NEE-yoh.
  28. Riesling REES-ling /ˈriːslɪŋ/ German · A white grape variety producing aromatic wines ranging from dry to sweet with high acidity and flavors of stone fruit and petrol. Often heard as RICE-ling. In German, ie is a long ee (only ei sounds like eye): REES-ling.
  29. Spätlese SHPAYT-lay-zuh /ˈʃpɛːtleːzə/ German · A German Prädikat (quality designation) meaning late harvest, indicating grapes picked after the normal harvest at higher ripeness levels. Spätlese wines can range from dry to sweet, with greater body and intensity than Kabinett. Riesling Spätlese is particularly celebrated for its balance of fruit richness and refreshing acidity. Often heard as SPAYT-lay-zuh. In German, sp at the start of a word sounds like shp: SHPAYT-lay-zuh.
  30. Trockenbeerenauslese TROK-en-bear-en-OUS-lay-zuh /ˈtʁɔkənbeːʁənˌaʊsleːzə/ German · German Prädikat for intensely sweet wine from individually selected dried grapes affected by noble rot. Often heard as TROK-en-berr-en-OUS-lay-zuh. German ee in Beeren is a long closed ay sound, not the short e of berry: TROK-en-bear-en-OUS-lay-zuh.

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