Maybe you’re on a first date or your friend’s parents take you out to a fancy restaurant. You really want to order a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, but you don’t want to sound like an idiot pronouncing it. You can either sound like you have a mouth full of marbles, awkwardly and silently just point to it on the menu or order a different wine altogether (perhaps the House Red). Follow this guide, and you’ll be an expert in no time.
Photo by Mikaela Kearns
Sauvignon Blanc
Saw-vee-nyon-blahnk
Chablis
Sha-BLEE
Pinot Gris
Pee-noh-gree
Pinot Noir
Pee-noh-nwahr
Gewurtztraminer
Guh-VERTZ-tra-mee-ner
Beaujolais
Bo-zho-lay
Spätlese
SHPATE lay she
Viognier
Vee-oh-nyay
Photo by Steven Baboun, American University Spoon
Understand that even wine-industry professionals sometimes pronounce wines wrong or argue about pronunciations. Word of advice. Pronounce the French wine, Chateauneuf du Pape, like this…NOT this.
Still having trouble? To hear how they’re pronounced, check out this website. Also, this website offers a huge glossary of wine-related terms and pronunciations to help you.
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