Acid. In the right proportion, gives many wines their balance and longevity. Wines without enough acids are often called "flabby."

Alsace. French region bordering Germany best-known for distinctive whites such as peppery Gewürztraminer.

Appellation. Where the grapes came from. Often, the more specific, the better.

Appellation Controlee. French system that sets rules for winemaking in geographic areas. A world standard.

Australia. After a decade-long surge, the second-biggest exporter of wines into the U.S. by volume after Italy.

Beaujolais. French region producing delightful red wine from Gamay grapes; one of the world's great wine bargains.

Bordeaux. French region best-known for classy reds made primarily from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

Botrytis Cinerea. "Noble rot" fungus responsible for making some great dessert wines in Sauternes and elsewhere by shriveling grapes and concentrating juice.

Burgundy. French region best-known for reds made from Pinot Noir and whites made from Chardonnay.

Cabernet Sauvignon. Red-wine grape responsible for famous Bordeaux wines and many California "cult wines."

California. Produces 90% of wines made in the U.S. and 70% of wines drunk in the U.S. Most important regions: Napa, Sonoma.

Cava. Spanish sparkling wine.

Chablis. French region (part of Burgundy) making special, seafood-friendly wines from Chardonnay. Used in U.S. to mean "cheap, generic white."

Champagne. French region making the world's best sparkling wine from Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes.

Chardonnay. Great white grape of Burgundy. No. 1 "varietal" wine in America.

Chenin Blanc. Fine grape for dry and sweet wines. Sometimes used in U.S. to mean "cheap white," but sometimes a fine varietal.

Chile. Up-and-coming wine exporter best-known for value-priced Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Classification of 1855. Famous ranking of Bordeaux wine by "growth" -- based on quality, price and politics -- that's still important today.

Corked. Wine that's tainted by a bad cork. Tends to smell like wet cardboard or a wet dog.

Cult Wines. Symbol of '90s bubble. Hard-to-find, excellent, very expensive and generally red California wines more often bought and sold than drunk.

Disgorge. Process in Champagne in which the sediment is popped out of the bottle before the final cork is inserted.

DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). Italian symbol of highest quality, though it can be hit-or-miss.

Dom Perignon. Monk important in early Champagne-making, though he didn't really "invent" Champagne. Also the name of a fine, expensive Champagne.

Duboeuf, Georges. French winemaker and brilliant marketer who did much to popularize Beaujolais Nouveau around the world.

Finish. The lingering taste a wine leaves after you swallow it.

First Growth. Chateaux Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion and Mouton Rothschild.

Fortified. Wines with brandy or other spirits added, such as Port.

French Paradox. "60 Minutes" report on this (1991) hinted that red wine keeps French healthy. Led to surge in U.S. red-wine consumption.

Gaja, Angelo. Great winemaker and trend-setter in the Piedmont region of Italy.

Gallo, E.&J. World's biggest winemaker (until Constellation's pending takeover of Australia's Hardy). U.S. firm makes one of every four bottles sold domestically.

Gewurztraminer. Peppery white wine that's a specialty of the Alsace region of France.

Gout de Terroir. "Taste of the earth," the notion that grapes should pass on the natural aspects that are present in a place.

Ice Wine (Eiswein in Germany). Dessert wine made from frozen grapes. A specialty of Canada.

Labrusca (or Vitis Labrusca). Not Lambrusco, the inexpensive Italian red, but the kind of vine that produces native American grapes, such as Concord.

Loire. French region best-known for summery whites.

Magnum. A 1.5-liter bottle that's twice as big as regular bottles. Bigger still: Nebuchadnezzar, the equivalent of 20 regular bottles.

Meritage. Name for red and white blends in the U.S. made from classic Bordeaux varieties. Rhymes with heritage.

Merlot. Bordeaux blending grape. First bottled as a U.S. varietal in 1972 by Louis Martini. Top red varietal in the U.S.

Mondavi, Robert. Visionary California winemaker greatly responsible for U.S. wine renaissance that started in late 1960s.

Mosel-Saar-Ruwer. German area best known for flowery Rieslings.

Muscat. Honey-like grape grown all over the world to make slightly sweet to very sweet wines.

Nebbiolo. Great grape of Barolo and Barbaresco in the Piedmont region of Italy.

New Zealand. Up-and-coming wine-producing country best known for its juicy Sauvignon Blancs. Most-talked-about winery: Cloudy Bay.

North Dakota. Last state in the U.S. to have a commercial winery, which opened last year.

Nose. How a wine smells.

Oak. Wood used in winemaking to add complexity and various flavors to wines often fermented and/or aged in oak barrels.

Parker, Robert M. Jr. Publisher of "The Wine Advocate." Most powerful wine critic in the world. His 100-point scale widely replicated.

Paris Tasting of 1976. In a head-to-head blind tasting, French judges preferred American wines, a turning point for U.S. wines.

Phylloxera. Plant louse that kills vines. Devastated French vineyards in the 19th century, hit California hard recently.

Piedmont. Italian region best known for lusty reds including Barolo and Barbaresco.

Pinotage. Spicy, unusual red wine of South Africa.

Pinot Grigio. Italian wine -- same grape as Pinot Gris -- that recently became the most popular imported wine in the U.S.

Pinot Noir. Great red grape of Burgundy. Experts used to believe incorrectly that the U.S. couldn't make fine Pinot. Specialty of Oregon.

Port (or Porto). Fortified wine from Portugal.

Qualitatswein Mit Pradikat. Symbol of high quality on a German label.

Reserve. In some countries, this means wine was aged longer. In U.S., it can mean that or nothing at all.

Rheingau. German region best-known for Riesling wines.

Rhone. French region best-known for its earthy reds. Most notable grape is Syrah.

Riedel. Stemware company that popularized the idea that there is a perfect glass for every wine. Rhymes with needle.

Riesling. Great white-wine grape at its best in Germany.

Rioja. Spanish district best-known for woody red wine.

Sangiovese. Great grape of Chianti.

Sauvignon Blanc. White grape that makes grassy dry wines all over the world. Also used in dessert wines. Same as Fume Blanc.

Sauternes. Great dessert wine from Bordeaux. Most famous and best: Chateau d'Yquem.

Sediment. Naturally occurring muddy stuff in the bottom of some bottles, especially old ones. It's harmless.

Shiraz. Australia's signature red-wine grape. Same as Syrah.

Stainless Steel. Wines said to be "all stainless steel" were fermented in temperature-controlled steel tanks and meant to be fresh, fruity, aromatic.

Sulfites. Naturally occurring substance also added to preserve and stabilize wines. Present in virtually all wines. Often incorrectly blamed for headaches.

Sur Lie. Allowing a white wine to sit on its dead yeast for a while, often giving it extra complexity and mouthfeel.

Tannins. Naturally occurring substances that give red wines their backbone and often their longevity. Sometimes cause mouth to pucker.

Terroir. The total environment in which grapes grow -- the soil, the climate, etc.

Turley, Helen. Great American winemaker responsible for many cult wines.

Tuscany. Region of Italy best known for Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino.

Varietal. Wine named for a grape type, like Chardonnay. In U.S., a wine must be at least 75% of a grape type to be called that.

Vinifera (or Vitis Vinifera). Species of vine that produces classic European wine grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and most of the wines produced today.

Vintage. Year grapes were harvested. In U.S., 95% of wine must be from that year's grapes to be labeled that vintage.

Yeast. Naturally occurring substance that creates fermentation in grape juice to make wine. Sometimes commercial form is used.

Zinfandel. U.S. red grape (originally from Croatia). White Zinfandel, with juice allowed a little skin contact for color, outsells red 7 to 1.