Wine Glossary

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Decanting
This is the process of pouring wine from its bottle into another container (a decanter) to either aerate the wine or separate it from the sediment.

Dégorgement
The disgorging or removal of sediment from bottles that is produced from secondary fermentation.

Demi-Sec
A French term meaning ‘Medium-dry’.

Demi-John
A glass, sometimes plastic, 4.5 litre (1 gallon) fermentation jar. See Wine Making Equipment for details.

Denominación de Origen Calificada (Spain)
This is the highest quality level for Spanish wine. Often abbreviated to DOC, it is similar to Italy's DOCG.

Denominação de Origem Controlada (Portugal)
This is a high quality level for Portuguese wines whose name, origin, grape varieties, and other defining factors are regulated by law. It is often abbreviated to DOC and is equivalent to the French appellation contrôlée.

Denominación de Origen (Spain)
This is a high quality level for Spanish wines whose name, origin, grape varieties, and other defining factors are regulated by law. It is often abbreviated to DO and is the equivalent of the French appellation contrôlée.

Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Italy)
This is a high quality level for Italian wines whose name, origin, grape varieties, and other defining factors are regulated by law. It is often abbreviated to DOC and is the equivalent of the French appellation contrôlée.

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (Italy)
This is highest quality level for Italian wines wines whose name, origin, grape varieties, and other defining factors are regulated by law. It is often abbreviated to DOCG. Only a few of wines have been promoted to this level including Chianti, Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Carmignano.

Depth
A tasting term for fine wines that appear to have many layers of taste, rather than being flat or one dimensional.

Devatting
This is the process of separating red must from pomace before or after fermentation.

DO
See Denominación de Origen.

DOC
See Denominación de Origen Calificada (Spain), or Denominação de Origem Controlada (Portugal), or Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Italy).

DOCG
See Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita.

Dolce (Italy)
Italian word meaning ‘Sweet’.

Domaine
A French word for a wine estate, commonly used in the Burgundy region.

Dosage
A measured quantity of sugar, wine, and sometimes brandy added to Champagne or sparkling wine before bottling.

Double magnum
This is a large Bordeaux bottle that is equivalent to four standard wine bottles. In Burgundy and Champagne this size bottle is called a Jeroboam.

Drip Dickey
A wine serving accessory that slips over the neck of a wine bottle to absorb any drips that run down the bottle after pouring. It prevents stains to table cloths or other surfaces.

Dry
A tasting term that describes a wine no hint of sweetness. A wine that tastes dry can still contain a small amount of sugar. 'Dry' may also be used to describe the tannins or the dry feel in the mouth.

Dulce (Spain)
A Spanish word meaning ‘Sweet’.