Appellation d'origine contrôlée : The French system of appellations, begun in the 1930s and considered the wine world's prototype. To carry an appellation in this system, a wine must follow rules describing the area the grapes are grown in, the varieties used, the ripeness, the alcoholic strength, the vineyard yields and the methods used in growing the grapes and making the wine. The A.O.C embraces 5 districts, which are "BARSAC- PREIGNAC-BOMMES-FARGUES-SAUTERNES" and delimits the area where one of the greatest sweet wines is grown.

Dry white wine : dry white wine with low sugar content.

Harvest : Grapes are picked before they are pressed to get grape juice.

Magnum : Bottle containing 150 CL (50.72 fl oz US) wine.

Manual harvest over a series of pickings : The vintagers who pick up the grapes pass two to four times in the vines. Grapes are picked at their best concentration moment. Only ripe grapes are picked. Those that have not attained the concentration required are kept on the vine.

Noble Rot : The "Noble Rot" is a natural phenomenon that happens in the region of Sauternes. It is due to mist clouds in the morning that appear under the climatic contrast between cold air and warm soil. Those mist clouds appear in September, when soils and water from the Garonne River are still warm. The mist clouds disappear when the heat from the sun makes the them vanish. It is that climatic alternation that makes the fungus of the " Noble Rot " spread on grapes. The fungus called " Botrytis Cinerea " pierces the grapes. With help from the heat of the sun, a part of all water contained in the grapes evaporates through the small holes pierced in them. The phenomenon repeats itself 10 to 20 days and causes the grapes to shrivel, deeply concentrating the flavors, sugar and acid. It is those flavors and acids that make the wines from Sauternes so special.

Sweet wine : sweet white wine served with meals with foie gras.

Terroir : The natural and geological structure of the soil where a varietal grows.

Varietal : Variety of grape used for the production of wine.

Vinification : Alcoholic fermentation of the grape juice to a " nouveau " wine.