Pronouncing French Wine Terms and Names

[John Talbott]

Pronouncing French Wine Terms and Names

This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information for members of the eGullet Society. Please feel free to add links to additional sites, threads or posts or to add suggestions.

The WSJ recently had an answer to a letter to Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher that gave several sites to consult to read and hear how wine names and terms are pronounced. It included:

Robin Garr’s Wine Lovers Page’s Lexicon

How Bordeaux’s are pronounced at Barry Bros & Rudd’s Pronunciation page

The “Living, Audio” Wine Dictionary at Strat’s Place’s Wonderful World of Wine section and

The Tasters Guild of New York’s Pronunciation Glossary

[bleudauvergne]

Wow John, thank you ever so much for these links. Phonetics are always really important and I always pay a lot of attention when I learn a new word to ensure that I can speak it as well as hear and understand it. These are really good resources.

Strats Place has really good pronunciations, i.e. in the recordings it's a person who speaks the native language, for the most part.

Here's a really good example of Gewurztaminer, for example. I always get tongue tied when pronouncing it, mainly because I never bothered to go over the pronunciation correctly. Now this Christmas I will have no problem.

Edited November 20, 2006 by bleudauvergne (log)

[Margaret Pilgrim]

Pronouncing French Wine Terms and Names

This is one of a series of compendia that seeks to provide information for members of the eGullet Society.  Please feel free to add links to additional sites, threads or posts or to add suggestions.

The WSJ recently had an answer to a letter to Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher that gave several sites to consult to read and hear how wine names and terms are pronounced.  It included:

Robin Garr’s Wine Lovers Page’s Lexicon

How Bordeaux’s are pronounced at Barry Bros & Rudd’s Pronunciation page

The “Living, Audio” Wine Dictionary at Strat’s Place’s Wonderful World of Wine section and

The Tasters Guild of New York’s Pronunciation Glossary

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Super sites, John. However, I sampled Robin Garr's pronunciation, and, frankly, he sounds like me, and when I sound like me, I don't sound like them. Is he by chance English?

I will continue to listen and repeat and listen and repeat. Again, many thanks.

Edited November 21, 2006 by Margaret Pilgrim (log)

[Felice]

I agree with Lucy that Strat's place which has recordings of native speakers seems to be the best. Strat's place pronounces 'Banyuls' with no s sound while Robin Garr's page clearly pronounces the S. I am assuming that the later in correct.

[John Talbott]

I sampled Robin Garr's pronunciation, and, frankly, he sounds like me, and when I sound like me, I don't sound like them.  Is he by chance English? 

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I don't know his origin but he's a Louisville Ky food & wine critic. The second is a Brit site (Hamps), the third US and the fourth obviously NY.

As for me, the one I went for was Echezeaux.