BORDO Local name for the Cabernet Franc clone grown in northeast Italy.
Botrytis cinerea A mold that thrives on certain grapes, and contributes to the characteristic honeyed sweetness of Sauternes and late-harvest Rieslings.
BOUCHET Local name for the Cabernet Franc clone grown in certain cru areas of the Bordeaux region of France.
BOUCHY Local name for the Cabernet Franc clone grown in the Pyrenées region of France. Most notably blended to produce a full-bodied red called Madiran. Other blends include Courbu, Pinenc and Tannat.
Bouquet The complex aromas that develop with age in fine wines; young wines have aroma, not bouquet.
BOURBOULENC A minor red-wine grape grown in the southern Rhone Valley of France. Used for blending to impart warmth and roundness. Called the Malvoisie grape in the Languedoc region of France.
BOUVIER A minor white-wine grape grown in Austria and Hungary. Primarily used to produce a grape juice called Traubenmost, but also produces a sweet, fragrant wine called Sturm that is drunk very young.
BRACHETTO A minor red-wine grape grown in the Piedmont region of Italy. Used to make spritzy, light dessert wines with strawberry aroma. Best when young and served chilled. Called the Braquet grape in France.
BRAQUET See Brachetto.
Breed The depth and distinctive character of a wine, resulting from the gestalt of soil, grapes and wine-making techniques used in its production.
Brix Unit of measure for the sugar content of grapes. Grapes are generally harvested at 20 to 25 Brix, resulting in alcohol after fermentation of 11.5 to 14 percent.
Brut A term used for Champagne to indicate that the wine is dry.
BURGER A white-wine grape grown in the central coast of California, a clone of the obscure French Monbadon. Used for blending.
Buttery Having a smooth richness reminiscent of butter. Typically refers to oak-aged white wines such as Chardonnays and White Burgundies.
C
CABERNET FRANC A semi-classic grape similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, and possibly a mutation that thrives in cooler, damper conditions. Widely grown in France, northeast Italy and the Pacific Northwest; also grown on Long Island, New York and New Zealand. In the Loire region of France it is called Breton, in southwest France it is called Bouchy or Bouchet, and in northeast Italy it is called Bordo. Used in Bordeaux for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon to produce that region`s excellent reds.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON A noble red-wine grape characterized by intensity and acidity. Used to create the magnificent blended wines of the Bordeaux region of France, and rival reds of the Sonoma and Napa counties of northern California, best drunk mature at five to ten years. Also grown successfully on Long Island, New York.
CABERNET SEVERNY A hybrid red-wine grape grown in Russia to withstand harsh cold conditions. Also grown to some extent in Canada.
CANAIOLO (NERO) A minor red-wine grape grown in the Tuscany region of northern Italy. Red wine from this grape is often used for blending with Sangiovese Grosso in some Chianti.
