DOC

Grand Cru is the highest legal classification for top tier vineyards in France, especially in Alsace, Burgundy and Champagne. The term translates to "greath growth" and it is used to describe a vineyard site known for its superior terroir, exceptional quality and high aging potential.

IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica (in English, Typical Geographical Indication). It is an Italian wine classification that guarantees the origin of the grapes used in a bottle of wine.

"Cru" is a French term meaning "growth", referring to a superior, high quality growing site, vineyard, or village.

AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) is a prestigious French wine regulatory system that guarantees that it comes from a specific, defined region and that its production adheres to strict, traditional production standards.

An American Viticultural Area (AVA) is a designated and legally defined wine grape growing region in the United States which is identifiable by its geography, soil and climate. A wine labeled with an AVA must use at least 85% grapes grown in the region.

An appellation is a legally defined, government protected geographical area, which is used to identify where grapes were grown and to ensure standards of quality. Common appellation systems inlude the French AOC/AOP, Italian DOCG and US AVAs.

'Sec" refers to the French word for "dry" and its meaning in wine varies depending on the wine type. In still wines, sec wines have very little residual sugar (less than 4 g/L), while in sparkling wines and Champagne, "sec" indicates an off dry or slightly sweet style with 17-35 g/L of residual sugar.

The term "sediment" signifies the natural, organic by products of the winemaking and aging process. It is made up of grape solids (skins, seeds, pulp), dead yeast cells (lees) and tartarate crystals (wine diamonds).