I have had spirited, but I hasten to add, polite disagreements about the pronunciation of wine terms with guides in famous wineries. I am amazed at how few actually know proper pronunciations. I must confess that with all the terms we should know, it is overwhelming at times. In the spirit of helping novices such as me, here is a pronunciation guide to a few words I hear commonly mispronounced.
Meritage- In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify hand-crafted wines blended from the traditional "noble" Bordeaux varietals including: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec or Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Sauvignon Vert. "Meritage," pronounced like "heritage," was selected from more than 6,000 entries in an international contest to name the new wine category. Meritage is an invented word that combines "merit" and "heritage" — reflecting the spirit of members of The Meritage Association.
Viognier - Here is the audio link for the correct pronunciation
Dégustation de vin - wine tasting.
Muscat- one of my favorite dessert wines; pronounce moos-kah
Sommelier A restaurant employee who orders and maintains the wines sold in the restaurant and usually has extensive knowledge about wine and food pairings.
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