The wine industry loves to use certain words and phrases to describe vineyards, wines, wineries, and other things. The industry is so smitten with these words that they have become over-used to the point of being cliché.

Here are nine words that the industry has ground into the dirt, or shall I say terroir?

1. Unique

Example: The unique soils of this vineyard craft wines of uncommon concentration.

We love the word unique in the wine industry. Wines are unique. Tastings are unique. Everything is unique!

Here’s the thing. Unless you say what makes something unique, then you really aren’t saying anything, right? Saying, “My children are unique!” is true but also contains no useful information. You can use the word unique, but you must say what makes it so.

Aside: Your assignment – See how many times over the next week you read something described as ‘unique’ when reading about wine.

2. Terroir

Example: The terroir of the vineyard is expressed in every bottle.

The T word. In terms of high quality wine, terroir is, of course, everything. But here’s the problem.

Outside of the wine industry, no one knows what it means. Inside of the wine industry, there are disagreements and misunderstandings. It’s also a French word that is therefore not pronounced as it is written in English.

(Aside: We’re in an industry where we commonly use words that people don’t understand and can’t pronounce, and then we wonder why we are alienating consumers. I really don’t know what to say.)

As with unique, it’s fine to write about terroir. However, it’s essential to explain what you mean by it instead of simply throwing it around as a buzzword.

Exception: The French can use this word however and as often they like.

3. World class

Example: Fruit for this wine comes from two world-class vineyards.

Everything in the wine industry seems to be world class. Wines are world class. Wineries are world class. Even winemakers are world class!

I don’t know who’s in the minor leagues in the wine industry. It seems like everyone is in the majors.

It’s a fine expression, or at least it was until we over-used it. (See: Star, Rock.) It’s lost all meaning.

Relatives: World Class’s cousin is Award Winning, who really gets around.

4. Finest

Example: Fruit for this wine comes from Washington’s finest vineyards.

Finest is one of the wine industry’s most beloved prestige words. Vineyards are the finest. So are grapes and other things. I’m not sure what happens to all the other fruit when everyone is only using the finest grapes.

This is, of course, an attempt to make something sound like it has elevated quality. But it’s become far too cliché.

Relatives: Finest’s father is Best.

5. Carefully

Example: Vines are carefully managed to help grapes achieve ripeness.

It seems that we do everything in the wine industry with great care. We carefully tend vines. We carefully pick grapes. I wouldn’t be surprised to read about carefully driving forklifts!

It’s an attempt to show thoughtfulness and intention. Use this word very…carefully.

Relatives: Carefully has a cousin named Meticulous. They fight about which one is better.

6. Premium

Example: This wine comes from premium grapes harvested in the Columbia Valley.

Premium is yet another prestige word. Some even go further and call wines super-premium or ultra-premium.

Really people. Are we talking about gasoline grades here, or are we talking about wine? This is what a thesaurus is for.

Relatives: Premium has a more highly regarded brother named Premier. Still, their relatives get them confused.

7. Ideal

Examples: Grapes were picked under ideal conditions.

In an industry that’s based on farming, where Mother Nature is in the driver’s seat, it’s miraculous how many things are ‘ideal.’ Harvest conditions are ideal. Even entire growing seasons are ideal!

You know what would really be ideal? Using this word less than we do right now.

Relatives: Ideal has a brother named Optimal and a sister named Perfect. They both hate her.

8. Boutique

Example: We are a small, boutique winery located in western Washington.

Many wineries want to let consumers know that they are not a giant wine company. No, they are a small winery. A boutique one!

One definition of boutique is: “a business or establishment that is small and sophisticated or fashionable.” So, in my example above, combining ‘small’ and ‘boutique’ is, at best, redundant. It’s a fine word. It’s just over-used.

Relatives: Boutique’s little brother is named Micro.

9. Hand-crafted

Example: Every wine is hand-crafted to bring you the highest quality.

In the wine industry, wines are always hand-crafted. Grapes are machine picked, trucked hundreds of miles, run through reverse osmosis and filtration machines, bottled on mechanized lines, and yet somehow still hand-crafted. But I digress.

Again, this is an attempt to draw contrast with large wine companies. It’s fine. It’s even true in many cases! But it’s overused.

Relatives: Hand-crafted has a twin sister named Handmade. 

* * *

Where the words above really get problematic is when we start to string them together. For example:

“We are a small, boutique winery making unique, hand-crafted wines from the finest vineyards in premier locations across the Columbia Valley.”

Cringe! All apologies if that turns out to be the exact text on someone’s back label or website.

This is what I refer to as “wine speak”: stringing together a bunch of wine industry terms and buzzwords that don’t really say anything. I also use this term for the jargon that gets bandied about in the wine industry, but we’ll barrel that down for another day.

These terms are not only overused, it’s actually worse! Since everyone uses these words, everyone sounds like everyone else. In writing, you want to sound different from everyone else rather than the same. You want to stand out.

Achieve that and you’ll be doing something that is not just unique, it will be truly unique.

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