How to Decode Buzzwords on Your Wine Bottle, Like ‘Terroir-Driven’ and ‘Sustainable’ [Video]

Buzzwords like “terroir-driven” and “sustainable” have long been used to capture consumers’ attention, especially in wine. 

However, a lack of concrete definitions surrounding these terms has led to confusion and misinformation among drinkers and producers. We asked four industry professionals to weigh in on how helpful or hurtful wine buzzwords can be and had them break down the meanings behind some of the industry’s most used (or overused) phrases.

Brooklyn-based wine journalist Eliza Dumais finds that buzzwords can provide a solid entry point to particular facets of the industry, but will only bring a consumer so far. 

“For folks who sincerely adopt an interest in wine, buzzwords are like gateway terms,” she says. “They can be easy, topical entry points that give way to a more personal and nuanced vocabulary.”  

John McCarroll, Brooklyn-based wine salesman and co-founder of the podcast, Disgorgeous, says that buzzwords can often flatten the context in …