Table wine In common use, this means any non-fortified wine. In EEC terms it means a wine below the rank of VQPRD (qv).

Tafelwein Deutscher Tafelwein is the lowest of the three categories of German wine. The presence of the word 'deutscher' indicates that the wine is made entirely in Germany. If it is merely called Tafelwien it may be blended with wines from other countries.

Tannin A substance found in the skins, stalks and pips of the grapes. It is also absorbed into wine from oak casks and is sometimes added artificially. Tannin acts as a preservative and is therefore an important ingredient if the wine is to be matured over a long period. It imparts a hard, dry quality.

Tappit-hen Pewter vessel holding 4.1 liters, formerly widely used in Scotland. Alternatively, a port bottle holding three normal bottles.

Tartaric An acid occurring naturally in grapes and the main constituent of the acidity in wine.

Tastevin Shallow vessel of silver, glass or ceramic, used in Burgundy for sampling wine. Its shape, with indentations and raised boss in the center, makes it easier to judge the color of a wine.

Tawny The name given to port that has been aged in wood until it has acquired a tawny color.

Terroir A French word meaning soil and site. A wine is said to have 'un gout de terroir ' ( a taste of the soil) when it has gathered certain nuances of taste and flavor from the land on which it was produced.

Tête de cuvée A term used mainly in the Burgundy area to refer to the 'cream' of the wine sold under a particular name.

Tinto Spanish for red.

Tirage French word usually meaning the transfer of wine from cask to bottle. Literally 'drawing off'.

Tischwein German for table wine. Not an official term (see Tafelwien) but used to refer to ordinary mealtime wines.

Tonne French for a large cask or container of unspecified size.

Tonneau A general French term for a cask, but in Bordeaux refers to a quantity of wine, namely 1,000 liters, or 100 cases of wine.

Trocken German for dry.

Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA) A category of German wine. It is made by picking out individual grapes affected by the noble rot, Botrytis cinerea, resulting in an exceptionally rich, luscious (and expensive) wine.

Tun Archaic term for a barrel.