page_title: Glossary of wine terms
section_title: B
hierarchical_section_title: Glossary of wine terms / B
context_page_description: The glossary of wine terms lists the definitions of many general terms used within the wine industry.
context_section_description: Balthazar
  A large bottle containing 12 litres, the equivalent of 16 regular wine bottles.
  Ban de Vendange
  The official start of the harvest season in France.
  Barrique
  The French name for a 225 litre Bordeaux style barrel (Bordeaux hogshead). Will yield 24 cases of 12 bottles each.
  Basic
  A low-cost entry-level offering from a winery as opposed to its more expensive premium wine offerings.
  Beerenauslese
  A German term meaning approximately "harvest of selected berries". A Prädikat in Germany and Austria.
  Bereich
  A district within a German wine region (Anbaugebiet). Contains smaller Grosslagen vineyard designations.
  The Berthomeau Report
  Commissioned by French Ministry of Agriculture to better position the wine industry for the future.
  Bianco, Blanc, Blanco, Branco
  Italian/French/Spanish/Portuguese terms for a white wine or grape
  Bin
  A term originally meant to denote a location in a cellar where wine is stored but now often seen in brand marketing of some wines (i.e. Bin 75 Merlot, etc)
  Biodynamic wine
  Like biodynamic agriculture in general, biodynamic grape-growing stems from the ideas and suggestions of Rudolf Steiner (1861.1925), which predate most of the organic movement. The principles and practices of biodynamics are based on his spiritual/practical philosophy which includes understanding the ecological, the energetic, and the spiritual in nature.
  Biologique
  French term for organic winemaking
  Blind tasting
  Tasting and evaluating a wine without knowing which it is.
  B.O.B.
  An acronym for "Buyer's Own Brand" which refers to a private label wine owned by the restaurant or retailer that sells the wine.
  Bodega
  A Spanish wine cellar. Also refers to a seller of alcoholic beverage.
  Bota
  A cask of wine used to store Sherry with a capacity between 159 to 172 gallons (600-650 liters)
  Botte
  The Italian term for a wooden barrel, plural: botti. Usually refers to a botte grande, a large floor-standing wooden vat with a capacity of 1,000–3,000 litres (220–660 imp gal; 260–790 US gal).
  Bottle
  A container with a neck that is narrower than the body and a "mouth." Modern wine bottles are nearly always made of glass because it is nonporous, strong, and aesthetically pleasing.
  Breathing
  The interaction between air and wine after a wine has been opened. Breathing may take place while the wine is decanting.
caption: Wine barrels
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