Brett happens

A list of acronyms and abbreviations used on this blog.

ABV: alcohol by volume, expressed as a percentage.

AKA: also known as.

AOC: Appellation d’origine contrôlée.

AOP: Appellation d’origine protégée.

AQAVBS: Association québécoise des agences de vins, bières et spiritueux, the more corporate of the two main associations of Quebec wine, beer and spirits agencies.

AVA: American Viticultural Area.

AWOL: Absent without leave.

c.: circa.

CDP: Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

CDR: Côtes-du-Rhône.

DOC: Denominazione di origine controllata.

DOCG: Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita.

FAQ:  Frequently asked questions.

GSM: Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.

IGP: Indication géographique protégée, the French version of the Europe-wide term replacing the national vin de pays. As of the 2009/2010 vintages, VDPs are no more. See Jamie Goode’s article for the back story.

IGT: Indicazione geografica tipica.

LCBO: Liquor Control Board of Ontario, Ontario’s government-owned wine and spirits monopoly.

MWG: Mo’ Wine Group.

NLA: no longer available.

PEC: Prince Edward County, Ontario.

PGI: Protected Geographical Indication (see also IGP)

QPR: quality-price ratio, i.e. bang for the buck. A QPR winner is a wine that punches significantly above its weight, er, price.

RASPIPAV: Regroupement des Agences Spécialisées dans la Promotion des Importations Privées des Alcools et des Vins, the more spirited of the two main associations of Quebec wine, beer and spirits agencies.

SAQ: Société des alcools du Québec, Quebec’s government-owned wine and spirits monopoly. Local francophones often say it as a word (“la saq,” homonym of sac); most local anglos pronounce the individual letters (“the S-A-Q”).

VDP: vin de pays.

VDQS: Vin délimité de qualité supérieur.

VQA: Vintners Quality Alliance, a Canadian regulatory agency responsible for maintaining the integrity of local wine appellations and enforcing winemaking and labelling standards in Ontario and British Columbia.

UPDATED November 22, 2014