Every wine lover would agree that wine is as much an intellectual pleasure as a sensory one… In fact, it is said humans started drinking wine in 6000 BC! And even if you don’t drink alcohol, wine can be used as a commodity you can invest in and sell at an auction. Little more to add!
The global wine market size was valued at USD 417.85 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.4% from 2021 to 2028. Besides, wine is an integral part of European cultures, and this cultural trend is increasingly gaining popularity in various other parts of the world, including Asian countries.
However, how to describe the different odors, fragrances, tastes, and undertones has been something wine makers and tasters have been struggling with for a very long time. As the differences in tastes are usually excessively slight, the lexicon is highly precise, so translating for this industry is quite peculiar.
Translating for the wine industry
First, each country has their own specified signature wine – regions such as Tuscany, Bordeaux, Rioja or the Moselle valley have a long tradition of wine making – so wine labels can be complex and detailed, allowing potential buyers to identify quality wines and choose the best stock.
All these fine wines, created, sold and appreciated around the world, require professional translation and particularly, a translation process in which the translator knows and understands the specific culture and intercepts the terms that are most representative of the wine sector. In that way, he or she would be able to best describe not only characteristics, but also the production systems.
Besides, some lexicons are broad and specific and the oenological sector is so complex that there is no exact correspondence with respect to the target language. So, can you imagine what could happen to a description of the various types of any wine if the translation fell into the wrong hands?