château; pl châteaux; châteaus [sha-TOH]
Although this is the French word for “castle,” in wine parlance château refers to “wine estate” or “vineyard.” The name is most often used in France’s Bordeaux region. The buildings occupying the wine estate or vineyard range from simple farmhouses to true castlelike structures. The French only allow the word “château” to appear on a label name when an authentic vineyard with the traditional use of the name has produced the wine. Note that American chateaus DO not generally use the diacritical mark ^ above the first a.
The New Wine Lovers Companion, 2nd Edition, by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Copyright © (1) 2003, 1995 by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst. Reprinted by arrangement with Barron's Educational Series, Inc.