The term “glou glou” is a prime example of an onomatopoeia, one of those words that imitates the sound it’s meant to describe. It’s roughly the French equivalent of “glug glug,” aka the sound of wine rapidly pouring out of a bottle—or down a person’s throat.
It’s been in use for centuries. One of its first appearances in literature was in the French playwright Molière’s 1666 work “The Doctor Despite Himself.” But it didn’t make its way across the Atlantic and infiltrate the international wine scene until just over a decade ago, when French-speaking importers to the United States began tossing it around to describe the fresh, low-intervention wines they were (and increasingly are) bringing in from overseas.
“Glou glou” is meant to indicate wines one can throw back quickly, but that can technically be done with any wine. So, what does it actually mean? Here’s everything you need to know about this increasingly omnipresent style.
What Is Glou Glou?
“Glou glou wines as a category would just be very easy-drinking wines,” says Billy Smith, chief wine office for digital natural wine club The Waves.
These “crushable” wines—what some might call “porch pounders”—have become popular with a younger generation of wine drinkers. These consumers want wine that’s refreshing, but not overly serious. They’re not the kind of wines that might overpower a meal with complicated aromas or tasting notes, and they’re meant to be enjoyable without food.
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This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
