How to Read a Wine Label
Locate the name of the country that made the wine., Check the quality designation., Look for the year to learn the wine's vintage., Find the name of the specific region of origin., Identify the region., Find the bottle shape that matches the wine...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Locate the name of the country that made the wine.
The label will tell you where the wine was made; if it was produced in specific countries, it is an Old World wine.
When someone refers to a wine as an “Old World” wine, this means it was produced in one of the countries that are thought to be the first countries to make wine.
Some people prefer Old World wines simply because they appreciate the long history that went into the making of these wines.Old World wines tend to be lower in alcohol content, and lighter and more restrained in taste – although this is not true of every wine.
Countries that are considered to be the birthplace of winemaking include:
France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Austria, Croatia, Romania, Georgia, Hungary, Switzerland, Israel, and Lebanon. -
Step 2: Check the quality designation.
Old World wines are regulated and graded, and each country has its own system of rating its wines.
In general, they rank from “superior quality” wines to “table” wines, which are the lowest-rated, everyday wines.
The quality designations of several European wine countries, from highest to lowest quality, are as follows:
France:
AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin), VDQS (Wines of Superior Quality), Vins de Pays (Country Wine), Vins de Table (Table Wine).
Germany:
QmP (Quality Wine with Special Attributes), QbA (Quality Wine from Specific Appellations), Deutscher Landwein (Superior Table Wine), Deutscher Tafelwein (Simple Table Wine).
Italy:
DOCG (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin), DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin), IGT (Typical Geographical Indication), Vini di tavola (Table Wines).
Spain:
DO (Denomination of Origin), DOC (Denomination of Qualified Origin).
Portugal has only one classification, indicating a good quality wine:
DO (Denomination of Controlled Origin). , Most wines are vintage wines, and the label will tell you the year that the wine was made.
Vintage wines are made of grapes from the same harvest year, and are usually designed to be aged.
Non-vintage wines are made from a blend of grapes from different harvest years, and are not intended to be aged.Look on the front of the label for a year, which is usually written out completely (for example, 1989, 2007, 1967).
If it is not part of the main label, it might be printed separately on a sticker on the bottle neck.
If the year is not listed on the front of the bottle, it might be on the back label. , This information should be listed prominently on the front of the label.
In Europe, most wine makers label their bottles according to the region they come from, not the type of grape.
Vintners assume the buyer will be savvy enough to know that “Red Burgundy” (Burgundy being a region in France) means “Pinot Noir.” Different types of grapes are grown in different regions, producing different types of wine.In France, the region Alsace produces fruity, Germanic wines; the Bordeaux region produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; the Champagne region produces sparkling white wines; Beaujolais produces a light red wine that is released in November each year and is designed to be consumed right away.
Chianti is not a type of grape, it is a region of Italy that makes Chianti wine. , High quality wines are often extremely specific when describing the region that produced them.
Generally speaking, the more specific the location named, the more famous the vineyard.Meursault in Burgundy is a village that is known for producing high quality Chardonnay.
A wine label listing this town may be of higher quality than one that simply names “Burgundy.” Right outside of Bordeaux is a small town called Saint-Emilion, that is famous for its Merlot-blends.
A wine label that specifies Saint-Emilion is likely to contain a higher quality wine than one that simply lists the region Bordeaux.
The Rheingau is a region of Germany that produces the best Riesling wines, and is considered the birthplace of German wines. , European wines are bottled according to type, so the shape of the bottle will give you a clue as to its contents.
If you're looking for a specific type of wine, you don't need to read the labels if the bottle isn't appropriate to that type of wine.Straight, high-shouldered bottles contain Bordeaux wines – green glass for red wines, clear glass for white. (The shoulder is the point where the bottle diameter increases.) In France, Burgundy, the Loire, and the Rhone use gently-shouldered bottles.
Outside of France, this type of bottle sometimes contains Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.
Tall, slender bottles are usually from Germany and Alsace, and tend to contain Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, or the sweet dessert wine Gewurztraminer. -
Step 3: Look for the year to learn the wine's vintage.
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Step 4: Find the name of the specific region of origin.
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Step 5: Identify the region.
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Step 6: Find the bottle shape that matches the wine you want.
Detailed Guide
The label will tell you where the wine was made; if it was produced in specific countries, it is an Old World wine.
When someone refers to a wine as an “Old World” wine, this means it was produced in one of the countries that are thought to be the first countries to make wine.
Some people prefer Old World wines simply because they appreciate the long history that went into the making of these wines.Old World wines tend to be lower in alcohol content, and lighter and more restrained in taste – although this is not true of every wine.
Countries that are considered to be the birthplace of winemaking include:
France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Austria, Croatia, Romania, Georgia, Hungary, Switzerland, Israel, and Lebanon.
Old World wines are regulated and graded, and each country has its own system of rating its wines.
In general, they rank from “superior quality” wines to “table” wines, which are the lowest-rated, everyday wines.
The quality designations of several European wine countries, from highest to lowest quality, are as follows:
France:
AOC (Appellation of Controlled Origin), VDQS (Wines of Superior Quality), Vins de Pays (Country Wine), Vins de Table (Table Wine).
Germany:
QmP (Quality Wine with Special Attributes), QbA (Quality Wine from Specific Appellations), Deutscher Landwein (Superior Table Wine), Deutscher Tafelwein (Simple Table Wine).
Italy:
DOCG (Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin), DOC (Denomination of Controlled Origin), IGT (Typical Geographical Indication), Vini di tavola (Table Wines).
Spain:
DO (Denomination of Origin), DOC (Denomination of Qualified Origin).
Portugal has only one classification, indicating a good quality wine:
DO (Denomination of Controlled Origin). , Most wines are vintage wines, and the label will tell you the year that the wine was made.
Vintage wines are made of grapes from the same harvest year, and are usually designed to be aged.
Non-vintage wines are made from a blend of grapes from different harvest years, and are not intended to be aged.Look on the front of the label for a year, which is usually written out completely (for example, 1989, 2007, 1967).
If it is not part of the main label, it might be printed separately on a sticker on the bottle neck.
If the year is not listed on the front of the bottle, it might be on the back label. , This information should be listed prominently on the front of the label.
In Europe, most wine makers label their bottles according to the region they come from, not the type of grape.
Vintners assume the buyer will be savvy enough to know that “Red Burgundy” (Burgundy being a region in France) means “Pinot Noir.” Different types of grapes are grown in different regions, producing different types of wine.In France, the region Alsace produces fruity, Germanic wines; the Bordeaux region produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot; the Champagne region produces sparkling white wines; Beaujolais produces a light red wine that is released in November each year and is designed to be consumed right away.
Chianti is not a type of grape, it is a region of Italy that makes Chianti wine. , High quality wines are often extremely specific when describing the region that produced them.
Generally speaking, the more specific the location named, the more famous the vineyard.Meursault in Burgundy is a village that is known for producing high quality Chardonnay.
A wine label listing this town may be of higher quality than one that simply names “Burgundy.” Right outside of Bordeaux is a small town called Saint-Emilion, that is famous for its Merlot-blends.
A wine label that specifies Saint-Emilion is likely to contain a higher quality wine than one that simply lists the region Bordeaux.
The Rheingau is a region of Germany that produces the best Riesling wines, and is considered the birthplace of German wines. , European wines are bottled according to type, so the shape of the bottle will give you a clue as to its contents.
If you're looking for a specific type of wine, you don't need to read the labels if the bottle isn't appropriate to that type of wine.Straight, high-shouldered bottles contain Bordeaux wines – green glass for red wines, clear glass for white. (The shoulder is the point where the bottle diameter increases.) In France, Burgundy, the Loire, and the Rhone use gently-shouldered bottles.
Outside of France, this type of bottle sometimes contains Chardonnay or Pinot Noir.
Tall, slender bottles are usually from Germany and Alsace, and tend to contain Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, or the sweet dessert wine Gewurztraminer.
About the Author
William Cruz
Writer and educator with a focus on practical lifestyle knowledge.
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