How to Read a Wine Label
Much of the information you need to know
is printed on the label
 The
Producer
The name of the
producer can be a winery, a winemaking
corporation, a co-operative or a negociant.
It is usually found at the very bottom
of the label along with the address of
the business—not necessarily the
location of the grapes. The proprietary
name in big print can be the same as
the winery or it can be a d.b.a. to attract
attention to the product.
The Growing Region
 For
most New World wines (America, Australia,
South Africa, Chile, Argentina, New Zealand)
the place the grapes were grown—also
called the appellation—must be on
the label. It can be general (American,
California) or it can be more specific
if most of the grapes come from the particular
county (Santa Barbara County, Napa Valley.)
The region may also be an official sub-appellation,
if the majority of grapes come from there
(Stags Leap District, Russian River Valley).
 Most
European wines are identified not by
their grape variety but by their place
of origin (Chianti, Chateauneuf-du-Pape).
Village names are common for appellations
like Burgundy's Volnay or Italy's Orvieto.
Occasionally the place and the variety
is identified as part of its official
appellation (Alsace Pinot Gris, Brunello
di Montalcino, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo).
In very regulated areas, such as France's
Burgundy region, the wine may be identified
solely by its vineyard name if it is
a Grand Cru (Chambertin, Musigny, Montrachet).
 The
Vintage
The vintage date
is the year the grapes were harvested,
not the year the wine was bottled. Occasionally,
such as tawny port, a bottling date will
also be listed. If no vintage date appears,
the wine is likely, but not necessarily,
to come from more than one harvest. |
