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How
to Read Wine Labels
How to Read Wine Labels from  |
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How
to Read Wine Labels.....A Wine Label — almost everywhere in the world
— is a legal document
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How
to Read Wine Labels
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A wine
label — almost everywhere in the world — is a legal document.
It provides certain guarantees that you are getting what you can reasonably
expect. But they must be read carefully. Here are some items almost every label will show: * The name
of the wine. |
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Name
of the Wine
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In
the US, wines are most often named for the grape varieties used: Chardonnay,
Sauvignon Blanc, etc. This convention is also true of most wines from Mexico,
South America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. In the US a wine
must contain more than 75% of the named variety. In France, Italy, and Spain,
traditional wines use the place of origin instead of the variety. Here are
some examples:
Rioja
= a red wine made mostly from Tempranillo grapes in a delimited region
in northern Spain; or a white wine from that region made from Viura grapes. |
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Producer
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world you might assume that the label would clearly show who made the wine.
But in the US and some other countries, label names are simply trade marks
which can be registered. Many wineries sell their products under multiple
labels. Most often, wineries reserve their principal label for their better,
most expensive wines. But by owning a second label, they can offer a second
product line to another market niche. Great California Cabernet Sauvignon
is marketed under the Caymus label. But inexpensive, everyday Cabernets
are sold under Caymus’ second label, Liberty School. But don’t
think that by buying the second label wine, you’re getting the sort
of product associated with the primary label. Second label wines are rarely
“seconds,” as in the pottery trade. They are usually designed
for a different market, made from different fruit, often in a different
location.
The producer is the most important consideration when purchasing any wine. Small producers who specialize in a limited range of products can usually be counted on to deliver the kind of wines associated with their label. Siduri, for example, is a small Sonoma producer of first rate California Pinot Noir from several appellations. Any wine made under this label is likely to be very fine. Byron, in Santa Maria, produces a limited range of excellent wines; you will probably never come upon a poor wine from this producer. Larger wineries cater to a larger spectrum of customers. You may obtain a fine wine under the Gallo label, but you might also be disappointed. The trend is for large wineries to use different labels to designate wines of different qualities. Gallo, for example, uses E & J Gallo, Anapamu, Gallo of Sonoma, Bartles & James, and a host of other labels to appeal to every sector of the market. Another recent trend is for large wineries to acquire smaller producers and allow them to continue to produce under their own label. This gives the parent company a capital advantage, while not having to associate their name with the products of other wineries. Byron, cited above, is now owned by Robert Mondavi. Napa Ridge was purchased last year by Beringer. |
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Vintage
Year
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If stated, all the grapes used must be harvested during the year listed. If no vintage year is given, as in the case of “non-vintage” or “multi vintage” wines, the wine is blended from two or more vintages. This is often done to achieve uniformity of product, especially in the case of non-vintage Champagnes, which vary little from release to release. In these and many other wines, vintaging is not derogatory. But in the case of wines such as red or white Burgundy, red or white Bordeaux, California Cabernet Sauvignon, or other wines made for long-term cellaring, the vintage date provides important information. Some vintages in a given region are “light” and should be consumed early, while others are boldly tannic and require many years of cellaring. |
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Appellation
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The origin of the grapes used is an extremely important factor in predicting the nature of a wine. In the US, And in most other countries, it is necessary to state an appellation on every wine label. Every wine producing country has its own regulations, the sum of which might easily comprise a large book. In the US, appellations are controlled by the B.A.T.F. according to a concentric system. Here’s an example: A wine made entirely from grapes grown in the DuPratt Vineyard near Philo, CA, may use any of these appellations, ordered from largest to smallest: America
Beyond a wine’s appellation, a winery may designate the vineyard which produced the fruit used. Vineyard designations are not appellations, and so fall outside government regulations. They are used in conjunction with a registered appellation. Thus: Mendocino County/DuPratt Vineyard. Or: Mendocino Ridge/DuPratt Vineyard. Vineyard designations go one step further in defining the nature of a wine. For example, the vineyard Lytton Springs (now called Sonoma Station) has for decades produced some of the finest Zinfandel fruit in California. Since Lytton Springs is not a registered appellation, wines from this vineyard must use a wider designation, such as Sonoma County. Other vineyards in Sonoma County may produce far inferior fruit. Therefore it is important for a winery to indicate the vineyard name in such cases. |
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Alcoholic
Content
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Often overlooked, the alcoholic content of a wine gives fundamental information about the nature of a wine. Wines below 12% will be easy-drinking, light-bodied, quaffable wines. Wines in this class include most dry German Rieslings and many California white Zinfandels. Typical table wines will fall in the 12% to 13.8% range. These will be medium bodied, often well-balanced wines; many wines dubbed “elegant” and “stylish” often fall into this category. Wines with alcohol levels above 14% will be full-bodied, serious, and probably somewhat tannic. They will also be more expensive, because the magic number 14 puts these wines in a higher tax bracket, considering them in the same class as fortified wines such as Port and Sherry. However, US laws allow a 1 1/2 point margin of error in the interest of labeling facilitation. So wines in the high 13% category may well top 14%. |
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The
Surgeon General's Warning
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We would be pleased if the Surgeon General would allow wineries to note on their labels the fact that hundreds of studies conclude that wine is a wholesome, healthy food when taken in moderation. |
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Featured
Books On How To Read Wine Labels
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