Quick Tips on Reading Wine Labels
Buying wine can be as daunting as deciphering new tax code! The good news is that the label holds key information that can minimize your guess work and maximize the value of your wine rack.
First things first, having a general understanding of your own taste preferences is your primary objective. Do you gravitate to robust dry reds or do you prefer a more universal rose? Do you chose wine based on the food your serving or do you serve food that pairs well with the wine you’ve picked?
Now, you find yourself in the wine store, intimidated by what seems like a mile of shiny bottles just waiting to be uncorked. You’ll want to notice if the wine is old world (meaning grown on original vines, typically in France, Spain, Italy or western Europe) or new world (everywhere else). Old world wines have more strict requirements for information on the label making it easier to predict what kind of wine you will be buying. But all wine labels will have 5 key pieces of information on them:
The Name - For old world wines, the name indicates the producer/vineyard responsible for growing the grapes and bottling the wine. New world wine names tend to be more for marketing or branding.
The Vintage - This indicates the year the grapes were harvested, having a general knowledge of conditions during that year (drought, unseasonably cold/hot, etc) will guide you to a better value. Multi-vintage or NV wines, meaning a mixture of grapes from different years, may also be an option, and are usually of lower quality and a little cheaper.
The Region - This is where the grapes were sourced, the more specific the region, the more refined the wine. This is the short answer to probably the most complicated part of the label. If you are looking at old world wines, the region will indicate the grape types (e.g., Bourgogne Region wines will be pinot noir, gamay, and chardonnay because these varieties of grapes grow in the wine region of Bourgogne). Selecting old world wines is more recognizing the region that grows your favorite grapes, while new world wines usually have the grape variety on the label.
The Variety or Appellation - For old world wines, the appellation indicates the types of grapes used. This gets a little dicey when comparing old world wines to others, as new world wines have less strict legal requirements, you may be buying a bottle of mostly cabernet sauvignon grape with other grapes filling in the gap.
The ABV or alcohol by volume - This indicates the alcohol content, and varies widely, generally, a higher ABV reveals a higher quality or dryer wine. But not always. Be careful of high ABVs in ultra low cost wines.
Other terms that show up are “Estate bottled” which means the grapes are grown, wine is made and bottled on site. “Reserve” for smaller estates this might indicate a special variety or batch, but really there is no official designation, so be careful. “Sulfites” is sulfur dioxide and is used as a preservative and antibacterial agent in winemaking, sulfites occur naturally in the fermentation process and also can be added during the bottling process to ensure wine stays fresh. Sulfites are often vilified but remember a glass of wine has 3 or 4 times LESS sulfites than a serving of dried fruit. More often than not, it’s the alcohol not the sulfites that is headache producing.
It’s easy to find a good bottle of wine around the $10 price point, but it might take a little sleuthing and a solid understanding of the information that’s staring back at you! Next time you’re feeling intimidated at the wine store, take a close look at the wine label, don’t be afraid to ask the shop owner and soon you’ll be the expert on wine selection!