What does all of that information on a wine label mean?
Alcohol Content
The United States requires that alcohol by volume information be included on wine labels. For table wine, the U.S. requirement is a minimum alcohol level of 7 percent, a maximum of 14 percent. The label variance can be up to 1.5 percent. For example, a wine label stating "Alcohol 12.5% By Volume" can legally range anywhere from 11 to 14 percent. However, wines cannot exceed the upper or lower limit. The alcohol-by-volume range for Sherries is 17 to 20 percent, for ports it's 18 to 20 percent; both have a label variance of 1 percent.
Appellation or Growing Region
As mentioned under Name of Wine, the actual growing area or appellation becomes the name of many European wines. In other areas like the United States and Australia, where the wine is more often named for the grape variety, some producers also list the growing region on the label, particularly if the area is prestigious. The Napa Valley in the United States and the Hunter Valley in Australia are examples of such well-known growing regions. In the United States, where such growing regions are called American Viticultural Areas (AVA), at least 85 percent of the grapes must come from a single AVA for the region's name to be used on the label.
Bottle Volume
The volume figure, such as 750ml (milliliters) or 1.5l (liters), is sometimes molded into the bottle glass rather than printed on the label. Therefore, if the label doesn't designate the bottle size, look along the base of the bottle for the indication. For details on the various bottle sizes allowed in the United States, see the listing on wine bottles sizes & names.
Country of Origin
The country of origin is the country where the wine is produced. However, depending on that country's laws, it may not necessarily be where all the grapes were grown.
Descriptive Information
Occasionally, wine labels include descriptive words or phrases designed to give the consumer added information. For example, a label might indicate the wine was barrel-fermented, a process thought to imbue a wine with rich, creamy flavors, delicate oak characteristics, and better aging capabilities. Many terms, however, are simply marketing jargon with no legal or standard usage.
Government Health Warning
A U.S. Surgeon General warning states that drinking alcoholic beverages can: 1. cause birth defects, 2. impair ability to drive a car or operate machinery, and 3. cause health problems.
Name of Wine
The standards for naming a wine vary depending on its origin. Some of the foundations for wine names follow.
In many European countries a wine is named for the growing area or appellation where it originated. For example, Bordeaux Supérieur, Chablis are all French ACs (Appellation d'Origine Côntrolée); Chianti is an Italian DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita), and Rioja is a Spanish DOCa (Denominación de Origen Calificada).
In some areas like the United States, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and South America, and in France's Alsace region, the grape variety (such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay) is often the name of the wine.
Proprietary names are sometimes used when a wine doesn't fit into either of the previous guidelines. For example, Joseph Phelps Vineyards' Insignia which, because it's a Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc/Merlot blend and doesn't contain 75 percent of one grape variety, cannot (in the United States) be named after a specific grape variety.
Producer
The name of the producer is often the most important information on the label. That's because some producers have a reputation for producing high-quality wines year after year, whereas others have sporadic or less than stellar records. For example, a single grand cru vineyard in Burgundy can have numerous producers, with some making consistently higher-quality wine than others. The name of the producer can be the name of a winery in countries like the United States and Australia, of a château in some parts of France like Bordeaux, of a Domaine in other French areas like Burgundy, and of wine estates in Italy, Spain, and Germany. The exact name of the producer is important because in many areas, such as France and Germany, there are a number of producers with the same surname. Therefore, knowledge of both Christian name and surname is necessary to differentiate producers. For instance, the name of the Prüm family is attached to numerous wine estates in Germany's Mosel-Saar-Ruwer region, the best known of which is Joh. Jos. Prüm.
Type of Wine
The label information regarding the type of wine is very general, usually in the form of basic terms like "red table wine," "dry red wine," "white wine," "still white wine," or "sparkling wine." Such terms simply place the wine in a generic category. Don't assume, however, that because a wine is described as, say, a "red table wine" that it's a simple or mediocre wine. In the United States, for example, unless a wine contains at least 75 percent of a particular grape variety, it cannot use the grape's name on the label. For instance, Cain Cellars simply uses the descriptor "red table wine" for its Cain Five — a wine this winery considers its’ premium red, which happens to be a blend of the five Bordeaux grape varieties — Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
Vintage
The year indicated on a wine label is the vintage, or the year the grapes were harvested. In the United States, a wine label may only list the vintage if 95 percent of the wine comes from grapes harvested that year. If a blend of grapes from 2 years or more is used, the wine is either labeled non-vintage (NV) or there's no mention of date.
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