Wednesday, April 16, 2008 11:07 AM
How to read a wine label?
Whether it’s written in French, or that other language we barely understand—wine-ese—labels are usually the reason we have such a hard time choosing a bottle of wine for dinner or a host gift.
Here’s a crash course in reading a wine label:
Old World European wines tend to be named for designated wine regions, or appellations of origin, like Bordeaux or Chianti. New World wines are typically named for the varietal (which is wine-ese for “the majority grape in the wine”), like Chardonnay or Cabernet Sauvignon.
A.O.C., A.C., and D.O.C. are all European classifications for appellation of origin wines—named for regions where the grapes where grown and the wine bottled under the laws that govern wine-making in those regions.
Vin de pays (vahn deu PAH-yuh) means “country wine”—a step above the classification of vins de table, or “table wines”, but a step below A.O.C. designated wines.
Reserve (also Private Reserve, Special Reserve, Vintner's Reserve) has different means depending on where the wine comes from. In the U.S. and France, there is no legal definition of “reserve”, so anyone can slap the word on the label to make it sound fancier, although some reputable wine makers still use it to distinguish special wines. Riserva wines from Spain and Italy have been aged longer, which implies the wine is better.
Superieur/Superiore: These wines have a high alcohol content than other versions of the same French A.O.C. and Italian D.O.C. wines.
Estate-bottled, or mis en bouteille au chateau/au domaine, means the grapes were grown, harvested, pressed, fermented and bottled all at the wine estate or chateau listed on the label.
Vintage indicates the year the grapes were harvested and the wine was made. In the U.S., the label can list the year if 95 percent of the grapes were harvested in that year. If a blend of grapes harvested from different years are used, it is labeled non-vintage, or NV.
Ask me anything else you’ve always wanted to know about wine. I might know the answer...