How to Understand Wine Labels

Despite the plethora of colorful and exciting labels lining the shelves of supermarkets and grocery stores, the old adage still holds true: you can't judge a book by it's cover. Read on to learn how to tell the difference between a nice label and a nice wine.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Appellation:
   In a majority of cases, the most important factor to consider is a wine' s place of origin, or appellation. While some labels will designate a rather ambiguous appellation like California or France, many of the best wines will proudly display their specific region.

2. Producer:
   The second most important factor to consider is the producer of the wine. There are hundreds of small and large wineries popping up every year and, with all the choices out there, it can be easy to get overwhelmed trying to decide to which one to purchase from. While I strongly recommend trying wines from small, independents wineries, one general rule will almost always hold true: Producers can be counted on to produce a pretty consistent quality of wine. If you weren't very fond of a producer's Merlot, chances are the rest of their wines aren't much better. Try sticking with wines from producers with a reputation for creating a quality product.

3. Vintage:
   While wine does get better with age, there are a few things to consider when purchasing older wines. First off, just because it's older does not mean that it's better. There have been years where the quality of wine have been unheard of, while others have been very, very poor.
   
   Secondly, who you're buying the bottle from can determine how well the bottle has been cared for. While a nice restaurant or wine specialty store might be able to store wines for many years in the proper environment, a grocery store will not likely have the facilities necessary to store wine in it's ideal environment. This can result in prematurely aged wine and, in some rare instances, corking.

4. Bottling:
   Typically speaking, wines bottled by the vintner will be a step up in quality from those bottled by a third party bottler or negotiant. Look for the words "Estate Bottled".

5. Special Designations:
   While there are no legal restrictions governing their use, special designations such as "Reserver" and "Vintner's Selection" will typically refer to a higher quality version of what the winery typically produces. A good example of this would be the difference between a $20 bottle of Robert Mondavi purchased at the grocery store versus a $120 bottle of Robert Mondavi Reserve that may only be available online or at a specialty wine store.
   
   There are, however, a few special designations that are legally defined. A few of the most popular ones are "Appellation d'Origine Controlee", "Denomination di Origine Controllata" and "Denominacion de Origen Calificada".
   
   Remember, special designations are not a guarantee of quality, but can generally be counted on as an indicator of such.

6. Varietals:
   This refers to the type of grape being used to produce the wine. While there are over 5,000 different grape varieties, there are nine most common types considered to be the "classics". They are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillion.
   
   Varietals listed on the label are not guaranteed to be made entirely of that variety. In fact, in the United States, the varietal may consist of as little as 75% of that which is listed on the label. In most cases, though, the producer will give a breakdown of the varietal in percentages on the back label.

Resources

• The Wine Fugitive

[JMOrganizations]

on 3/12/2008 Thank you for the great information.