Wine Labels…what can they tell you about your bottle of wine?

It doesn’t matter if you are a regular wine drinker or just like a glass every now and then – you’re bound to have noticed the labels that wine bottles carry. These labels are usually packed full of wine label terms – the chances are that you don’t know what most of these wine label terms mean. But, as you get to know what they can tell you these wine label terms can actually help you pick new wines that will suit you. So, let’s take a quick look at some of the common wine label terms and what they can do to improve the quality of the wine that you choose!

The Maker

Most wine label terms will include information about the winery/wine maker. This can be real useful as you sample various wines and work out which wineries’ products you like best. You may also see terms used such as ‘estate bottled’ – this means that all of the grapes used to make the wine were grown on the winery itself.

The Vintage

The vintage in wine label terms is usually given as the year in which the wine was originally bottled.

The Grapes

Most wine label terms must tell you where the grapes that made the bottle of wine actually came from. This could be as simple as a country, for example or it may be honed down to a particular region. You may also find that wine label terms also include the types of grapes that were used to make the wine. In some countries you’ll also get an indication of the ripeness of the grapes when they were used.

The Legal Stuff

In wine label terms the legal stuff will vary from country to country. Some countries will print health information on wine label terms and others won’t. Some use specific classifications and others won’t.

The Other Stuff

In addition to some or all of the above wine label terms you may also find that your wine label tells you other stuff about the bottle of wine you are about to drink. So, the label may tell you something about the taste and aroma of the wine, for example. Or, it may tell you more about the winery/region itself. Some wine labels, however, stick to the basics and you won’t get this kind of marketing stuff at all.

So, next time you open up a bottle of wine, don’t just sit there and drink it – have a look at the wine label terms while you are enjoying a glass and see what they can tell you about the wine you are drinking! The more wine you drink, the more you’ll learn to recognize wine label terms that guide you to stuff that you like – but try not to drink too much or you could find yourself agreeing with a health warning in wine label terms!