Dissecting a Wine Label

Labels can tell you a lot about what’s inside the bottle. Do not be afraid – the label is your friend.

Facing a continent-size store shelf of wine bottles and their indecipherable labels can be scary. But if you can just narrow the field to red v. white and focus on a varietal, there are certain universal things to look for that might just help you further narrow the field:

Name

Right there at the top is the brand name, referring to either the winemaker or the winery. You’ve heard of some for good reasons, some for bad, and some for no reason at all. Over time, you’ll find some you’ll like and hear about others. But begin assembling your trusted names each time you taste. Brand matters.

Geography

Maybe you don’t know every appellation under the sun. But look for specifics - a wine that says it's from Napa suggests a wine with greater focus on the attributes of that area, and a wine from California suggests a wine that focuses on many attributes found throughout the state. After a while you will begin to know what you like from different areas and exploring more will become much easier.

Vintage

The vintage, or year, stated on the label tells you when the grapes for the wine were picked. In order to state a vintage, 95% of the grapes in the bottle had to come from that stated year. There are often opinions about some years being better than others, but usually if your in a good shop or grocery store, you won’t have to worry too much, but don’t be afraid to ask the wine buyer for their thoughts if you have any concern.

Alcohol content

Alcohol content is required to be on the label. Typically wines will stay in a certain range (about 12.5% - 15%) This is not an indication of quality nor price, but it is good to pay attention to if you plan on having more than 1 glass.