How to Read a Wine Label

Wine labels are a fascinating topic. Every year, wine lovers from around the globe come together to invest in bottles that have been ageing for decades.

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Before, Italy, France, Portugal, and other countries were known for their great wines.

A great example of this is the fine wine auctions or tastings hosted by Acker Wines. Their eyes light up just from seeing the labels, which tell them everything they need to know.

However, for a plain Jane or an ordinary Joe, whose interest is not really focused on wine, understanding a wine label can be quite a challenge - let's be real about that.

There are just so many things written that you don't know what is important or what you should be looking at to tell if the wine is good.

We understand that, and that's why we created this short guide on how to read a wine label. After reading this, you won't have trouble deciphering any of them. So, without any further ado - let's jump right into it.

Things to look at on a wine label

Generally speaking, there are seven things that you should pay attention to on every wine label, and those are:

Country and region

Wine labels usually list the country of origin, like Italy, France, or Portugal, but sometimes the producer highlights a specific region instead, such as Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux. If you’re curious, exploring different wine regions can help you better understand and recognise a wine’s quality. 

Generally speaking, the more specific the location listed on the label, the higher the chance the wine will be on the pricier side.

Another thing you should keep in mind is the difference between English wine and British wine. The former is a term for wine made from grapes grown in England.

The latter, on the other hand, is a low-price product fermented in the UK from imported concentrated grape must.

Name or/and the producer

Like most wine labels that show the country of origin, this one also includes the producer’s name. While it might not mean much unless you’re trying to become a wine expert, each producer brings their own skill and style, making every wine unique.

Estate-bottled wines are often higher in quality than those made by a négociant, since they’re usually crafted by the same person who grows the grapes and takes great care in ensuring the final product’s quality.

Grape variety

This is something many bottles don’t reveal, as producers assume customers already know. Wines from the New World—regions outside traditional wine-growing areas of Europe and the Middle East—are more likely to list the grape variety on the label than their European counterparts.

If the bottle doesn’t list a grape variety, it might mean the producer blended more than one type.

In this case, you should look for the appellation, as it might give you some idea about what grapes were used to make your wine.

Vintage or non-vintage

Vintage refers to the year the grapes were harvested. If a wine is labelled as 'vintage,' it means it’s made entirely from grapes picked in that single year. Non-vintage wine, on the other hand, is a blend made from harvests of several different years.

There's not much to talk about when it comes to the wine's vintage, as it's relatively simple - wine from a good year is of better quality than wine from a bad year.

Alcohol Level

Now, the alcohol level is a useful thing to know when you want to match wine with food - for example, for dinner.

Red wines have around 13.5 per cent on average, while white wines have a little less.

Generally speaking, it is good to match lighter wine with lighter food, while heavier red wine with, for example, a steak.

Sulfites (sulphites)

According to the law, a wine producer must display whether sulfites were used if their level exceeds 10 mg/litre.

However, they don't have to tell you how much they used - just the fact that they are there. This can be problematic for people who have sulfite allergies.

However, that doesn't mean that wines that don't use sulfites or use very small portions are more wholesome.

Sweetness

Most red wines are dry, meaning the sugar in the grape juice has completely fermented into alcohol, leaving residual sugar levels so low that professional tasters can’t detect them (around 4 g/litre).

Similarly, most white wines you come across are dry, though some can be off-dry or even sweeter.

Final Thoughts

Reading a wine label is not a skill that someone is born with - just like with most things, you need to learn how to do it.

After reading this and getting some practice, we hope you’ll have no trouble figuring out any wine labels you come across in the future.

Cheers! Or should we say 'Cin-Cin'?