how to read a wine label

How to Read a Wine Label (and map it in TastingMaster)

Table of Contents New World & Old World Wine Labels .......................................................................... 1

Elements of a Wine Label ............................................................................................. 1

Vintage* ................................................................................................................................. 2

Producer (Wine Maker/Winery/Brand)* .............................................................................. 2

Country* ................................................................................................................................ 2

Grape Variety or Style* ......................................................................................................... 3

Style 4

Region/Sub-Region/Appellation* ........................................................................................... 4

Proprietary Name .................................................................................................................. 5

Designation ........................................................................................................................... 6

Type ...................................................................................................................................... 9

Vineyard ................................................................................................................................ 9

Cost ..................................................................................................................................... 11

Source/Vendor .................................................................................................................... 11

Bottling / Winery Information ............................................................................................... 11

% Alcohol ............................................................................................................................ 12

Bottle Notes ......................................................................................................................... 12

Other ................................................................................................................................... 12

TastingMaster Entry Screens

Basic Information (Required Fields) .................................................................................... 13

Additional Information (Optional Fields) .............................................................................. 13

Wine Label Examples Mapped into TastingMaster

USA Wine Label .................................................................................................................. 14

French Wine Label .............................................................................................................. 15

How to Read a Wine Label

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Italian Wine Label ................................................................................................................ 16

Spanish Wine Label ............................................................................................................ 17

German Wine Label ............................................................................................................ 18

Australian Wine Label ......................................................................................................... 19

South African Wine Label .................................................................................................... 20

South American (Chile) Label ............................................................................................. 21

South American (Argentina) Wine Label ............................................................................. 22

New World & Old World Wine Labels In your wine tasting events, youll find that wine labels vary widely in what is displayed and what the words mean.

As you enter wines into TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition, youll learn to translate what you find on various labels to fields you can record and track in the software. We have tried to make the software flexible enough to allow you to use various fields in ways you want. The charts below will help you be consistent and therefore give you the ability to keep records and compare wines on features you find interesting or important.

For our purposes, New World wines are those wines produced outside the traditional wine-growing areas of Europe and North Africa, in particular from Australia, Argentina, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA.

Old World wine labels are often more challenging to read than New World labels. With some European wines the region or place name is key, e.g., Chablis, Chianti, Rioja, and not the grape variety (some countries forbid the mention of the grape variety!). In other countries, Germany, for example, the grape variety appears prominently, along with other descriptors of a wines level of sweetness (when the grapes were picked).

New World wine labels are slightly more consistent. The emphasis is on the brand or producer and the grape variety or blend.

The front label most often indicates the vintage, except in the case of European table wines (e.g., vin de table, tafelwein).

Somewhere on the label youll find: country of origin, name and address of the producer/importer, volume of liquid in the bottle and alcoholic strength (ABV).

The back label may tell you more about the region, the grape variety or blend and the winemaker's tasting notes. Some winemakers tell interesting stories about the vineyard or the vintage or the weather...they are creative and often quite interesting!

Elements of a Wine Label There are several common elements displayed on wine labels, both from the Old World and the New World. This section is intended to define the common elements and offer a few examples of each. This will assist you when you enter wines into TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition.


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NOTE: The first five (5) elements described below are mandatory fields when you add a wine in TastingMaster. They show an asterisk (*), indicating they are mandatory fields. The rest of the fields are not mandatory, but can certainly help you distinguish wines and are quite often determining factors when people consider buying wine (e.g., estate bottled or % alcohol).

Vintage* Vintage refers to the year in which the grapes were harvested (not the year in which it was bottled). Most national wine laws require that at least 85% of the wine be harvested in the year of the vintage (up to 15% may be blended in from other years).

Sometimes you will not see a vintage printed on the label. In some regions, vintage is not printed (by law) because of varying harvest conditions; it would not be prudent to judge an entire vintage by the quality (or lack of it) of wines from one part of the region (e.g., Burgundy). In the case of champagne, a blend of grape varieties and vintages is used to strike the desired balance.

If a blend of grapes from 2 years or more is used, the wine is called non-vintage or NV.

Producer (Wine Maker/Winery/Brand)* This is the person, company, or firm that made the wine, sometimes called Brand name. Quite often, youll see the name combined with another word such as winery, estate, vineyard, cellars, chteau, or domaine.

Country/Area Examples

New World Rosenblum, Robert Mondavi, Penfolds, Galah

France Chteau St. Pierrre, Paul Jaboulet

Germany Gunderloch, Robert Weil, Von Buhl

Spain Marinez Bujanda, Marqus de Cceres, Lan

Portugal Fmega, Quinta da Vegia, Quinta Vista

Italy Bera, Banfi, Antinori, Danzante

Country* All wines specify a country of origin.


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Grape Variety or Style* There are perhaps 5,000 known varieties of grapes; about 150 of these varieties are planted commercially in significant amounts. A varietal is a wine made from and labeled with the name of only one (primary) grape variety/species.

In the New World, wines are often bottled under the name of their primary grape variety (a minimum of 75% of one grape variety must be present for varietal bottling in the United States). In the United States, Argentina, Australia, Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa, many wines are known by a varietal name and sometimes by grape combinations such as Cabernet-Shiraz.

Proprietary names are often used for blends that do not contain the minimum percentage of a single variety (e.g., Peachy Canyons Para Siempre and David Coffaros Aca Madot). See Proprietary Name on page 5.

In TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition, weve attempted to assist you as much as possible in identifying the grape variety or style. In the drop-down list we have included classic grape varieties and many lesser known grape varieties found around the world.

If you want, you can type in a blend of your own (e.g., if a wine contains 94% Zinfandel, 6% Petit Sirah, type Zinfandel-Petit Sirah in the field). This blend will be added to your drop-down list for future use.

Country/Area Examples

New World Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz. Carmenre

France Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Gamay, Merlot, Mourvedre, Syrah, Viognier, Grenache OR Bordeaux blend, Rhne blend

Germany Riesling, Silvaner, Weissburgunder, Gewrztraminer, Kerner, Lemberger, Mller Thurgau, Sptburgunder

Italy Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Trebbiano, Catarratto, Vernaccia, Pinot Grigio, Montepulciano, Primitivo, Cortese

Portugal Alvarinho, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz

Spain Garnacha, Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura, Malavasia, Xarello, Parellada, Albarino


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Style

We have also included what we call style in this drop-down list, which would include such wines as Port Blend, Port Tawny, or Port Ruby. You will also find well-known blends such as Bordeaux, Rhone, and Burgundy. If you cant find a grape variety on the label, you might find Red Table Wine or Red Blend.

Region/Sub-Region/Appellation* Wine-producing areas (known as regions) are distinguishable by geography. Many regions are further divided into smaller areas (sub-regions and/or appellations), also distinguishable by geography and micro-climates.

In the Old World, the finest wines are known primarily by geographic appellation rather than their primary grape variety. Appellation refers to the place where the grapes are grown. Territories composed of small crops called "climats" compose most appellations.

Many appellations have official status, with either a government or trade bureau responsible to strictly delimit and regulate usage in order to assure both quality and authenticity. Most regulations allow up to 15% of the wine to be made from grapes grown outside the area.

An appellation may be as large as an entire region, encompassing hundreds of thousands of acres and many separate vineyards, or as small as a single vineyard of four acres or less.

Most of the best-known wines from France are appellation wines (e.g., Chablis, Beaune, Chateauneuf-de-Pape, and Gigondas). Appellations are also used to identify most of the wines of Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.

In TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition, weve attempted to assist you as much as possible in identifying the wines region and sub-region and/or appellation. Once you have entered the Country, the region field will contain a drop-down list appropriate for the country you entered. Somewhere on the label you should be able to locate the region and many cases, the very distinct appellation.

Systems for officially identifying and regulating wine growing regions are evolving in countries of the New World. In the U.S., American Viticultural Area (AVA) is emerging as a classification for distinct wine growing regions, although there is still controversy about the meaning of the designation. For more information, see: http://www.iwineinstitute.com/ava/.

Below is a table showing examples by country, of regions, sub-regions, and appellations where known. If you want, you can type in a region or appellation of


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your own (new ones are added all of the time!) This region will be added to your drop-down list for future use.

Country Examples

USA USA>California>Napa Valley>Chiles Valley

France France>Bordeaux>Montagne St-milion

Germany Germany>Mosel>Saar

Italy Italy>Emilia-Romagna>Colli Bolognesi

Portugal Portugal>Do>Serra da Estrela

Spain Spain>La Rioja>Rioja Alavesa

Australia Australia>South Australia>Clare Valley

South Africa South Africa>Breede River Valley>Worcester

Chile Chile>Valle Central>Maipo Valley

Proprietary Name A relatively new phenomenon has developed as some wine producers have begun to create wines with unique names that are owned as a trademark of the brand. A proprietary name can give a producer more flexibility in blending grapes. Typically, these bottles contain what the producers consider to be the highest expression of their artistry in the vineyard and the winery. Realistically, the name doesn't tell you anything about what's in the bottle.

Wines labeled in this manner are less subject to laws governing appellation and varietal content. If the name catches on (e.g., Opus One from the Mondavi-Rothschild partnership or Paul Massons Emerald Dry), it can bring quite a profit.

A proprietary name is normally found on only one brand. The exception to this is Meritage, which is owned by an association of wineries that has set rules for the grape variety composition and usage. Meritage has evolved from a trademark into a class designation of American wine and may someday even extend to other countries.

PROPRIETARY NAME EXAMPLEAcorn label

Heritage Vines is a Proprietary Name.


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Designation In the Old World, there are numerous systems for designating a wines origin and quality. In the United States, AVA is such a designation, which we have included in the Region/Sub-region/Appellation field. You can, however, add AVA to your wine entry in TastingMaster.

For purposes of identifying wines in TastingMaster, we have included a number of items in a drop-down list, some of them relating to quality, others to aging or sweetness. In the case of French wines, some of these might be classifications (e.g., Premier grand cru class).

These designations and/or classifications are most often found on the label and might be items you want to track (or sort on), so weve included them in this field. Of course you can type in your own words here if we havent included all of the official designations or words that you use.

Country Designation Meaning

New World AVA American Viticultural Area (geographic locations that have the same climate, soil, and elevation and similar properties that give the wine a certain characteristic; a type of appellation, but not a reflection of quality)

Italy DOCG Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (guaranteed place name)

DOC Denominazione di Origine Controllata (protected place name)

IGT Indicazione Geografica Tipica (Typical place name)

Vini di tavola Table wines

France

Country

AOC Vins dAppellation dOrigine Contrle (Appellation of Controlled Origin)

VDQS Vin Dlimits de Qualit Suprieure (Wines of Superior Quality)

Vins de Pays Country Wine

Vins de Table Table Wine


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Premier cru class Status refers to a classification of wines primarily from the Bordeaux region

Premier cru suprieur Status refers to a classification of wines primarily from the Bordeaux region

Premier grand cru class

The highest category for French wines classified in the APPELLATION of SAINT-MILION

Meaning

Spain DO Denominacin de Origen (Denomination of Origin)

DOC Denominacin de Origen Calificada (Denomination of Qualified Origin)

Gran Reserva Aged a minimum of 5 years

Reserva Aged a minimum of 3 years

Crianza Aged a minimum of 2 years

Portugal DOC Vinho de Calidad (Quality wine produced in a Geographical limited region subject to strict regulations)

IPR or VQPRD Indica'o de Proveni'ncia Regulamentada (Wines from newer regions which are candidates for DOC status. Although created in 1990 to designate wines of Intermediate quality, this classification is not typically used anymore.)

VR Vinho Regional (Regional wines that do not adhere to the same strict regulations as IPR or DOC classified wines)

CVR Wines produced in a specific region from at least 85% of locally grown grapes

Vinho de Mesa Table wines

VEQPRD Sparkling Wine produced in a demarcated region


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Germany

Germany, cont.

QmP Qualittswein mit Prdikat (Quality Wine with Special Attributes)

1. Kabinett The first of the Prdikat wines in Germany. This is typically the lightest and most delicate style that an estate will produce.

2. Sptlese German for "late-harvested." Sptlese has more richness and body than Kabinett because the grapes are allowed to ripen for an extra week or more. Once harvested, the wine can be fermented fruity (lieblich), half-dry (halbtrocken) or dry (trocken), depending on the preferences of the winemaker.

3. Auslese A German word that means "selected from the harvest." This is the Prdikat level for overripe, late-harvested grapes that are selected cluster by cluster. Often made in the fruity style with residual sweetness, Auslese is considered by most winemakers to be their finest achievement (aside from the rare dessert wines).

4. Beerenauslese Beerenauslese is a rare dessert wine made from extremely overripe grapes that are fully affected by the botrytis mold. The grapes are selected one berry at a time (hence, berry selection).

5. Eiswein This is literally, ice wine. It is one of the rare Prdikat dessert wines that is made from overripe grapes that have frozen solid on the vine. They are harvested quickly and pressed while still frozen, so that only concentrated grape juice is extracted. Most of the water stays in the press as ice, so the resulting wine is very concentrated.


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6. Trockenbeerenauslese Germany's greatest and rarest dessert wine, and the last of the six Prdikat levels. Trocken (dry) here refers to the individually selected berries, which have been completely shriveled by the botrytis mold (not the same as dry wine).

QbA Qualittswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete (Quality Wine from Specific Appellations). Wines that have had some sugar added to increase potential alcohol (Chaptalization), cannot be considered Prdikat, but are found in this category.

Deutscher Landwein Superior Table Wine

Deutscher Tafelwein Simple Table Wine

Type Here are common types of wine that you might be tasting in your event. If you want to be even more specific (e.g., white sparkling), you can type in new words and they will be added to your list for use in the future.

Type

dessert

fortified

fruit

red

ros

sparkling

white

Vineyard A vineyard is a place where grapes are grown for making wine, raisins, or table grapes.

A vineyard is often characterized by its terroir, a French term loosely translating as "a sense of place" that refers to the specific geographical and geological

characteristics of grapevine plantations, which may be imparted in the wine. There are precise conditions that a vineyard must maintain; these are often tightly-regulated.

A particular vineyard may or may not be used for a certain wine, as the tendency has been to blend grapes from multiple vineyards to achieve a desired wine. These days, there is a strong campaign towards limited production, single-vineyard wines to showcase a particular terroir. In these cases, you might find the vineyard prominently displayed on a wine label. Look for these words on Old World labels to find the vineyard: vignoble in French, vigna or vigneto in Italian, vinha in Portuguese, via or viedo in Spanish, Weinberg in German.

VINEYARD EXAMPLEWilliam Fevre

Montmains is a vineyard in the appellation Chablis Premier Cru.


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Cost This should be the amount you paid for the wine (not its value, should there be a difference).

Source/Vendor This is where you purchased the wine.

Bottling / Winery Information Other information available on a wine label includes where the grapes were grown and where the wine was made. Here are a few of these terms and their meanings:

Term Meaning

Estate Bottled or Chteau Bottled

French (Mis en Bouteille au Domaine, Mis au Domaine, Mis en Bouteille a la Propriete and Mis en Bouteille du Chteau)

Italian (Imbottigliato All'origine)

German (Erzeugerabfullung.)

100 percent of the grapes used were grown in the winerys own vineyards or came from vineyards controlled by the winery in the same appellation. These wines must be vinified and bottled at the winery as well.

Grown, Produced and Bottled By Indicates that the grapes were grown at the winery's vineyards (or vineyards controlled by the winery) and that the wine was vinified and bottled at the winery.

Produced and Bottled By The winery crushed, fermented and bottled at least 75 percent of the wine in that particular bottling, but not that the winery grew the grapes.

Made and Bottled By A minimum of 10 percent of the wine was fermented at the winery-the other 90 percent could be from other sources. This designation does not generally indicate the quality implied by the phrase "Produced and Bottled By."

Bottled By This alone on a label indicates that the only role the winery most likely played in the wine's production was to purchase and bottle wine made somewhere else.


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% Alcohol This is the percent alcohol printed on the label.

Bottle Notes Use this field to record anything you want about the bottle or wine label, such as additional information taken from the front or back label. Or, record some anecdote about where you acquired the bottle.

Examples:

Bought at an auction

Wedding gift

Bought from the winemaker and carried it in our car all summer

Other Anything else you want to track about a bottle can go here.


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TastingMaster Entry Screens

Basic Information (Required Fields)

Additional Information (Optional Fields)

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Wine Label Examples Mapped into TastingMaster

USA Wine Label


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French Wine Label


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Italian Wine Label


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Spanish Wine Label


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German Wine Label


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Australian Wine Label

South African Wine Label


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South American (Chile) Label


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South American (Argentina) Wine Label

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New World & Old World Wine LabelsElements of a Wine LabelVintage*Producer (Wine Maker/Winery/Brand)*Country*Grape Variety or Style*Style

Region/Sub-Region/Appellation*Proprietary NameDesignationTypeVineyardCostSource/VendorBottling / Winery Information% AlcoholOtherBasic Information (Required Fields)Additional Information (Optional Fields)USA Wine LabelFrench Wine LabelItalian Wine LabelSpanish Wine LabelGerman Wine LabelSouth American (Chile) LabelSouth American (Argentina) Wine Label/

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