What the %$*#@ do wine labels actually mean?

First things first,...my apologies for not posting in a ridiculous amount of time. You know when you think your time will be better spent else where,...then you realize that its actually not,...well, thats pretty much what happened to me. I won't bore you with the mundane details, needless to say I am back spending time on an aspect of my life that should become more of a focus,...ie. everything wine.

On to more important matters,...what do wine labels really mean, and why are we always confused by them? Well I think the first thing you should know is that wine labels lack uniformity. The most general international standards include providing info on alcohol content, volume, and the address of the people who are responsible for producing the product.

K,...bad news first,...it will probably take you knowledge of several foreign languages, and a good idea of local wine laws to really understand what is going on, so I'm going to try break down the basics for you.

Wines are generally labelled in one of 3 ways:

1. Region
2. Grape Variety
3. Brand

Regional Labelling (the place where the grapes are grown):
There are some important things to remember about the wine world, especially when talking about geography. Some lots of land, because of their make-up and location (soil, slope, sun exposure etc) have greater ability to producce better grapes than the chap down the road. Doesn't it seem appropriate then that the wine maker make this evident on the label.

The French have an almost mystic word for the what we taste in wine. They believe, as o I, that when you taste the wine, you are experiencing the total environment where the wine is made and grapes are grown and cultivated. this word is known as terroir. Regional labels, as you have probably already seen are far more common in the old world (Europe) than the new world (everywhere else). The next time you pick up a European wine, go to Google and type in the name of the region on the bottle and learn a bit about the area and what is grown there, it'll definitely give you more of an appreciation for what you are drinking.

Varietal Labelling (what grape is used):
Mostly associated with the new world, this type of labelling requires that when varieties are listed, then the wine must contain the minimum percentage of that grape according to local wine law. Becuase wine is now a global pass time, varietla labelling is seen as a way to assist wine drinkers in establishing similarities across a range of wines.

Brand Labelling (what marketers tell you it is):
Brand names may include the name of the producer, the name of the winery, the smelly substance between someones toes, a large fat uncles name you want to forget,....pretty much anything that speaks to the demographic that the marketer is trying to reach. The nice thing about branded wines is that novice drinkers can pick one up knowing it will deliver consistent product and price.

Now you know the basics of labelling,...make sure you do your homework, and the next time you buy a bottle, do some research and find out what its all about.

Watch for my next post on wines governing bodies, notations,and approaching grape varieties,...a little boring, but very important.