If you are new to the wine world, a wine label will help you quite a lot. The label not only indicates the brand name and descriptive name of the wine but also its origin and vintner, alcoholic content, net contents, and sometimes vintage year and how the wine is best used.
The statement of origin and vintner indicates where and by whom the wine was made. The origin may be very general or be more specific, naming the state or region where the wine originated. The vintner’s name and address must always be stated. “Estate bottled” may be used when the bottler produced wine from grapes grown in vineyards that are in the vicinity of the winery and are owned or controlled by the bottler. When three fourths of the wine is produced by the vintner, it may be labeled “produced and bottled by” or “bottled at the winery.” The phrase “made by” may indicate that the wine was bottled from a blend of wines made by more than one vintner.
The alcoholic content must be labeled on any wine containing 14 percent or more alcohol. If it has less that 14 percent alcohol, the wine must be denoted as “dinner,” “light,” or “table” wine or the alcoholic content must be stated.
The most common bottle size for United States wines is the fifth. This has a net content of four-fifths quart or 25.6 ounces. Smaller and larger bottles are also available as needed.
A vintage year is rarely designated on United States wines since the quality of the wines is consistent year after year. But all United States wines so designated must have been produced within the specified year. European wine quality fluctuates more widely. Most of the vintage dated European wines consist of wine produced in that year, although a small amount of wine produced in other than the vintage year may be included.
Last but not least, the label may indicate wine classification. Although this is not mandatory, wineries include the class, and often how to use the wine, as a guide to selection for consumers.
There are several points to consider when selecting a quality wine. A brand that has been produces for many years is probably one you can rely on. And, in general, the more specific the wine name, the better the quality. A domestic wine named Riesling, for instance, is produced under more rigid controls that the generic one called Rhine wine. The bottler’s statement, “estate bottled”, is a more exact designation of the wine’s source than “produced by” and “made by.”
