How to Read Wine Labels

Knowing how to read wine labels is the first step towards choosing a great wine for a great occasion!

Choosing a bottle of wine is as much art as knowing how to take it. It can be overwhelming to get to the wine shop and stop in front of dozens of different wines; read the wine labels from different regions, crops, grapes, wineries and several other factors that affect the choice of a wine.

Wine labels contains as much information as the design and shape of the bottle. You can find most of the information on the main label or on the back, occasionally with a small recommendation.

Wine sows poetry in hearts.
Dante Alighieri

Table of Contents

BRAND OR TYPE OF WINE

We usually recognize a specific wine by its name, it can be the name and location of the winery as – Valdepeñas; or commonly we will find it with the specific name of the bottle that transmits special characteristics of the wine – Sangre de Toro (Translated: Bull’s Blood).

A good wine is like a good movie: it lasts a moment and leaves a taste of glory in your mouth; It is new in each sip and, as with movies, it is born and reborn in each flavor.
Federico Fellini

ORIGIN

The origin is a geographical indication that is applied to agricultural products to guarantee the quality and characteristics of the product. It offers information about the origin of the wine and information about the common characteristics of the wine.

MATURITY OR YEAR OF HARVEST

Indicates the year of harvest of the vine. It is important to determine the aging of the wine, whether the wine is young or a wine with age. Each wine is different and an old wine is not necessarily better than a young one, it will only have different attributes to be used differently. The year of the wine makes it possible to review the climate of that year and determine whether the grapes are of good quality.

There is more philosophy and wisdom in a bottle of wine, than in all books.
Louis Pasteur

WINERY AND BOTTLING PLANT

Mandatory information on a label, indicates the winery or the bottling plant. It may have more commercial wines.

VARIETY OF THE GRAPE

From Syrah, Tempranillo, Pinot Noir, Merlot or Malbec, on the wine label you will find the grape varieties used to create the different sensations and flavors of the wine. Typical of the region, the variety of the grape will indicate the different characteristics to the smell and the colour spectrum for the year of the harvest and its aging.

Those who know how to taste do not drink too much wine, but enjoy its soft secrets.
Salvador Dalí

ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION

Between 14% and 11% the alcoholic strength of the wine will indicate the consistency of the wine. The higher the alcohol percentage, the better the consistency, vice versa, with a lower concentration the wine will be lighter and easier to drink.