Choosing a bottle of wine is as much art as knowing how to take it. Knowing how to read wine labels is the first step towards choosing a great wine for a great occasion!
It can be overwhelming to get to the wine shop and stop in front of dozens of different wines; from different regions, crops, grapes, wineries and several other factors that affect the choice of a wine.
A wine label 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
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.
QUANTITY
Presented in milliliters or centilitres, is the amount of liquid inside the bottle. Commonly the bottles will be 750 ml or 1.5 L.
For special reserves like magnum, there are 11 sizes of wine bottles; from the Benjamín with 200 ml to a Nebuchadnezzar of 15 L.
You can also find suggested information on the tasting and pairing on the back label of the bottle. It is important to consider all factors influencing the quality and nature of a wine to choose the right wine for the correct occasion.
The best wine is not necessarily the most expensive, but the one that is shared.
George Brassens
