Always read your wine label before popping the cork. 9 things to read on your wine label.Wine labels have a lot of information on them. Some of it is critical to understanding what is in the bottle, and some of it is just blowing smoke.
01
Country and region
Most wine labels will showcase the produce’s country of origin, either at the top or the bottom of the label. In some cases it is wine region.
02
Producer name
The name of the wine producer will be displayed on the front of most bottles. Each producer will bring their own expertise and uniqueness to their products.
03
grape Variety
This is clearly mentioned,always,the variety of grapes. If your bottle doesn’t showcase the grape, it may be that the producer used a blend of more than one grape. In this case, look for the appellation.
04
Vintage
‘vintage’ refers to the year the wine was produced and is mentioned on the bottle label. They improve with time even when bottled (aging).
05
Non-Vintage
Non-vintage wines are usually ready for drinking on release and are generally unlikely to improve with age.
06
Riserva/ gran riserval
‘Riserva’ wine made from riper grapes, need more time for aging. “Gran reserva” are aged at least five years, with a minimum of two years in oak
07
Sugar
The sugar in wine is called “Residual Sugar” or RS and is <10g/L in dry wine and goes up to 35-120g/L in sweet wine.
08
Alcohol percentage
The Alcohol by Volume (ABV) level is generally 13.5% for red wines but vary from 11% to 14%
09
Sulfites
By law, producers must tell you if sulfites were used, if they exceed 10 mg/litre. sulfites reduce the risk of bacterial infection and oxidation and are preserved.
egg/dairy products
Producers may tell you if egg or dairy products have been used for fining the wine, to make them clearer and brighter. But they don’t have to say anything.
farming methods
Producers don’t have to say anything about their farming methods. If a wine is labeled as organic or biodynamic, then it must meet those requirements,
Misc ingredients in wine
There is no requirement to tell you anything about the other ingredients in the wine. Nor is there any requirement to tell about how the wine was made.
men made bear,god invented wine
“I love everything that is old; old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines.”
― The Vicar of Wakefield