How To Read A Wine Label

How to Read a Wine Label
(and map it in TastingMaster)
Table of Contents
New World & Old World Wine Labels .......................................................................... 1
Elements of a Wine Label ............................................................................................. 1
Vintage* ................................................................................................................................. 2
Producer (Wine Maker/Winery/Brand)* .............................................................................. 2
Country* ................................................................................................................................ 2
Grape Variety or Style* ......................................................................................................... 3
Style
Region/Sub-Region/Appellation* ........................................................................................... 4
Proprietary Name .................................................................................................................. 5
Designation ........................................................................................................................... 6
Type ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Vineyard ................................................................................................................................ 9
Cost ..................................................................................................................................... 11
Source/Vendor .................................................................................................................... 11
Bottling / Winery Information ............................................................................................... 11
% Alcohol ............................................................................................................................ 12
Bottle Notes ......................................................................................................................... 12
Other ................................................................................................................................... 12
TastingMaster Entry Screens

Basic Information (Required Fields) .................................................................................... 13
Additional Information (Optional Fields) .............................................................................. 13
Wine Label Examples Mapped into TastingMaster

USA Wine Label .................................................................................................................. 14
French Wine Label .............................................................................................................. 15
Italian Wine Label ................................................................................................................ 16

Spanish Wine Label ............................................................................................................ 17
German Wine Label ............................................................................................................ 18
Australian Wine Label ......................................................................................................... 19
South African Wine Label .................................................................................................... 20
South American (Chile) Label ............................................................................................. 21
South American (Argentina) Wine Label ............................................................................. 22
ii
New World & Old World Wine Labels

In your wine tasting events, youll find that wine labels vary widely in what is
displayed and what the words mean.
As you enter wines into TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition, youll learn to
translate what you find on various labels to fields you can record and track in the
software. We have tried to make the software flexible enough to allow you to use
various fields in ways you want. The charts below will help you be consistent and
therefore give you the ability to keep records and compare wines on features you
find interesting or important.
For our purposes, New World wines are those wines produced outside the
traditional wine-growing areas of Europe and North Africa, in particular
from Australia, Argentina, Canada, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa and the USA.
Old World wine labels are often more challenging to read than New World labels.
With some European wines the region or place name is key, e.g., Chablis, Chianti,
Rioja, and not the grape variety (some countries forbid the mention of the grape
variety!). In other countries, Germany, for example, the grape variety appears
prominently, along with other descriptors of a wines level of sweetness (when the
grapes were picked).
New World wine labels are slightly more consistent. The emphasis is on the brand
or producer and the grape variety or blend.
The front label most often indicates the vintage, except in the case of European
table wines (e.g., vin de table, tafelwein).
Somewhere on the label youll find: country of origin, name and address of the
producer/importer, volume of liquid in the bottle and alcoholic strength (ABV).
The back label may tell you more about the region, the grape variety or blend and
the winemaker's tasting notes. Some winemakers tell interesting stories about the
vineyard or the vintage or the weather...they are creative and often quite
interesting!
Elements of a Wine Label

There are several common elements displayed on wine labels, both from the Old
World and the New World. This section is intended to define the common elements
and offer a few examples of each. This will assist you when you enter wines into
TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition.
NOTE: The first five (5) elements described below are mandatory fields when you
add a wine in TastingMaster. They show an asterisk (*), indicating they are
mandatory fields. The rest of the fields are not mandatory, but can certainly help
you distinguish wines and are quite often determining factors when people consider
buying wine (e.g., estate bottled or % alcohol).
Vintage*
Vintage refers to the year in which the grapes were harvested (not the year in
which it was bottled). Most national wine laws require that at least 85% of the
wine be harvested in the year of the vintage (up to 15% may be blended in from
other years).
Sometimes you will not see a vintage printed on the label. In some regions,
vintage is not printed (by law) because of varying harvest conditions; it would not
be prudent to judge an entire vintage by the quality (or lack of it) of wines from
one part of the region (e.g., Burgundy). In the case of champagne, a blend of
grape varieties and vintages is used to strike the desired balance.
If a blend of grapes from 2 years or more is used, the wine is called non-vintage or
NV.
Producer (Wine Maker/Winery/Brand)*

This is the person, company, or firm that made the wine, sometimes called Brand
name. Quite often, youll see the name combined with another word such as
winery, estate, vineyard, cellars, chteau, or domaine.
Country/Area
Examples
New World
Rosenblum, Robert Mondavi, Penfolds, Galah
France
Chteau St. Pierrre, Paul Jaboulet
Germany
Gunderloch, Robert Weil, Von Buhl
Spain
Marinez Bujanda, Marqus de Cceres, Lan
Portugal
Fmega, Quinta da Vegia, Quinta Vista
Italy
Bera, Banfi, Antinori, Danzante
Country*
All wines specify a country of origin.
Grape Variety or Style*

There are perhaps 5,000 known varieties of grapes; about 150 of these varieties
are planted commercially in significant amounts. A varietal is a wine made from
and labeled with the name of only one (primary) grape variety/species.
In the New World, wines are often bottled under the name of their primary grape
variety (a minimum of 75% of one grape variety must be present for varietal
bottling in the United States). In the United States, Argentina, Australia, Chile,
New Zealand, and South Africa, many wines are known by a varietal name and
sometimes by grape combinations such as Cabernet-Shiraz.
Proprietary names are often used for blends that do not contain the minimum
percentage of a single variety (e.g., Peachy Canyons Para Siempre and David
Coffaros Aca Madot). See Proprietary Name on page 5.
In TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition, weve attempted to assist you as much as
possible in identifying the grape variety or style. In the drop-down list we have
included classic grape varieties and many lesser known grape varieties found
around the world.
If you want, you can type in a blend of your own (e.g., if a wine contains 94%
Zinfandel, 6% Petit Sirah, type Zinfandel-Petit Sirah in the field). This blend will be
added to your drop-down list for future use.
Country/Area
Examples
New World
Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, Cabernet Franc,

Petite Verdot, Pinot Noir, Shiraz. Carmenre
France
Semillon, Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon,

Carignan, Gamay, Merlot, Mourvedre, Syrah,
Viognier, Grenache OR
Bordeaux blend, Rhne blend
Germany
Riesling, Silvaner, Weissburgunder, Gewrztraminer,

Kerner, Lemberger, Mller Thurgau, Sptburgunder
Italy
Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, Trebbiano,

Catarratto, Vernaccia, Pinot Grigio, Montepulciano,
Primitivo, Cortese
Portugal
Alvarinho, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz
Spain
Garnacha, Tempranillo, Graciano, Mazuelo, Viura,

Malavasia, Xarello, Parellada, Albarino
Style
We have also included what we call style in this drop-down list, which would
include such wines as Port Blend, Port Tawny, or Port Ruby. You will also find wellknown blends such as Bordeaux, Rhone, and Burgundy. If you cant find a grape
variety on the label, you might find Red Table Wine or Red Blend.
Region/Sub-Region/Appellation*
Wine-producing areas (known as regions) are distinguishable by geography. Many
regions are further divided into smaller areas (sub-regions and/or appellations),
also distinguishable by geography and micro-climates.
In the Old World, the finest wines are known primarily by geographic appellation
rather than their primary grape variety. Appellation refers to the place where the
grapes are grown. Territories composed of small crops called "climats" compose
most appellations.
Many appellations have official status, with either a government or trade bureau
responsible to strictly delimit and regulate usage in order to assure both quality and
authenticity. Most regulations allow up to 15% of the wine to be made from grapes
grown outside the area.
An appellation may be as large as an entire region, encompassing hundreds of
thousands of acres and many separate vineyards, or as small as a single vineyard
of four acres or less.
Most of the best-known wines from France are appellation wines (e.g., Chablis,
Beaune, Chateauneuf-de-Pape, and Gigondas). Appellations are also used to
identify most of the wines of Italy, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.
In TastingMaster Wine Tasting Edition, weve attempted to assist you as much as
possible in identifying the wines region and sub-region and/or appellation. Once
you have entered the Country, the region field will contain a drop-down list
appropriate for the country you entered. Somewhere on the label you should be
able to locate the region and many cases, the very distinct appellation.
Systems for officially identifying and regulating wine growing regions are evolving
in countries of the New World. In the U.S., American Viticultural Area (AVA) is
emerging as a classification for distinct wine growing regions, although there is still
controversy about the meaning of the designation. For more information,
see: http://www.iwineinstitute.com/ava/.
Below is a table showing examples by country, of regions, sub-regions, and
appellations where known. If you want, you can type in a region or appellation of
your own (new ones are added all of the time!) This region will be added to your
drop-down list for future use.
Country
Examples
USA
USA>California>Napa Valley>Chiles Valley
France
France>Bordeaux>Montagne St-milion
Germany
Germany>Mosel>Saar
Italy
Italy>Emilia-Romagna>Colli Bolognesi
Portugal
Portugal>Do>Serra da Estrela
Spain
Spain>La Rioja>Rioja Alavesa
Australia
Australia>South Australia>Clare Valley
South Africa
South Africa>Breede River Valley>Worcester
Chile
Chile>Valle Central>Maipo Valley
Proprietary Name
A relatively new phenomenon has developed as some wine producers have begun
to create wines with unique names that are owned as a trademark of the brand. A
proprietary name can give a producer more flexibility in blending grapes.
Typically, these bottles contain what the producers consider to be the highest
expression of their artistry in the vineyard and the winery. Realistically, the name
doesn't tell you anything about what's in the bottle.
Wines labeled in this manner are less subject to laws governing appellation and
varietal content. If the name catches on (e.g., Opus One from the MondaviRothschild partnership or Paul Massons Emerald Dry), it can bring quite a profit.
A proprietary name is normally found on only one
brand. The exception to this is Meritage, which is
owned by an association of wineries that has set
rules for the grape variety composition and usage.
Meritage has evolved from a trademark into a class
designation of American wine and may someday
even extend to other countries.
PROPRIETARY NAME EXAMPLEAcorn label
Heritage Vines is a Proprietary Name.
Designation
In the Old World, there are numerous systems for designating a wines origin and
quality. In the United States, AVA is such a designation, which we have
included in the Region/Sub-region/Appellation field. You can, however, add AVA
to your wine entry in TastingMaster.
For purposes of identifying wines in TastingMaster, we have included a number of
items in a drop-down list, some of them relating to quality, others to aging or
sweetness. In the case of French wines, some of these might be classifications
(e.g., Premier grand cru class).
These designations and/or classifications are most often found on the label and
might be items you want to track (or sort on), so weve included them in this field.
Of course you can type in your own words here if we havent included all of the
official designations or words that you use.
Country
Designation
Meaning
New World
AVA
American Viticultural Area (geographic

locations that have the same climate, soil,
and elevation and similar properties that
give the wine a certain characteristic; a
type of appellation, but not a reflection of
quality)
Italy
DOCG
Denominazione di Origine Controllata e

Garantita (guaranteed place name)
DOC
Denominazione di Origine Controllata

(protected place name)
IGT
Indicazione Geografica Tipica (Typical

place name)
Vini di tavola
Table wines
AOC
Vins dAppellation dOrigine Contrle

(Appellation of Controlled Origin)
VDQS
Vin Dlimits de Qualit Suprieure (Wines

of Superior Quality)
Vins de Pays
Country Wine
Vins de Table
Table Wine
France
Country
Country
Designation
Meaning
Premier cru class
Status refers to a classification of wines

primarily from the Bordeaux region
Premier cru suprieur
Status refers to a classification of wines

primarily from the Bordeaux region
Premier grand cru class
The highest category for French wines

classified in the APPELLATION of SAINTMILION
Meaning
Spain
Portugal
DO
Denominacin de Origen (Denomination of

Origin)
DOC
Denominacin de Origen Calificada

(Denomination of Qualified Origin)
Gran Reserva
Aged a minimum of 5 years
Reserva
Crianza
DOC
Vinho de Calidad (Quality wine produced in

a Geographical limited region subject to
strict regulations)
IPR or VQPRD
Indica'o de Proveni'ncia Regulamentada

(Wines from newer regions which are
candidates for DOC status. Although
created in 1990 to designate wines of
Intermediate quality, this classification is
not typically used anymore.)
VR
Vinho Regional (Regional wines that do not

adhere to the same strict regulations as
IPR or DOC classified wines)
CVR
Wines produced in a specific region from at

least 85% of locally grown grapes
Vinho de Mesa
Table wines
VEQPRD
Sparkling Wine produced in a demarcated

region
Country
Germany
Designation
Meaning
QmP
Qualittswein mit Prdikat (Quality Wine

with Special Attributes)
1. Kabinett
The first of the Prdikat wines in Germany.

This is typically the lightest and most
delicate style that an estate will produce.
2. Sptlese
German for "late-harvested." Sptlese has

more richness and body than Kabinett
because the grapes are allowed to ripen
for an extra week or more. Once
harvested, the wine can be fermented
fruity (lieblich), half-dry (halbtrocken) or
dry (trocken), depending on the
preferences of the winemaker.
3. Auslese
A German word that means "selected from

the harvest." This is the Prdikat level for
overripe, late-harvested grapes that are
selected cluster by cluster. Often made in
the fruity style with residual sweetness,
Auslese is considered by most winemakers
to be their finest achievement (aside from
the rare dessert wines).
4. Beerenauslese
Beerenauslese is a rare dessert wine made

from extremely overripe grapes that are
fully affected by the botrytis mold. The
grapes are selected one berry at a time
(hence, berry selection).
5. Eiswein
This is literally, ice wine. It is one of the

rare Prdikat dessert wines that is made
from overripe grapes that have frozen
solid on the vine. They are harvested
quickly and pressed while still frozen, so
that only concentrated grape juice is
extracted. Most of the water stays in the
press as ice, so the resulting wine is very
concentrated.
Germany, cont.
Country
Designation
Meaning
6. Trockenbeerenauslese
Germany's greatest and rarest dessert

wine, and the last of the six Prdikat
levels. Trocken (dry) here refers to the
individually selected berries, which have
been completely shriveled by the botrytis
mold (not the same as dry wine).
QbA
Qualittswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete

(Quality Wine from Specific Appellations).
Wines that have had some sugar added to
increase potential alcohol (Chaptalization),
cannot be considered Prdikat, but are
found in this category.
Deutscher Landwein
Superior Table Wine
Deutscher Tafelwein
Simple Table Wine
Type
Here are common types of wine that you might be tasting in your event. If you
want to be even more specific (e.g., white sparkling), you can type in new words
and they will be added to your list for use in the future.
Type
dessert
fortified
fruit
red
ros
sparkling
white
Vineyard
A vineyard is a place where grapes are grown for making wine, raisins, or table
grapes.
A vineyard is often characterized by its terroir, a French term loosely translating
as "a sense of place" that refers to the specific geographical and geological
characteristics of grapevine plantations, which may be imparted in the wine. There

are precise conditions that a vineyard must maintain; these are often tightlyregulated.
A particular vineyard may or may not be used for a certain wine, as the tendency
has been to blend grapes from multiple vineyards to achieve a desired wine. These
days, there is a strong campaign towards limited production, single-vineyard wines
to showcase a particular terroir. In these cases, you might find the vineyard
prominently displayed on a wine label. Look for these words on Old World labels to
find the vineyard: vignoble in French, vigna or vigneto in Italian, vinha in
Portuguese, via or viedo in Spanish,
Weinberg in German.
VINEYARD EXAMPLEWilliam Fevre
Montmains is a vineyard in the
appellation Chablis Premier Cru.
10
Cost
This should be the amount you paid for the wine (not its value, should there be a
difference).
Source/Vendor
This is where you purchased the wine.
Bottling / Winery Information

Other information available on a wine label includes where the grapes were grown
and where the wine was made. Here are a few of these terms and their meanings:
Term
Meaning
Estate Bottled or Chteau Bottled

French (Mis en Bouteille au Domaine, Mis au
Domaine, Mis en Bouteille a la Propriete and
Mis en Bouteille du Chteau)
Italian (Imbottigliato All'origine)
100 percent of the grapes used were grown

in the winerys own vineyards or came from
vineyards controlled by the winery in the
same appellation. These wines must be
vinified and bottled at the winery as well.
German (Erzeugerabfullung.)
Grown, Produced and Bottled By
Indicates that the grapes were grown at the

winery's vineyards (or vineyards controlled
by the winery) and that the wine was vinified
and bottled at the winery.
Produced and Bottled By
The winery crushed, fermented and bottled

at least 75 percent of the wine in that
particular bottling, but not that the winery
grew the grapes.
Made and Bottled By
A minimum of 10 percent of the wine was

fermented at the winery-the other 90
percent could be from other sources. This
designation does not generally indicate the
quality implied by the phrase "Produced and
Bottled By."
Bottled By
This alone on a label indicates that the only

role the winery most likely played in the
wine's production was to purchase and bottle
wine made somewhere else.
11
% Alcohol
This is the percent alcohol printed on the label.
Bottle Notes
Use this field to record anything you want about the bottle or wine label, such as
additional information taken from the front or back label. Or, record some
anecdote about where you acquired the bottle.
Examples:
Bought at an auction
Wedding gift
Bought from the winemaker and carried it in our car all summer
Other
Anything else you want to track about a bottle can go here.
12
TastingMaster Entry Screens

Basic Information (Required Fields)
Additional Information (Optional Fields)
13
Wine Label Examples Mapped into TastingMaster

USA Wine Label
14
French Wine Label
15
Italian Wine Label
16
Spanish Wine Label
17
German Wine Label
18
Australian Wine Label
19
South African Wine Label
20
South American (Chile) Label
21
South American (Argentina) Wine Label
22

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How To Read A Wine Label

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How to Read a Wine Label

(and map it in TastingMaster)

TastingMaster Entry Screens

Wine Label Examples Mapped into TastingMaster