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Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Wine Label News


The technical terms and mysterious locales mentioned on many a wine label can initially confuse more than they help the would-be consumer of a bottle's contents. Add in the language barrier and elaborate classification system found on European labels and you may be tempted to ignore the message on the bottle altogether. But resist the temptation. Like an introductory chat with a new acquaintance, labels can tell you a lot about where a wine comes from and how it’s made, as well as help you define your preferences.

Every bottle of wine must have a label and that label must provide certain information about the wine. The country where the wine is made requires some of the information on the wine label. The country where the wine is sold requires other label information.

In Europe, appellations speak volumes
By now, most winemaking countries have some sort of government-sponsored agency overseeing the sort of label that gets slapped on a bottle of wine. In this regard, France serves as the model. The most developed, defined, and refined wine labeling system in the world hails from France, where all information boils down to one word: appellation.

The French Institute National des Appellations d’Origine (INAO) is the oldest and strictest wine-regulating system on the planet. This body governs the geographical limits of winemaking regions and for each one sets the acceptable grape varieties, approved percentages for blends, maximum amount of wine produced per acre, minimum aging and additional specifics.

Varietals rule in the U.S.
In the United States, on the other hand, varietal names take center stage on most wine labels. You may be more likely to scan a wine list or market shelf for a Cabernet than for a bottle from, say, the Stag's Leap appellation in Napa, and most people think grape first when forming first impressions.

Because American labeling laws regulate the percentage required to call a wine by its varietal name, blends are often left in the lurch, label-wise. An American label without a varietal name could signal one of two things: a generic or jug wine or one of the upscale European-style blends. Knowing the difference can help you get what you pay for.

So, now that you're an expert and multi-lingual label decoder, what does it all mean in a nutshell? When the decoding is done, the ultimate proof of a wine is in the bottle and on your palate - a pleasure that may even be beyond words.