We've all been there. You're scrolling through hundreds of wine labels online, they all look lovely, and you have absolutely no idea what you're actually looking for. Some tell you the grape, some only tell you a place you've never heard of, and a few seem to be written in code. The good news is that once you know what to look for, most wine labels are far easier to read than they first appear.
This guide goes with Episode 2 of Still Clueless, our weekly video series where Sarah finally gets to grips with the wine basics she's been nodding along to for years. Watch How to Read a Wine Label on Instagram, and if you missed last week, catch up with Rioja Explained.
Old World vs New World: where or what?
The single most useful thing to know is that there are broadly two styles of wine label. Wines from the traditional winemaking countries of Europe, often called the Old World, usually tell you where the wine comes from. Wines from countries like New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Chile and South Africa, the New World, usually tell you what grape is inside.
That's why a bottle like the Joseph Drouhin Chablis Réserve de Vaudon can say Chablis loud and proud and never mention Chardonnay at all. Chablis is a place in northern Burgundy, and its rules say the white wine made there must be Chardonnay. In Europe, the place is the clue. The same goes for Sancerre, which is Sauvignon Blanc, Chianti, which is mainly Sangiovese, and Rioja, which is mostly Tempranillo.
Flip to the New World and things get refreshingly simple. A bottle like the Amalaya Malbec from Salta in northern Argentina tells you the grape straight away. It's mostly Malbec with a splash of Syrah and Petit Verdot, but Malbec is the star, so that's the name on the front. Here's a fun twist: Malbec is originally a French grape from Cahors in south-west France, but these days Argentina is far more famous for it.
The four things to look for on any label
Whichever bottle you pick up, four details tell you most of what you need to know.
|
Look for |
What it tells you |
|---|---|
|
Producer |
Who made the wine. Once you find a producer you like, their other wines are a great place to explore next. |
|
Region |
Where the grapes were grown. In the Old World this is often the biggest clue to the grape and style. |
|
Vintage |
The year the grapes were harvested. A wine with no vintage, marked NV, is a blend of years, which is common in Champagne. |
|
ABV |
Alcohol by volume, usually on the back label. It's a handy hint at the style of the wine. |
What ABV tells you about a wine
That little percentage on the back label is more useful than it looks. As a rule of thumb, a higher ABV, around 14% or more, points to riper grapes and a fuller, richer wine. A lower ABV, around 12 to 12.5%, usually means something lighter and fresher.
It mostly comes down to climate. Grapes grown in sunny, warm places ripen further and build up more sugar, and during fermentation that sugar turns into alcohol. So a Chablis from cool northern France will usually be lighter in alcohol than a Malbec from sunny Argentina. It's a guide rather than a rule, because harvest timing, altitude and winemaking choices all play a part, and sweet or fortified wines follow their own logic.
Label words worth knowing
Some words on a label carry real legal meaning. In Spain, terms like Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva tell you how long a wine has been aged, which we covered in our Rioja guide. In France, AOC or AOP on the label means the wine follows the rules of a specific protected region, while in Italy you'll see DOC and DOCG.
Other words sound impressive but aren't regulated everywhere. "Reserve" on a bottle from outside Spain or Italy, or "Old Vines" (Vieilles Vignes in French), can mean whatever the winery wants it to mean. They're nice to know, but they're not a guarantee of quality on their own.
Wine label FAQs
Why don't French wines list the grape?
Many French wines are named after their region, and each region's rules decide which grapes can be used. The place name tells you the grape if you know the region, for example Chablis is Chardonnay and Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc.
What does vintage mean on a wine label?
The vintage is the year the grapes were picked. It can tell you how old the wine is and, for some regions, what the growing season was like.
What is a good ABV for wine?
There's no right answer. Most table wines sit between about 11.5% and 15%. Lower usually means lighter and fresher, higher usually means fuller and richer, so it's really about the style you enjoy.
What is the difference between Old World and New World wine?
Old World wines come from Europe's traditional winemaking countries and are usually labelled by place. New World wines come from countries like Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and Chile and are usually labelled by grape.
Put it to the test
The best way to get comfortable reading labels is to compare a couple side by side, just like we did in the video. Try a classic Old World bottle like the Joseph Drouhin Chablis Réserve de Vaudon next to a New World favourite like the Amalaya Malbec, and see how differently each one tells its story. Or for a white-versus-white comparison, pair the Chablis with the Fairhall Cliffs Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand.
Next time you're browsing WineOnline.ie, you'll know exactly what you're looking at. And don't forget to follow Still Clueless for a new episode every Wednesday. Sláinte!
