How To Read a Wine Label | Wine Folly

How do you read a wine label? Beyond the basics of winery, vintage, and region, we’ve discovered there are 3 ways wines are labeled.

Limited time offer of 50% off our Wine 101 course when you subscribe to the Wine Folly newsletter: https://winefolly.com/subscribe/

Get the book → https://wfol.ly/3hVqtuQ

FULL STORY ON THE BLOG → https://winefolly.com/tips/reading-wine-labels/

Wines are typically labeled in one of 3 ways:

• By Grape Variety (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon or Riesling)
• By Region (popular in France, Italy, and parts of Spain)
• By Made-Up Name (often used for proprietary blends)

Grape Variety Labeling or “Varietal” Wines

Even though nearly all wine is from just one species (Vitis vinifera), there are thousands of different grape varieties (also called cultivars). Fortunately, if you’re new to wine, there are only about 100 common varieties planted throughout the world.

If you’re curious to get a head start on tasting these popular wine varieties, check out this article → https://winefolly.com/lifestyle/the-18-noble-grapes-wine-challenge/

Wine Essentials
Get the James Beard Award-winning book ➡️ https://wfol.ly/2pnOf9S
Wine Folly Wine Journal: https://wfol.ly/2XeWyGl
Wine Styles Tasting Course: https://wfol.ly/37Kmhun
The Best Wine Opener: https://wfol.ly/2ZOwd3L
Universal Wine Glasses: https://wfol.ly/2zuwVVa
Wine Maps: https://wfol.ly/3wXcSv6

FOLLOW WINE FOLLY:
Website: https://winefolly.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/winefolly/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WineFolly
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/winefolly

Regional Wine Labeling

Wines like Bordeaux, Champagne, Chianti and Rioja are all named after the region in which they’re from!

Each wine region dictates what grapes can be used in the regional wine. So, in order to know what’s inside one of these regionally labeled wines, you’ll want to do a little research. For example, Chablis in France grows Chardonnay, and Chianti in Italy specializes in Sangiovese.

Be sure to investigate our Regional Wines Guide for more → https://winefolly.com/wines/

Wines Labeled by Made-Up Name

More often than not, named wines are unique blends invented by the wine producer. You’ll also find named wines common in regions that do not allow the use of certain grapes in their regional wine (but still grow them).

Named wines are often blends or unusual wines that don’t fit the wine laws of a particular region. In most cases, you’ll find the unique details about the wine on the winery’s website.