How To Read Wine Labels

When purchasing a bottle of wine, knowing how to read a wine label means removing some of the guesswork. But aside from the name of the winery and the loquacious wording promising something smooth and supple, what clues can be used to help with this task?

Actually, there are several. Items such as region, price, alcohol content and vintage can be revealing and are important to consider first. After that, a bit of intuition and marketing savvy will guide you the rest of the way. Let’s see how it works with a bottle of merlot.

The first step is to determine a price range. For this example, we are looking for a bottle that costs less than $20. Next of interest is region. Our options include something domestic or an import, say from France, South America, or Australia. Most grocery stores in Gig Harbor offer a good selection of domestic wines; however, it’s worth checking out the imports, where you are likely to get more bang for your buck.

A bit of knowledge about wine regions can be helpful, as they will largely determine the style and body of the wine. The more specific, the better. A Sonoma merlot will probably be better than a “California” merlot. Hotter growing regions make bigger, fuller-bodied wines than cooler ones, and the more popular the region, the less value you’ll get for your dollar. Hence, Napa merlots will generally be more expensive than something from Mendocino County or an obscure town in the south of France.

What’s important to know about alcohol content? The higher the number, the bigger the wine. Too high (15 percent and above) and the wine may be unbalanced, jammy, and "hot" tasting. 

A few confusing terms to dismiss include the word “Reserve,” “classic,” “limited release” or “special.” These are simply marketing phrases to make the wine seem unique. Additionally, let the buyer beware of the cute animal or catchy winery name. 

Vintage is important, yet at this price range, not so much. Do avoid white wines that are older than a couple of years and seek reds that are more than two years old when possible.

Sometimes it’s in the details. When a winery lists detailed information on the back, like when the grapes were harvested, how many bottles were produced, or when it was bottled, this means that the person making the wine cares about these things. It lends to the wine’s authenticity. I like to see these details.

As with any general advice, there are always exceptions and caveats. And that’s OK. Choosing a bottle of wine should be fun–a mini-adventure. Like buying a book, you can read the synopsis but until you open it up and begin the story you won’t know for sure if it’s a classic.