How to read a wine label: Old World vs New World, regions, vintages and classifications

TUREFF• •0

A wine label can tell you a lot, but only if you know which kind of label you are looking at. The biggest divide is between wines that are named after a place and wines that are named after a grape.

Old World vs New World

Old World usually means the traditional wine countries of Europe, such as France, Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal.
New World usually means countries such as the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa.

The terms are loose and a lot of modern European wine now shows the grape on the label, but the general pattern still helps.

Place first: typical European labels

Many European wines are named after where they come from, and the place implies the grapes, which are set by local rules.

A red Burgundy is normally Pinot Noir; a white Burgundy is usually Chardonnay.
Sancerre is usually Sauvignon Blanc.
Chianti is based on Sangiovese.
Rioja is usually based on Tempranillo.

So learning a few major regions does double duty: it tells you the grape and roughly the style.

Grape first: typical New World labels

Wines from newer regions usually put the grape variety front and centre (Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Malbec), with the region underneath. Many countries have rules requiring that a minimum share of the wine comes from the grape named; the threshold varies by country.

What else is on the label

Producer: the winery or estate. Often the most important name for judging quality.
Region: from a whole country down to a single village or vineyard. In general, the more specific the place, the stricter the rules.
Vintage: the year the grapes were harvested, not the year of bottling. A wine without a vintage is a blend of years, common for many Champagnes and everyday wines.
Alcohol by volume: a rough hint at style. Higher alcohol often means a riper, fuller-bodied wine from a warmer climate or year.
Words about style: such as dry, sweet or Brut on sparkling wine. Brut is a dry style of sparkling wine.

Classifications in general

European countries have legal quality tiers that control where grapes are grown, which grapes are allowed and how the wine is made. In broad terms:

France: AOC/AOP (protected place of origin) at the top of the main system, IGP below it, then Vin de France with the fewest rules.
Italy: DOCG at the top, then DOC, then IGT. Some famous Italian wines sit in IGT because they use grapes outside the local rules, so IGT is not a sign of low quality.
Spain: DO is the main tier, with a small number of regions holding the higher DOCa (DOQ in Catalan) status. Ageing terms like Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva carry legal minimum ageing times.
Germany: the top tier, Prädikatswein, uses words such as Kabinett, Spätlese and Auslese that describe how ripe the grapes were at harvest. They do not tell you on their own whether the wine is sweet; look for trocken (dry) on the label.

Remember that these tiers describe rules about origin and production. A careful producer in a lower tier can make better wine than a careless one higher up.

Practical tips

Find the producer first; a good name is the most reliable sign.
If the grape is not shown, look up the region; you will often know the grape in a minute.
Check the back label, which often lists the grapes, the style and serving suggestions.
If you liked a bottle, photograph the label so you can find it, or its neighbours, again.

Which label has confused you? Post the words you could not work out, or share a bottle you discovered by reading closely, in the comments.