How to read a wine label

Choosing a good wine starts with its identity card: the label. But you need to know how to read between the lines... So before you set your sights on the first bottle you come across, and to learn how to decipher the famous little rectangle, here's some information to put under your glass.

Mandatory information

Bottling

To find out where the wine was bottled, and by whom.

• "Bottled at" (château, estate, domaine...): bottled directly at the place of vinification.
• "Bottled by" (producers, winegrowers, merchants, etc.): bottled by a cooperative.
• "In the region of": bottled in the wine's appellation zone.

The name

It's one of the most important words on the label. A certified and controlled label, the appellation is a guarantee of quality, awarded to wines that meet certain conditions (compliance with specifications, preservation of the terroir). They are listed in ascending order of quality:

• GIS (Without Geographical Indication)
• IGP (Protected Geographical Indication)
• AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôôlée)
• AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée)

Capacity

Volume of wine contained in the bottle, indicated in L, cL or mL.

Alcohol content

We're talking here about alcohol content, expressed in degrees or as a percentage of total volume. More than just a figure, it's a good indicator of whether a wine is light or full-bodied.

The pregnant woman pictogram

It's found right next to the alcohol content. This is a health warning representing the dangers of alcohol consumption for pregnant women.

Allergens

Indicates allergens present in wine, such as sulfites (sulfur dioxide).

Optional information

The vintage

It indicates the year in which the grapes were harvested. Quite useful when you consider that some wines are better when they have aged well, or when they have benefited from certain climatic conditions.

The name of the operation

This is mandatory for wines with Geographical Indication.

The grape variety

The variety of grapes used to make the wine: single-variety for a single wine, multi-variety for several wines.

Food and wine pairing suggestions

They are usually found on the back label (on the back of the bottle), and suggest the dishes that go best with the wine.

Production details

"Barrel-aged", "Hand-harvested", "Old vines"... All provide additional information on production methods.

Sugar content

Most often, the sugar content is indicated for white wines. Rather useful, as it helps distinguish dry from sweet.

Batch number

Expressed in letters and numbers, it indicates all products produced in the same way.

@studioarsene // Marie Ormières