READING THE WINE LABEL

Regardless of where a wine comes from, there will be certain standard

information on every label. Each item may be in a different place from label
to
label, but it will definitely appear somewhere on the label. Other
information is optional, not mandatory, but it appears frequently enough to
merit inclusion in the following list of what you will generally find on a
wine label:

1. Name of the wine - Mandatory

2. The name of the producer - Mandatory
3. The name and location of the person or company legally responsible for
making the wine, in some cases this name can be the same as #2) -
Mandatory
4. The volume of the bottle’s contents (this can appear either on the label
itself or molded into the glass bottle, usually near its base) - Mandatory.
5. The alcohol content of the wine (this is usually expressed as a percentage
of the wine’s volume) - Mandatory.
6. The name of the shipper and importer responsible for bringing the wine to
the country (eg. India), occasionally the shipper and importer are two
different companies - Mandatory.
7. The country of origin (always in English) - Mandatory
8. The kind of wine (always in English) - Optional
9. The quality of the wine - Optional
10. The year the wine was made, also known as the vintage - Optional.
FRENCH WINE LABELS

Wine labels give certain mandatory information, such as name of the bottler,
who is legally responsible for the wine. Other details include :

 Color of the wine

 Style of the wine
 Grape variety
 Vintage
 Alcoholic strength
 FRENCH WINE CLASSIFICATION

Appellation d’Origine Controlee (AOC)

28% of total production

30% exported, 70% consumed within France
France was the first country to set up a system for controlling the origin and
quality of its wines. The best French wines are almost all AOC. The label
indicates where the wine comes from, and the appellation law regulates the
grape varieties used, viticulture methods, harvest and yield restrictions,
minimum alcoholic content, wine making techniques and the quality of the
product - approved by an official tasting panel

Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure (VDQS)

1.3% of total production

10% exported, 80% consumed within France
VDQS wines are subject to controls similar to those with AOC status, but
the yields may be higher. Many VDQS wines have been promoted to AOC
status and this has reduced the average annual production in recent years.

Vin de Pays (VDP)

13% of total production

10% exported , 90% consumed in France
Can be described as French country wines. Although they must have a
specified origin on the label, a wide range of grape varieties can be used and
high yields are allowed - with the result that the quality of the wine varies
greatly.

Vin de table

12% exported, 88% consumed within France

Also known as Vins Ordinaire or Vin de Consommation courante, these are
inexpensive wines for everyday drinking and are not intended for keeping.
The label must not specify the wine’s origin and both strength and quality
may vary.