The labeling of wine is equally as important as the wine itself. The aesthetic of the wine bottle is important because some people base the value of the wine on it. This is why wine producers need to work with professionals to help them come up with wine labels that are pleasing to the eye. They can also buy wine labels online.
Anyway, have you ever wondered what is contained on the wine label? Most people usually hurriedly pick a wine from the shelves only to put it back because they discover that it has odd ingredients. Here are essential things you should look for on a wine label.
Another essential thing that must be included on the label and you must pay attention to is the name of the wine producer. It is usually put on the front of a majority of bottles. If you are not a wine enthusiast, this information may not be that important to you. But remember that each wine producer will display their expertise as well as uniqueness to their particular products.
Estate bottled wines typically have better quality than wine made on a larger scale. This is because the person who grows the grapes is the same person who makes the wine. So they tend to care so much about the quality of the output.
3. Variety of grapes
A wine label should also display the variety of grapes used in the production. Depending on the grape used, it will indicate the tasting notes as well as the depth of the wine.
If your bottle of wine does not indicate the grape used to make that particular wine, it could be that the producer used a blend of more than one type of grape. If this is the case, then you should look for the appellation. Perhaps this may give you an idea of the type of grapes that were used for the wine. Additionally, some producers just don’t showcase the variety of grapes on the front label because they assume that you already know what that particular wine is made from.
4. Vintage or non-vintage
The year that the wine was produced is also very important. The term “vintage” simply means when the wine was produced. If you can’t see it on the front label, you should look for it on the reverse side of the neck of the bottle.
It indicates the year in which the grapes were harvested. Vintages generally vary from one year to another. For instance, a badly timed storm during the harvesting period can turn a good vintage into a bad one. This means that wine from a good year is of better quality than from a bad year.
Of course, it is also important to know the level of alcohol in that particular wine. Red wines usually have 13.5% on average. On the other hand, white wines’ alcohol level is lower than that of red wines. The alcohol percentage is usually indicated in a fine print at the bottom of the front label or the back level.
6. Sweetness
Finally, you need to pay attention to the sweetness of the wine. Almost all red wines are dry. This basically means that the sugar in the grape juice has been turned into alcohol, leaving too low levels of residual sugar for professional tasters to identify. Even white wines are also dry, but some of them are sweeter.
Final thoughts
You have just explored some of the essential things contained on a wine label. So the next time you are out there shopping for good wine, pay attention to the things mentioned above and you will surely find a wine that suits your taste.
