Label Language

You can learn a great deal from carefully reading your wine labels. Here are a few tips to help you decipher the label language.

Domestic Wines

• If a domestic wine has the state written on the label, then you know that 75% of that wine comes from that state. California, however, requires that 100% of the wine comes from California in order to be put that on the label.
• If a county name is visible on the label, then at least 75% of that wine hails from that county.

French Wines

• A.O.C. or A.C. on a label stands for Appellation d’Origin Controlée, which is the highest ranking a French wine can get as far as origin and quality. Second in line is V.D.Q.S. Third is Vin de Pays.
• Château-bottled or Mis en Bouteilles au Château, or Mis au Domain indicate that the wine was estate-bottled and has legal significance. It is also a desirable trait to find in a wine.