How To Read a Wine Label | Wine Folly

Wines are typically labeled in one of 3 ways:

• By Grape Variety (e.g. Cabernet Sauvignon or Riesling)
• By Region (popular in France, Italy, and parts of Spain)
• By Made-Up Name (often used for proprietary blends)

Grape Variety Labeling or "Varietal" Wines

Even though nearly all wine is from just one species (Vitis vinifera), there are thousands of different grape varieties (also called cultivars). Fortunately, if you're new to wine, there are only about 100 common varieties planted throughout the world.

If you're curious to get a head start on tasting these popular wine varieties, check out this article → https://winefolly.com/lifestyle/the-18-noble-grapes-wine-challenge/

Regional Wine Labeling

Wines like Bordeaux, Champagne, Chianti and Rioja are all named after the region in which they're from!

Each wine region dictates what grapes can be used in the regional wine. So, in order to know what’s inside one of these regionally labeled wines, you’ll want to do a little research. For example, Chablis in France grows Chardonnay, and Chianti in Italy specializes in Sangiovese.

Be sure to investigate our Regional Wines Guide for more → https://winefolly.com/wines/