Roi Chevalier St Emilion -
How to Read a Wine Label

Roi Chevalier St Emilion

OK, take a look at this label. It's from a French wine. With the French, the most important piece of information is the winery and the region. The French have been making wine for so long (centuries!) that most people who like French wine know the wine type by those two things. If the winery is well known, that will be largest - otherwise, the region will be the primary entry on the label.

The year is also very important, as it indicates how good the wine is going to be. This, in conjunction with the region, can be looked up in most handy-to-carry wine books to determine the general value of the wine.

Next come the section within the region, which further defines what style the wine is made in. In France, Every region is pretty set in what grapes it grows and what styles it uses to create wines. For that reason, very few labels from France list those pieces of information - they're assumed to be known.

Finally, the importer and volume are listed. Usually little more is on a French label. They definitely don't say "contains sulfites" because sulfites are a natural part of a grape - of course a wine has sulfites! The French are quite amused with the U.S. insistance of that clause.

How to Read a Wine Label - Main Page