Basically Wine Labels
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The labels on wine-bottles are actually quite interesting and we can learn a lot about the bottle we are about to purchase if we just know what to look for. So what do we look for? Usually we only look at the name on the bottle to prevent ourselves from repeating horrible experiences or we see whether we’d like to try something new or stick to something trusted. How many of us actually try to find out more about the wine in question? It’s all there and very clear if we pay attention – for those that don’t know what to look for, we’ve set out a few tips and show you just how much fun reading the lables can be.
The lables on wine bottles usually contain the following:
The name of the wine and the cultivar from which it was made:
This is important because it tells you whether it’s a single cultivar (like Chardonnay), a blend (like Roodeberg ) or whether it’s red or white wine;
Producer and region:
This is important because it tells you whether the wine is made in eg. Stellenbosch, Franshchoek or Paarl when you have to choose a wine from three different estates and each one is in a different place. Once you know, you can take into account the climate because that gives each wine a unique character.
The vintage
This is important because you’ll find out how old the wine is and it allows you to differentiate between good and bad harvests and when the wine should be drunk;
Alcohol percentage
This gives you the weight of the wine and this is important when it comes to food pairing. It seems logical to choose a wine with a slightly higher alcohol level with a richer dish to “cut” the richness – this is all it means.
Sulphur
This is rather perplexing and I’d be thrilled if someone could explain to us how a wine can be completely free of sulphur. The sulphur is used to preserve the wine, help to mature it and prevent oxidization but is it possible that there is absolutely no sulphur in organic wines? White wines contain more sulphur than red wines;
Private Selection and Reserve
These words are usually found on bottles that cost a lot. It’s quite handy because it will tell you whether it comes from a really good harvest and whilst usually good (because those winemakers really do know their stuff) you should try this for yourself and draw your own conclusions;
