Wine glossary: Label

Label terms

ABV

Alcohol by volume, the percentage of alcohol in the wine shown on every label. Most table wines sit around 11–15%, so it’s a quick guide to how strong a wine is.

AOC / AOP

France’s protected place-of-origin system (Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, now also Protégée). It fixes where the grapes are grown and often which grapes and methods are allowed.

AVA

American Viticultural Area: a US wine region defined by its geography, such as Napa Valley. It says where the grapes were grown, not how the wine was made.

Blend

A wine made from more than one grape variety combined, so their qualities complement each other. Many famous wines, including most Bordeaux, are blends.

Château / Domaine

French terms for a wine estate. ‘Château’ is common in Bordeaux and ‘Domaine’ in Burgundy; both simply mean the property where the wine is made.

Classico

The historic heart of an Italian wine area, as in Chianti Classico or Soave Classico.

Crianza

A Spanish red aged for at least two years before release, with at least six months in oak (a full year in Rioja).

Cuvée

A French word (roughly ‘koo-VAY’) for a specific batch or blend of wine. On a label it often points to a particular selection the producer is proud of.

DO and DOCa

Spain’s protected origins. DOCa is the highest regional tier, held only by Rioja and Priorat (written DOQ in Catalan).

DOC and DOCG

Italy’s quality categories. DOCG, with the extra G for “Garantita”, is the top tier with stricter rules, as for Barolo or Chianti Classico.

En primeur

Buying wine while it is still in barrel, before it is bottled, most often Bordeaux: you pay now and receive the bottles later.

Estate

Means the wine was grown and made by the same producer on their own vineyards, rather than from bought-in grapes. Often seen as ‘estate bottled’.

Grower Champagne

Champagne made by the family that grows the grapes, rather than by a large house that buys them in. Look for the letters RM (récoltant-manipulant) on the label.

Halbtrocken / Feinherb

German terms for off-dry: a little sweetness, but not a sweet wine. Halbtrocken has a legal definition; Feinherb does not, and is often a touch sweeter.

IGP / IGT

A level below AOC or DOC, with looser rules on grapes and methods. Some excellent wines use it on purpose, such as the “Super Tuscans” labelled IGT Toscana.

Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese

German quality levels based on how ripe the grapes were at harvest, from Kabinett (lightest) through Spätlese (late harvest) to Auslese (selected bunches). Riper levels follow (Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein). They describe ripeness, not guaranteed sweetness.

Mis en bouteille au château

“Bottled at the château”: the wine was bottled at the estate where it was made. “Mis en bouteille au domaine” means the same; “à la propriété” can also appear on wines bottled by a growers’ co-operative.

Négociant

A merchant who buys grapes, juice or wine from growers and bottles it under their own name. Common in Burgundy and Champagne.

Old vine

Wine made from older grapevines, which tend to give smaller crops with more concentrated flavour. There’s no legal age limit, so the term is used loosely.

Reserva and Gran Reserva

Spanish terms for longer-aged wines with legal minimums. In Rioja a red Reserva ages for at least three years, one of them in oak, and a Gran Reserva for at least five years, two of them in oak.

Reserve

A label word suggesting a wine of higher quality or longer ageing. In some countries (like Spain’s ‘Reserva’) it’s legally defined; in others it’s just marketing, so treat it as a soft hint.

Riserva

Italian for a wine aged longer than the standard version before release. Each region’s rules set the minimum time.

Single vineyard

Nearly all the grapes came from one named vineyard rather than being blended from several sites. Rules vary by country, and the name points to a sense of place, not guaranteed quality.

Single-varietal

A wine made from just one grape variety, letting that grape’s character shine on its own. The opposite of a blend.

Sur lie

French for “on the lees”: the wine rested on its spent yeast before bottling, which adds texture and freshness. Often seen on Muscadet.

Trocken

German for dry.

Varietal labelling

Naming a wine after its main grape (like ‘Pinot Grigio’) rather than its region. Common in the New World and a handy shortcut to the style in the bottle.