Wine Etiquette: How to Read a Label and Choose Wine

A Wine Shelf Can Be Intimidating

You walk into the wine section of a store and are greeted by a wall of hundreds of beautifully designed bottles. Colorful labels promise everything: “French,” “Premium,” “Award-Winning.”
But how do you choose a good wine in all this chaos?

Most people choose by looks. They like the label design—so they buy it. Or they rely on price: expensive = good. Or they recognize a name they’ve heard before.

But in reality, all the information you need to make a conscious choice is right in front of you—you just need to know what to look for.

This article is your translator from the language of wine. After reading it, you’ll be able to pick up any bottle and read it like a book: who made it, where the grapes came from, which year they were harvested, and how sweet the wine is.
Let’s break it down.

The Front Label: Three Key Pieces of Information

There isn’t much space on the front label, so every word matters. Here’s what to look at first:

1. Wine Name (or Region Name)

This can be either a proprietary name (for example, “Château Margaux”) or the name of a geographical region (such as “Chianti” or “Chablis”).

Why this matters:
If the label highlights a region name, it means the wine was produced according to strict regional rules. Wines from renowned regions (Bordeaux, Burgundy, Tuscany) are usually a safer choice than a nameless “red wine.”
The region acts as a quality guarantee.

If the wine carries a producer’s name (the winery or estate), it may indicate a strong reputation. If you’ve enjoyed wines from this producer before—feel free to choose it again.

2. Grape Variety (If Listed)

The word “variety” simply means which grape was used. For example: Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon.

Why this matters:
Knowing the grape gives you a good idea of the wine’s character—even without tasting it:

• Pinot Noir — light red, fruity, with gentle tannins (that drying sensation in the mouth)

• Sauvignon Blanc — fresh white, herbal, crisp and acidic

• Chardonnay — fuller white, often with buttery and floral notes

• Cabernet Sauvignon — powerful red, tannic, with blackcurrant notes

If several grape varieties are listed, the wine is a blend (called assemblage in French). This is completely normal—and often even better than a single-variety wine.

3. Vintage (Harvest Year)

This is the year the grapes were harvested—for example, 2021 or 2019.

Why this matters:
The vintage tells two stories.

Story one: the climate of the year.
Weather changes from year to year. Hot years produce riper, more alcoholic, often richer wines. Cool or rainy years give lighter, more acidic wines.
European winemakers know which years were “great” and which were simply “good” in their region. For example, in Bordeaux, 2018 was outstanding, while 2017 was good but not legendary. This helps you choose more reliably.

Story two: the age of the wine.
Is the wine young or already old? Most wines are meant to be drunk within the first five years. If the bottle says 2010 and it’s now 2025, the wine is already 15 years old and should be approached with caution—it may have lost freshness.

Important note:
If no vintage is listed, it often means the wine is a blend of several years (especially common with Champagne). This is perfectly normal.

Abbreviations: The Secret Quality Code

On every European wine label, you’ll see mysterious abbreviations. These indicate how strict the production standards were.

France: AOP (formerly AOC)

AOP stands for Appellation d’Origine Protégée — Protected Designation of Origin.

This is the highest class of French wine. AOP means:

• Grapes come only from the specified region

• Only approved grape varieties are used

• The wine is made according to strict regional rules

• Yield is limited (you can’t harvest unlimited grapes)

• A minimum alcohol level is required

If the wine is labeled IGP (Indication Géographique Protégée), the rules are more flexible but still respectable.

If you see Vin de France, the wine has no geographical designation. This can mean either a very innovative wine—or simply a basic table wine.

Italy: DOCG and DOC

Italy’s system is even more complex, but simplified:

• DOCG — the highest level (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). “Guaranteed” means even the state backs the quality. Wines like Barolo, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico DOCG belong here.

• DOC — good quality, slightly less strict than DOCG. There are around 330 DOC regions in Italy.

• IGT — wines with geographic indication but more freedom. Interestingly, some outstanding and innovative wines appear under this label.

Spain: DO and DOCa

• DO (Denominación de Origen) — controlled designation of origin (e.g., Rioja DO, Ribera del Duero DO).

• DOCa — an even higher status. Currently, only Rioja and Priorat hold it.

A simple rule for all countries:
The longer and more official-sounding the abbreviation—and the more words like “protected,” “controlled,” “guaranteed”—the higher the wine’s status and the stricter the standards.

The Back Label: Where the Truth Is Hidden

If the front label is the wine’s face, the back label is its passport. This is where the honest details live.

Sugar Content

The back label usually lists the wine’s sweetness category.

For still wines:

• Dry — up to 4 g/L of sugar

• Off-Dry — 4–18 g/L (barely noticeable sweetness)

• Medium-Sweet — 18–45 g/L

• Sweet — over 45 g/L

Important:
For dry wines, listing sugar content is not mandatory. If nothing is mentioned, it’s almost always dry.

For sparkling wines:

• Brut — 6–15 g/L (very dry)

• Extra Dry — 15–25 g/L

• Demi-Sec — 25–40 g/L

Champagne labeled Brut is the most popular and versatile choice.

Producer Information

Usually at the bottom of the back label you’ll find:

• Name and address of the producer

• Who bottled the wine

If it says “Mis en Bouteille à la Propriété” (France) or “Imbottigliato all’Origine” (Italy), the wine was bottled at the estate—a good sign.

If a négociant bottled it, that’s not bad—just means the wine was sourced and bottled by another company. This is very common and perfectly normal.

Sulfites and Other Notes

You’ll often see “contains sulfites.” As discussed in our previous myths article—this is normal, safe, and necessary.

Alcohol percentage, storage advice, and allergen information may also appear here.

The Bottle Itself: What the Wine Level Reveals

When holding a bottle, pay attention to two physical details:

Wine Level

Look at where the wine sits in the neck.

• Correct level: around the middle of the neck or slightly higher

• Too low: evaporation, dried cork, poor storage or excessive age

• Too high: may indicate incomplete fermentation or dilution—avoid

Capsule Condition

The capsule covers the cork and neck.

Good signs:

• Intact, no tears or holes

• Seal unbroken

• Winery emblem clear

Warning signs:

• Torn capsule — possible air exposure

• Wine stains — leaking cork, poor storage

Scratches are fine—they don’t affect quality.

Practical Example: Reading a Real Label

Imagine you’re holding an Italian wine bottle.

Front label:

• Chianti Classico — respected region

• DOCG — top quality tier

• 2022 — young and fresh

• Pinot Nero — light red grape

Back label:

• Imbottigliato all’Origine — estate bottled

• No sugar info — dry wine

• 13.5% vol — balanced alcohol

• Producer address in Tuscany

Bottle condition:

• Wine level mid-neck — well stored

• Capsule intact — good sign

Conclusion:
A reliable, high-quality wine from a known region, properly stored. High chance you’ll enjoy it.

Conclusion: Choosing Wine with Confidence

A wine label isn’t just decoration—it’s an information document. It tells you where the grapes were grown, who made the wine, how strictly it was regulated, and how well it was stored.

Now that you know what to look for:

✓ Look for the region name
✓ Check the classification (DOCG, AOP, DOC)
✓ Pay attention to the vintage
✓ Read the back label
✓ Inspect the bottle’s physical condition

You no longer need to choose by a pretty picture alone. You can read a label like a book—and understand the wine’s story.

And yes, sometimes a beautiful label is a nice bonus.
But now you know it’s always secondary to the information behind every word on the bottle.

Every bottle tells a story. Now you know how to read it.