Wine 101
How to Read a Wine Label
Producer, region, grape, vintage and the terms that tell you what's in the bottle.
The essentials
- Producer: who made it
- Grape or region: New World labels usually name the grape; Old World labels often name the place
- Vintage: the harvest year (NV means non-vintage)
- Alcohol (ABV): a clue to body
Quality terms
Terms like AOC, DOCG and AVA identify official regions with their own rules.
Keep exploring
Find your next bottle in our honest wine reviews.