There is a wide range of wines available from large parts of the world and it is certainly part of the charm for the experienced winelover to look, to try out and to discover new flavors and aromas.
However, it can be difficult for the not so skilled person to navigate the jungle of bottles and choose what he wants. Below we’ll try to describe what is the most important information you should know to identify a wine. We limit ourselves to the French and Italian wines, but what is true for them is usually also true for other wines from Europe since the legislation is harmonized between the different wine producing countries.
- CLASSIFICATION – THE EUROPEAN CLASSIFICATION OF WINE:
Wines coming from Europe are all included in a classification that may be interesting to know. Each wine that is produced belongs to a certain category which is also mentioned on the bottle. These categories are described with a combination of initials. What makes it difficult for us consumers is that these initials are different depending on where the wine comes from; AOC, DOC, DOCG are some examples of categories only in France and Italy. There are even more combinations in other countries.
As a rule, it is on the front label that you can read which category the wine belongs to. Since 1 August 2009, the classification has been redesigned and defined at European level. The intention was partly to harmonize between different countries, but also to simplify the understanding for consumers. Today, the reorganization is still going on and many bottles still describe the old classification.
However, we describe below how the different categories have been defined at European level since 2009. We start with the wines that are considered the most exclusive and go downwards :
AOP “Appellation d’Origine Protégée” (formerly known as AOC) in France and DOP “Denominazione d’Origine Protetta” in Italy (formerly DOC and DOCG (G for “e garantita”): this is the “top class” where we find all the finer wines.
An AOP / DOP, which is more commonly known as an “Appellation”, is a grouping of equivalent wines produced in a specific geographical area. The wines within the same appellation have also been made according to a special method of production which is considered typical of the region in question. Therefore, to be assigned an AOP / DOP classification, a wine producer’s vineyards must be located in an area belonging to the appellation in question.
The area is limited and well known and has been defined based on exposure and soil type. Furthermore, only the use of specific grape varieties represented in the region is approved. These groupings or appellations are defined in order to protect and preserve the local tradition, but also to ensure quality. The viticulture and wine production within an appellation must respect the tradition and the rules that apply to the region in question.
For example, you can grow Chardonnay grapes in southern France very well and with good results, but you can’t get your wine listed in an AOP because Chardonnay is not part of the traditional white grape varieties from the south. Thus, a wine that does not fully respect the criteria of the appellation is placed in a lower category that does not have as strict rules as the AOP’s.
IGP – (formerly “Vin de pays” in France and “IGT” in Italy): this is a category of wines which follows a stricter rules than that for the “table wines” described below, but it is not as strict as for AOP’s. This includes wines that are geographically anchored in a region, just as for the AOP wines. The difference from AOP is that “Vin de pays” is not associated with a particular soil type.
The number of allowed grape varieties for an IGP wine is also greater than for an AOP wine. What is worth pointing out is that this category also includes wines from winemakers that have experimented, doing exciting wines without taking into account the stricter AOP rules. Therefore, they cannot be classified as AOP wines, but in many cases the result is just as interesting.
Vin de France – (formerly “Vin de table” in France, “Vino” or “Vino da tavola” in Italy only): this is the basic category of wine and is also the category most exempt from the legislation. The wines belonging to this category can be blended up to 15% with wine from other grapes, from other regions and even from countries other than the one written on the bottle. These wines often have a standardized taste (such as beer and soft drinks) and have no further finesse. Many of them are part of big player’s brand portfolios and are manufactured in industrial scale. You can by law indicate both the vintage and the type of grape on the label.
2. RESPONSIBLE MANUFACTURER :
The label must give the possibility to identify the person who is legally responsible for the bottle. Since it’s the person who bottled the wine who is the last person involved in the process, it is also his name and address that must be stated on the label. In cases where it’s the winery itself that is responsible for the entire production process, from the wine grape on the vine to the finished bottle, it is obviously his name that should be written on the bottle label.
It becomes more difficult to define when it is a wine cooperative that is responsible for the production or also when it is a trading company that only buys ready-grown grapes for its wine production. There are also companies that only buy ready-made bulk wine and the company’s impact on the production is just the bottling itself. In these cases, it is not the wine grower who is the last to handle the wine and therefore his name is not stated, but instead the name of the cooperative or trading company that was responsible for the bottling.
3. WHERE WAS THE WINE BOTTLED BY BOTTLE :
The label must provide information about where the wine has been bottled. Many discerning wine connoisseurs prefer the wine to be bottled at the winery. If this has been the case, the bottle claims “Mise en bouteille à la propriété / domaine / château” on French labels. If it’s been used any other formulations than these three,, there are usually signs that the wine has been bottled elsewhere than at the winery.
4. THE VINTAGE :
The vintage corresponds to the year when the grapes were harvested. It is not a mandatory claim, but it’s often stated on the bottle. However, this is not the case when several vintages have been used in the winemaking, such as when making most champagnes and crémants. The vintage can be written on the front label, on the neck label or on the back label. European legislation requires that at least 85% of the wine to be made from the said vintage.
5. CAPSULES :
In France, it has a tax mark on the top that shows that wine tax has been paid. In Italy, it is a sticky paper label. What is perhaps more interesting is that the cap on French wines describes the person who made the wine.
When it is the winery itself that is responsible for the viticulture and production of the wine, it is written “Recoltant” on the top of the capsule.
If this is not the case, there is usually nothing written at all. It can then be assumed that the wine is manufactured by a trading company that did not grow the grapes themselves, but who only bought ready-made grapes for the production, or who even bought ready-made bulk wine. However, this doesn’t mean the wine has to be of poor quality.
There are many serious wine trading companies, but many wine enthusiasts are especially looking for “Recoltant” written on the top of the bottles, because a wine made from a “Recoltant” means that the vineyard itself leads the entire production process and engages its entire reputation and know-how in the production. Some consider, to the winegrower’s advantage, that they are passionated about their profession, making authentic wines and aren’t just winetraders.
6. THE CORK :
On finer wines the name of the vineyard and the vintage of the wine are printed along the side of the cork. It is historically considered a quality symbol that limits the risk of counterfeiting.
A label can be easily changed, but replacing a cork on a bottle is almost impossible. In reality, of course, very few people are engaged in the type of activity and wines that do not have their name printed on the cork can be consumed completely without problems.