Wine Label Confusion

While there are plenty of words on wine labels, some of them are very vague or undefined. Typically the only words that matter are the type of wine, year and brand name.  It is hard to find a good wine based on anything else because legally none of the other terms are defined, leaving the vintner to creatively bulk up their product however they feel they can with reassuring words like “old vine” and reserve.  But really these words have as much meaning as farm fresh and wholesome used by the food companies.  Still don’t let those wine glasses go empty because vintners are not trying to swindle the average wine drinker, it is just marketing. 

                The vintners are complaining about wine labeling too, but because there has been a push for stricter labeling regulations for wine and they protest that it is already hard enough to get a label approved and that stricter labeling would cripple the honest wine makers.  They believe that their product is great, and by their definitions, deserving of the buzz words they chose for the labels.  Of course this is ultimately a complicated issue that needs to be considered carefully before conclusions are drawn. 

via Rhino Wino