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One particular of the most baffling subjects that confronts the budding wine enthusiast is the deciphering of the myriad of information contained on the bottle label, specifically that contained on wine bottles from European countries. Once the basic rules are taken on board it becomes a lot simpler. Whereas most New Globe nations put details of the grape varieties on the front label, a lot of European regions do not, and as this is the most simple of information for taste purposes why is this the case?

European winemakers tend to put a lot more emphasis on the spot of origin. For instance, a Bordeaux red usually wont say Cabernet or Merlot on the front label, but as an alternative have the name of the chateau exactly where it was made, and normally the component of Bordeaux where it was produced, for instance Haut-Medoc. Similarly a Sancerre is absolutely Sauvignon Blanc, but an in depth evaluation of the label will leave you none the wiser. For the French the crucial element is that the wine comes from Sancerre in the Loire valley and for them it is inbred expertise that white Sancerre is Sauvignon Blanc.

Moving south to Spain, red Rioja declares itself as Rioja on the label, not Tempranillo the grape selection utilised, while in Italy most Tuscan reds have no info on the Sangiovese grape that is most broadly employed in these wines. Provided this mish-mash of details it is no wonder that many of us head for that bottle with the label announcing it is a Chardonnay Viognier from the Ironstone Vineyard of California.

It is clear then that the Europeans think the most essential factor influencing a wines character is the soil, climate and culture of the region exactly where the grape is grown and this is particularly crucial to single-vineyard wines who make the most of capturing the essence of a certain location of land. So whereas a French winemaker will see his wine as reflecting the character of a specific area, a New World winemaker mad about grape varieties will contemplate that soil is just the increasing medium in which the fruit grows, and that the grape assortment and hard operate in the winery are what truly counts. These days these two opposing approaches to wine labelling are moving closer together with New World producers emphasising their regionality and its characteristics, while European, even the parochial French winemakers possibly prompted by the wholesalers and the supermarkets are labelling their wines a lot more obviously. bottle labeling machine