How To Read An American Wine Label

Take the wine labeling quiz below to see how much you know about wine laws in the USA!

1. By law, what is the minimum percentage of this wine that must be from the Chardonnay grape? (There is one exception to this rule).
A. 100%
B. 95%
C. 85%
D. 75%
E. 50%

2. By law, what is the minimum percentage of the grapes that must be from Santa Barbara County?
A. 100%
B. 95%
C. 85%
D. 75%
E. 50%

3. By law, what is the minimum  percentage of the grapes that must come from Klipsum Vineyard?
A. 100%
B. 95%
C. 85%
D. 75%
E. 50%

 4. By law, what is the minimum percentage of the grapes that must be from the 2006 vintage (as named on the label--it's a bit hard to read)?
A. 100%
B. 95%
C. 85%
D. 75%
E. 50%

 5. Can you automatically assume that a wine labeled simply "red wine" instead of a single varietal is a) not as good and b) that the grapes were not sourced from quality vineyards?
A. Yes on both
B. No on both
C. Yes on a), no on b)
D. No on a), yes on b)






Wine law quiz answers:
1. Answer: D. 75%
A varietal labeling, for example "Chardonnay" or "Cabernet Sauvignon" means the wine must contain at least 75% of the varietal, except in Oregon where the percentage is 90% for all wines except Cabernet Sauvignon. Some consumers shy away from blends, thinking that single varietal wines are somehow superior. Though there are individual 100% varietal wines that are superior, one can't make such a vast generalization. Blending can yield better results, for example, Cabernet Sauvignon alone can be quite tannic. The tannins contribute to the aging potential of a wine, but excess tannins can be astringent and harsh. So, there is a pragmatic reason that the French traditionally blended Cab with Merlot, as in the Bordeaux region, because the latter adds rich fruit and sweetness to round out the often brash and angular Cabernet Sauvignon. In any event, some "single varietal consumers" don't realize that they may be drinking a blend--up to 25% of the wine they are drinking could be a grape other than the labeled varietal. Only when the label says "100%" of a varietal can you be guaranteed there are no other grapes added. As a side note, wine made from any Vitis labrusca variety (exclusive of hybrids) may be labeled with the variety name with only 51% Vitis labrusca. These are native American grapes. Nearly all other wine grapes worldwide are of the Vitis vinifera species.

2. Answer: D 75%
If a wine is labeled by county, at least 75% of the grapes must come from that county. If a wine is label by AVA, for example, Howell Mountain, at least 85% of the grapes must come from the labeled AVA, unless the wine is from Washington or Oregon which require 100%.

Some other relevant laws: If the wine is labeled by state, at least 75% must be from that state, except for in California, Oregon and Washington where 100% of the grapes must be from that state or Texas which requires the state to be the source of at least 85% of the grapes So, interestingly, if one label says "California Pinot Noir"  then 100% of the grapes are from California. If another says only "Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir" then conceivably 25% could come from out of state.

3. Answer: B 95%
If the wine is labeled with a specific vineyard, at least 95% of the grapes came from that vineyard.

4. Answer: B 95%
If a vintage appears on a label, at least 95% of the grapes must be from this label.

5. Answer: B
Absolutely not! The "Lady In Red" was sourced from several top vineyards in Yakima and Columbia Valleys including the Kestrel estate vineyards which have some of the oldest (means more flavorful grapes) vines in the state of Washington. Another example is the 2007 Pahlmeyer Napa Valley Proprietary Red which sells for over $100 and received a 95 point rating from Wine Spectator.

What Your Score Means!
5 correct: Congratulations! You get the honorary title of Wine Law Expert!
4 correct: Still excellent! You are knighted Lord or Lady Of The Grape!
3-1 correct: You have obviously been studying--accept your Diploma Of Wine Studies!
0 correct: You are firmly in the majority of Americans. Thanks for taking my quiz!

Note: AVA (American Viticultural Areas) were instigated beginning in 1978 under the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. If you have a head for minutiae, you can read the entire list of labeling laws here. Our AVA system is not analogous to the French system of AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée) whicg strictly controls the geographic boundaries of the vineyards, the allowable wine grape varietals, the maximum yield per acre (lower yield equals more extracted flavor), how the vines can be pruned, the type of trellis allowed, the use of irrigation, the minimum (and sometimes maximum) percentage of alcohol, the practice of specific winemaking techniques (like chapitalization--addition of sugar), the level of quality determined through tasting and chemical analysis, and the information allowed to be printed on the wine label. Check back for a future post on the AOC.