How to Read a Wine Label: AOC, DOC, Reserva, Brut

Where the wine is from

The origin line is the most important one: it names the place and, in Europe, the rules the wine had to follow.

Country of origin

The country where the grapes were grown and the wine was made, usually printed as "Product of ..." or "Wine of ...".

🍷 Protected designation of origin (Region and appellation)

An appellation is a legally defined place name, such as Chablis or Rioja. It guarantees that the grapes come from that area and that local rules were followed.

🏷️ Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC / AOP)

The French and general name for a "protected designation of origin". Strict rules cover the area, grape varieties, yields and methods; AOC is the older French term, AOP the current EU one.

🏷️ Protected designation of origin (wine) (PDO)

Protected Designation of Origin: the EU's strictest category. The grapes must come entirely from the named area and the wine must follow its written rules.

🏷️ Protected geographical indication (wine) (PGI / IGP)

Protected Geographical Indication: a wider region and looser rules than PDO, though at least 85% of the grapes must come from that area. In France it is often called IGP or Vin de Pays.

🏷️ DOC (Italy) (DOC)

Italy's "controlled designation of origin", equal to a PDO.

🏷️ DOCG

Italy's top level; the extra "G" means "guaranteed". The wines are tasted and approved by a panel before bottling.

🏷️ IGT

Italy's version of PGI: wine from a wider region with freer rules, which can still be excellent.

🏷️ DO (Spain) (DO)

Spain's "Denominación de Origen", equal to a PDO.

🏷️ DOCa / DOQ (DOCa)

Spain's higher tier ("Calificada"), used by only two regions: Rioja and Priorat.

🏷️ Wine without geographical indication

The basic EU category, once called "table wine". It has no protected place name and may be blended from different regions.

🍷 Varietal wine (Grape variety)

A single grape such as Merlot may be named if at least 85% of the wine comes from it (EU rule). Blends list the grapes or just describe the style.

Germany and Austria: ripeness grades

German-speaking labels grade wine by how ripe the grapes were at harvest. Riper grapes carry more natural sugar, but the finished wine can still be dry.

🏷️ Qualitätswein

"Quality wine" from a named region, the standard quality tier in Germany and Austria.

🏷️ Prädikatswein

The top German tier: made without added sugar and graded by the ripeness of the grapes at harvest, in the steps below.

🏷️ Kabinett

The lightest step: fully ripe grapes, usually a light, fresh wine with modest alcohol.

🏷️ Spätlese

"Late harvest": riper grapes picked later, with more flavour. It can be dry or lightly sweet.

🏷️ Auslese

"Selected harvest": very ripe bunches picked selectively, giving fuller and often sweet wines.

🏷️ Beerenauslese (Beerenauslese (BA))

Individually selected overripe berries, often touched by noble rot. Rare, rich and sweet.

🏷️ Trockenbeerenauslese (Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA))

Berries shrivelled to raisins by noble rot on the vine. Very rare and intensely sweet.

🏷️ Eiswein

"Ice wine": grapes frozen on the vine at -7 °C or colder and pressed while frozen. Concentrated and sweet.

Ageing words

These words, mostly Spanish and Italian, tell you how long a wine matured before release. Exact times differ by region, so treat the figures as typical for red wines.

🏷️ Roble

Spanish: a short stay in oak, usually a few months, for a fresh, lightly oaked style.

🏷️ Crianza

Spanish: usually at least 2 years of ageing in total, with 6 to 12 months of it in oak barrels.

🏷️ Reserva (Spain) (Reserva)

Spanish: usually at least 3 years of ageing, with at least 1 year in oak.

🏷️ Gran Reserva

Spanish: usually at least 5 years of ageing, with at least 18 months in oak (24 in Rioja). Made only in good years.

🏷️ Riserva

Italian: a wine aged longer than the standard version. The minimum is set by each denomination, often 2 years or more.

🏷️ Superiore

Italian: usually a little more alcohol and sometimes longer ageing than the basic wine of the same denomination.

Sparkling wine: how sweet?

On sparkling wine, sweetness comes from the dosage, a little sweet liquid added just before the final cork. It is counted in grams of sugar per litre (g/L). Confusingly, "extra dry" is sweeter than "brut".

🍷 Brut nature

0 to 3 g/L. No sugar added at all, the driest style. Also called "pas dosé" or "zero dosage".

🍷 Extra brut

0 to 6 g/L. Very dry.

🍷 Brut

Up to 12 g/L. The most common style; tastes dry.

🍷 Extra dry

12 to 17 g/L. Slightly sweet, softer than brut.

🍷 Sec

17 to 32 g/L. "Dry" in French, but it tastes medium-sweet.

🍷 Demi-sec

32 to 50 g/L. Clearly sweet; good with desserts.

🍷 Doux

Over 50 g/L. Very sweet.

Still wine: dry, sweet and in between

Sweetness is the sugar left in the wine after fermentation. These terms are rough guides, because acidity also changes how sweet a wine tastes.

🍷 Residual sugar

Natural grape sugar that the yeast did not turn into alcohol, measured in g/L. It decides the sweetness class.

🍷 Dry wine (Dry)

Up to about 4 g/L of sugar (up to 9 if the acidity is high). It does not taste sweet.

🍷 Medium-dry wine (Off-dry)

About 4 to 12 g/L. A hint of sweetness; also called "medium dry".

🍷 Medium-sweet wine (Medium-sweet)

About 12 to 45 g/L. Clearly sweet but not dessert-like.

🍷 Sweet wine (Sweet)

Over 45 g/L. A dessert wine.

🍷 Trocken

German for "dry". It follows the same limits as dry, up to 9 g/L when the acidity is high.

🍷 Halbtrocken

German for "half-dry": up to 12 g/L of sugar (18 if the acidity is high).

Other things on the label

🌿 Vintage

The year the grapes were harvested, not the year of bottling. In the EU at least 85% of the grapes must come from that year. "NV" means a blend of several years.

🍷 Alcohol in wine (Alcohol by volume)

The share of pure alcohol, shown as "% vol". The label may differ from the real figure by up to 0.5 points. Most table wines are about 11 to 14%.

🍷 Sulphites (SO2) (Contains sulphites)

Sulphur dioxide is a common preservative and must be declared above 10 mg per litre. Yeast also makes small amounts naturally, so almost all wine has some.

🍷 Allergen labelling (contains sulphites) (Allergens)

In the EU, ingredients that can cause allergies must be shown, usually in bold or capitals. For wine these are mainly sulphites, egg and milk.

🍷 Egg white fining (Egg)

Egg white or lysozyme (made from egg) is sometimes used to clarify wine. If traces may remain, the label says "egg", which matters to people with an egg allergy and to vegans.

🍷 Casein (fining agent) (Milk)

Casein or other milk products can also be used for clarifying. If traces may remain, the label says "milk" or "casein".

🍷 Wine ingredient list (EU 2023) (Ingredients and nutrition)

EU wines bottled since December 2023 must show the energy value (calories) on the label, with the ingredient list often given through a QR code.

🍷 Back label (Bottler)

"Bottled by ..." or "Mis en bouteille par ..." gives the name and place, often on the back label. "Estate bottled" means it was bottled by the producer at its own estate.

🍷 Organic wine (Organic logo)

The EU organic logo, a green leaf made of stars, means the grapes and the wine follow EU organic rules and have been checked by a certifier.

🍷 Health warning label (Health warnings)

Many countries require a pregnancy pictogram or a "drink responsibly" note. Wine is for adults only, and the legal age depends on the country.

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