The Four V's of Wine Labels

Today we are going to just touch on basics. These four V's can get confusing when you start talking about old world wines. Each country almost has it's own way of doing it. HOWEVER; with these basics you can go into the store and have some idea of what you are about to drink and whether or not you will like it. The first label example we are going into is La Cana.
* (magical pairing-La Cana drinks like a more sophisticated Riesling so pair it with linguine in a butter sauce with fresh parm on top!)

The four V's are vintage, vintner, vineyard location and variety/varietal. While starting out you are going to look at varietal most. This tells you the grape involved in your delightful beverage. Vintage will be another one you may look at. This tells you the year it was made. When drinking a daily casual wine you would just want to be drinking it within 2-3 years (this doesn't involve aged expensive wines). The vintner is the people who made it. The is esentially the "brand name". This you may confuse with vineyard. Vineyard is actually the growing location.

The Four V's: La Cana

Varietal - Albarino

Vintage - 2009

Vintner- Not so clear- may be on the back of bottle - Bodegas makes it so it seems

Vineyard - Not so clear either - with this you do know that albarino is a spanish grape depending on where in spain (cool or warm climate) that will affect your grape. Rias Baixas a location near the atlantic which is said to be a very "celtic" area of spain happens to be where this grape called home.

What you can learn from this label, after some practice and web searching, is that a white grape Albarino from Spain in it's prime is located within this bottle. You will also know, from further knowledge and practice, is that the growing area produces acidic wines that are sweet and lush. Making this wine great for pairing!!!!! Ready for the next label?

This label is from Susan Fields Pinot Noir. This is an American wine and it's a wonderful treat to get if you can find it. This wine flat out is great for sipping. Try it with some cheese if you want but it's a beautfully balance Pinot Noir. Now that i'm done my random but well earned praises we'll get to the label.

Varietal - Pinot Noir
Vintage - 2007 ( a little too old to drink maybe but this was the picture I could find)
Vintner - This one is obvious, Susan Fields is the vintner and not the name of the wine
Vineyard - Also wonderfully clear, it's in Santa Barbara County. If you research this area you will learn the growing region and what it does to the grapes. Again the Vineyard location knowledge will come with practice, especially when you notice a region that doesn't stear you wrong.


Another place to look to find out more is the sites of the vintner/vineyard itself. This comes with a lot of history and stories. This is of course after you've gotten a bottle home. Feel free to ask me any questions you have or if you have a bottle and want to know more about the growing region involved. Are you ready for the weekend?! We are well on our way to discovering a wonderful bottle to enjoy and make memories with this weekend!!!!!!

Beth & Jake