1 of the most baffling subjects that confronts the budding wine enthusiast is the deciphering of the myriad of data contained on the bottle label, particularly that contained on wine bottles from European nations. As soon as the simple rules are taken on board it becomes a lot easier. Whereas most New Planet nations put facts of the grape varieties on the front label, a lot of European regions do not, and as this is the most fundamental of data for taste purposes why is this the case?
European winemakers tend to put much more emphasis on the place of origin. For instance, a Bordeaux red generally wont say Cabernet or Merlot on the front label, but rather have the name of the chateau exactly where it was made, and generally the portion of Bordeaux exactly where it was produced, for example Haut-Medoc. Similarly a Sancerre is completely Sauvignon Blanc, but an in depth evaluation of the label will leave you none the wiser. For the French the important element is that the wine comes from Sancerre in the Loire valley and for them it is inbred understanding 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, whilst in Italy most Tuscan reds have no information on the Sangiovese grape that is most widely used in these wines. Provided this mish-mash of details it is no wonder that a lot of 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 believe the most crucial aspect influencing a wines character is the soil, climate and culture of the location where the grape is grown and this is particularly critical to single-vineyard wines who make the most of capturing the essence of a specific location of land. So whereas a French winemaker will see his wine as reflecting the character of a certain region, a New Planet winemaker mad about grape varieties will take into account that soil is just the expanding medium in which the fruit grows, and that the grape assortment and challenging function in the winery are what truly counts. Right now these two opposing approaches to wine labelling are moving closer together with New Planet 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 more obviously.
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