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Wine label information for the European Union

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Learn useful information about French wine (by looking at the label) to find out what the wine is made of and what quality level it is.
Navigating a French Wine Label

This bottle of red Bordeaux is a blend of Cabernet Sauvginon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.

France labels wines by region and not grape variety. This labeling behavior works well because there are 200+ unique varieties in France and many of the wine regions blend grape varieties together. So, when you look at a label, the first thing to pay attention to (besides the producer name) is the name of the region where the wine originates. This is your best clue to determine what grapes are in the wine.

What wines does each French wine region produce?

It's pretty common for French wines not to be labeled with the grape varieties in the wine. So, it's helpful to know what major wine grape varieties are produced in each wine region of France.

Common French Wine Terms

Beyond knowing what's inside the bottle there are a myriad of other French wine terms that appear on labels. While there are several terms that apply to all French wines, some terms are used only in specific regions. Here is list of terms to know that are often found on French wine labels:

Biologique: Organically produced

Blanc de Blancs: A term for sparkling wines to denote a white sparkling wine made with 100% white grapes. (100% Chardonnay in Champagne)

Blanc de Noirs: A term for sparkling wines to denote a white sparkling wine made with 100% black grapes. (Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier in Champagne)

Brut: a term for sweetness level in sparkling wine. Brut indicates a dry style.

Cépage: The grapes used in the wine (Encépagement is the proportions of the blend).

Clos: A walled vineyard or vineyard on the site of an ancient walled vineyard. Commonly used in Burgundy.

Côtes: Wines from a slope or hillside (contiguous)-usually along a river (e.g. Côtes du Rhône "slopes of the Rhône river")

Coteaux: Wines from a grouping of slopes or hillsides (non-contiguous) (e.g. Coteaux du Layon "slopes along the Layon river")

Cru: Translates to "growth" and indicates a vineyard or group of vineyards typically recognized for quality

Cuvée: Translates to "vat" or "tank" but is used to denote a specific wine blend or batch

Demi-Sec: off-dry (lightly sweet)

Domaine: A winery estate with vineyards

Élevé en fûts de chêne: Aged in oak

Grand Cru: Translates to "Great Growth" and is used in Burgundy and Champagne to distinguish the region's best vineyards.

Grand Vin: Used in Bordeaux to indicate a winery's "first label" or best wine they produce. It's common for Bordeaux wineries to have a 2nd or 3rd label at varying price tiers.

Millésime: The vintage date. This term is commonly used in the Champagne region.

Mis en bouteille au château/domaine: Bottled at the winery

Non-filtré: An unfiltered wine

Pétillant: Lightly sparkling

Premiere Cru (1er Cru): Translates to "First Growth" and is used in Burgundy and Champagne to distinguish the region's 2nd best vineyards.

Propriétaire: Owner of winery

Supérieur: A regulatory term commonly used in Bordeaux to describe a wine with higher minimum alcohol and aging requirements than the base.

Sur Lie: A wine that is aged on lees (dead yeast particles) which are known to give a creamy/bready taste and increased body. This term is most commonly found with Muscadet of the Loire.

Vendangé à la main: Hand harvested

Vieille Vignes: Old vines

Vin Doux Naturel (VDN): A wine that is fortified during fermentation (usually a sweet dessert wine).

French Wine Classification

French wines and wine labels are controlled by a wine classification system called Appellation d'Origine Protégée or AOP This system was first developed in 1936 by Baron Pierre Le Roy who also founded the regulatory board for wine in France (called INAO ). AOP is essentially a hierarchical system of rules and regulations that determine where the wines are produced, what they are made of and their level of quality. Generally speaking, the more specific the region is, the higher the rank.

FACT: The first classification system was called AOC (Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée).

French wine has 3 primary classification tiers:

AOP (Appellation d'Origine Protégée): This means the wine came from a specific regulated region which can be a large area (such as Bordeaux) or specific area (Listrac-Médoc-within Bordeaux). Each region has its own rules for allowed grapes, growing conditions and minimum quality. In English, AOP is called PDO (Protected Designation of Origin).

IGP (Indication Geographique Protégée) or VDP (Vin de Pays): An IGP is often a larger area with slightly less regulations as AOP. You'll notice that IGP wines are often labeled with the grape varieties as well as the IGP zone. The term Vin de Pays is the Pre-EU version of IGP and you will sometimes find wines labeled with Vin de Pays such as "Vin de Pays du Val de Loire." By the way IGP is the same as PGI (Protected Geographical Indication).

Vin de France: This is the most basic regional quality labeling term for wines from France as a whole. Wines with "Vin de France" can originate from anywhere in France (or be a blend of regions). Vin de France are often labeled by grape variety.

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Understanding French Wine Labels and Terms | Wine Folly

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Learn useful information about French wine (by looking at the label) to find out what the wine is made of and what quality level it is. This bottle of red Bordeaux is a blend of Cabernet Sauvginon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. France labels wines by region and not grape variety.

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Once you know these tricks, you won't be frustrated by a restaurant wine list ever again. Here are 3 tips on how to tackle wine labels.

3 Useful Tips on Reading Wine Labels

This illustration is from Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine.

Some Wines are Labeled by Grape Variety

When you see a wine labeled with "grape" words like Cabernet Sauvignon or Albariño, then it's labeled by grape variety. There are hundreds (actually, thousands) of different wine varieties and it's possible to label a wine with more than one grape.

What Varietal Labeling Tells You

Wine labeled by variety doesn't guarantee that the wine is 100% of the listed variety. Each country has their own set of minimum requirements to label wine by variety (Surprisingly, the United States has the lowest!):

75% USA (except for Oregon which requires 90%)

80% Argentina

85% Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Portugal, New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, United Kingdom

Some Wines are Labeled by Region

(aka "vin de terroir") Wines like Bordeaux, Chablis, Chianti, Sancerre, and Rioja are labeled by region. This style of labeling is used mostly in old world wine countries like France, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Regional labeling likely came from a time when many different varieties grew together in the same vineyards and were blended together into wine.

What Regional Wines Tell You

Each wine region dictates what grapes can be used in the regional wine. So, in order to know what's inside one of these regionally labeled wines, you'll want to do a little research. For example, Chablis in France grows Chardonnay, and Chianti in Italy specializes in Sangiovese.

Some Wines are Labeled by Name

The last common style of wine labeling includes wines using a made-up or fantasy name. More often than not, named wines are unique blends invented by the wine producer. You'll also find named wines common in regions that do not allow the use of certain grapes in their regional wine (but still grow them). For example, Tuscan wines made with French-origin grapes including Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet are not allowed to be labeled as an Italian regional wine. (This is how the first Super Tuscan wines came to be!)

What Named Wines Tell You

Named wines are often blends or unusual wines that don't fit the wine laws of a particular region. In most cases, you'll find the unique details about the wine on the winery's website.

More About Wine Labels

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3 Useful Tips on Reading Wine Labels | Wine Folly

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Once you know these tricks, you won't be frustrated by a restaurant wine list ever again. Here are 3 tips on how to tackle wine labels. This illustration is from Wine Folly: The Essential Guide to Wine. When you see a wine labeled with "grape" words like Cabernet Sauvignon or Albariño, then it's labeled by grape variety.

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Article Vin - L'étiquette du vin... - Newsletter Haoui du 01 novembre 2016

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L'étiquette de vin est un morceau de papier collé sur une bouteille de vin et sur lequel sont imprimées des informations à propos du vin,...

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Confused about wine labels? Here are some tips for how to read a wine label like a pro so you can buy with confidence.