Written on 17/01/2022
Everything you need to know to understand labels!
This situation has happened to us all at least once in our lives. You have to go to a dinner party, so naturally you decide to bring a bottle of wine, but when you get to the supermarket, you don't know what to choose from the many references on offer.
We're going to teach you how to correctly decipher a Burgundy wine label, which is none other than the wine's identity card, so you can better understand what you're getting into.
To begin with, you should know that there are several compulsory indications on the bottles. First of all, the first category speaks volumes about quality and authenticity:
- The name of the wine :
This allows us to find out more about the area of production and the specifications to which the wine has been subjected. It is always associated with the AOP (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) or AOC (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) label. To find out more about these labels, click here.
- Name, company name and address :
All bottling information must appear on the label, whether it's the producer himself or a cooperative winery. The words "Mis en bouteille par" (Bottled by) or "Conditonnée par" (Conditonned by) must also appear, so that there are no secrets as to where the wine was made.
- Country of production :
If the wine is shipped abroad, you need to know the country of production, for the sake of transparency.
- Lot number :
Like all food products, wine is subject to a batch number. This makes it possible to track the production batch if there is a problem, for example. It does not always appear directly on the label, but may be visible on the capsule.
There are also other indications that tell us more about the nature of the wine.
- Capacity:
Whether in centilitres or millilitres, this information must appear on the bottle.
- Alcohol content :
This must, of course, appear on the bottle. It appears as a percentage and may be preceded by the words "alc.", "alcool acquis", or "titre alcoométrie volume acquis".
- Allergens / Sulfites :
It is important to have this mention to inform consumers who may be allergic. Milk or egg derivatives can be used for fining wines to make them brighter. These are almost always eliminated during filtration, but a few traces may remain. If these products are used, they must be mentioned.
The presence of sulphur dioxide and sulphites in concentrations of over 10 mg/L must be indicated.
- Health information:
Since October 3, 2007, a health warning has had to be affixed to wine bottles intended for pregnant women. A pictogram appears, or the following statement: "Consumption of alcoholic beverages during pregnancy, even in small quantities, can have serious consequences for the child's health".
Burgundy wines have been subject to additional regulations since 2002, when they were required to carry an additional label, namely "Vin de Bourgogne", which is totally independent of the appellation level, or "Grand vin de Bourgogne", but only for Villages, Premiers Crus and Grands Crus appellations.
On the wine bottle, medals or other awards may also appear. On the back label, some producers tell a short story about their vineyard, their production, the age of the vines, the grape variety or the climate.
So much information to help you find the wine best suited to your needs!
