How to Read a Wine Label

When reading a wine label from California, there are 5 things to look at:

1. Name: This is the name given by the producer that could be a brand concept or reflect the place of origin.
2. Type of Wine: This could be a varietal, generic or proprietary name. Varietals have at least 75% of that grape variety.
3. Place of Origin: For a wine to have an American Viticultural Area (AVA) name on its label, a minimum of 85% of the grapes must be grown in that area.
4. Vineyard: The vineyard must have produced 95% of the grapes in order for that vineyard to be listed on the label.
5. Vintage Year: this is the year the grapes were grown.