Wine - What's on the Label ?

To help you decide whether a bottle of wine is a good buy or not, here's some information that will allow you decipher the labels on French wines.

1. Quality

The best are the Appellation Contrôlée (AC or AOC) and the Vin Delimite de Qualite Superieure (VDQS) which have to meet strict production methods and tasting standards.

Next comes Vin de Pays, which are reasonably priced quality wines from a particular region.

Last comes the "cheap and cheerful" Vin de Table, where you can still find the odd gem if you look hard enough.

2. Where was it bottled ?

Check to see whether the wine has been bottled on the estate where it was grown, in their own cellars or at the Chateau (usually better quality control) or whether it was sent to the local co-operative to be bottled on behalf of the grower.

Also, check to see if the wine was aged in oak barrels to give a deeper flavour and golden colours to white wines like Chardonnay.

3. How was it picked ?

If you see "Vendange à la main" it means the grapes have been picked by hand (usually reserved for the best grapes as it takes longer and therefore costs more)

4. The foil

Look at the foil around the cork. If it has an 'R' or the word Recoltante it is classed as a Vintage wine. If it has an 'N' or a 'NR' or the words Non-Recoltante, then it is usually a standard wine like a Vin de Pays from a regional grower.

5. Other details

The grape variety, the alcoholic strength (less than 12% - normal, 12 to 13.5% - strong, over 13.5% - very strong), the year of production and the producer's name all give clues to the overall quality of the wine and therefore whether it is good value for money.