Buying Wine and Reading the Shelf

A wine bottle tells you a lot if you know where to look. Producer and region matter more than grape variety on older-style labels — a Chablis is Chardonnay without saying so. Vintage reveals climate: a warm year delivers riper fruit and higher alcohol. Alcohol percentage — typically 11–15% — signals style: lower levels point to cooler climates and often more acidity. 'Reserva' and 'Gran Reserva' in Rioja have legal minimum ageing requirements. 'Estate bottled' or 'mis en bouteille au château' means the producer grew, vinified and bottled on site — a quality indicator.