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Demystifying Wine Labels

Have you ever stood in front of a wine shelf staring blankly at all the different labels? With terms like 'reserve', 'vintage', and 'varietal', it can be tricky to know what you're actually buying. But fear not, this post is here to demystify wine labels.

Firstly, let's talk about the term 'varietal'. This simply means the type of grape used to make the wine. For example, a 'Chardonnay' is a varietal wine made from the Chardonnay grape.

Next, let's look at 'vintage'. This refers to the year the grapes were harvested. Some wines are made from grapes harvested in a single year and are known as 'vintage wines'.

'Appellation' is another term you might come across which refers to the geographic origin of the grapes. This can give you an idea of the climate and soil conditions in which the grapes were grown.

Finally, there's the term 'reserve'. This doesn't have a specific legal definition, but generally refers to wines that have been aged longer or made with better quality grapes.

Now that we've decoded a few of the terms, let's talk about the symbols you might see on a wine label. The most common symbol is the grape vine which indicates that the wine is made from 100% of the named grape variety. The 'ABV' symbol indicates the alcohol by volume percentage of the wine. And finally, the 'organic' symbol indicates that the grapes were grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

So there you have it, the mystery of wine labels has been demystified. Armed with this knowledge, you'll be able to confidently choose the perfect bottle of wine for any occasion.

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