Useless Words, Higher Prices & Deceptive Labels

 

Total Confusion

   Today, I want to talk about words or phrases that are often put on wine labels in order to try and impress customers who simply don't know any better. Now, the words or phrases that I will be talking about certainly can mean something special but there are no laws or regulations in America that says they must mean anything special. If you have ever paid attention to wine labels I am sure you have seen the words or phrases that I am about to mention and these words/phrases are mostly used in order to help create the impression or illusion that you are privileged and lucky to poses the wine you have in your hands. Wines that carry these words/phrases could be any price starting all the way from Two Buck Chuck at $3 to the Screaming Eagle, Sauvignon Blanc for $6,000, it doesn't matter. As I get deeper into this article I know that you will recognize the words/phrases that I discuss and the next time you look at a wine label, you will be much more aware of what you are actually reading so let's go ahead now and get started. By the way, this article pertains to American wines as some other countries do have laws that ensure the words/phrases used are actually relevant to the particular wine they are holding.  

"Reserve" wine

   Reserve - The first word we will look at is "reserve". I remember when I very first got into wine and I saw the word reserve on the label. Boy did I think I had something awesome in my hands and for only around $15, I had surely lucked out. So, what does the word reserve mean on a wine label? Would it surprise you to know that it legally means absolutely nothing? If you came up with that answer, count yourself in the minority because there are a lot of people who think that the word means this wine was created and put aside because it is different somehow or better than the regular wine the winery sells. Now as I said, the word can mean something special but for the most part it is just used to try and impress and/or boost the price of the wine.

   Vinted - Usually we will see that word on the back label and it will say something like "vinted by" ABC winery, Napa, Ca. To many of us that would be interpreted as saying that the grapes and even the wine itself came from a winery named ABC and that the grapes came from the Napa Valley.

"Vinted & Bottled by"

If this is what you thought you would be wrong again as vinted simply means that another company made the wine. As an example if you are drinking a Stags Leap wine and it says vinted by on the back label it means that the Stags Leap winery probably had nothing to do with the actual making of the wine, it is simply being sold under their prestigious name and therefore the price of the wine just jumped up. 

   Bottled By - This is a phrase you will also see on the back label and it very simply means that the winery on the label did not make the wine if it did it would say "produced by" instead. Bottled by simply means that the company named just put the wine in the bottle, they bottled it :)

   Old Vine - When we hear the words "old vine" we are usually enjoying a Zinfandel. When we hold that bottle in our hands we wonder if perhaps our older children were born after the vine was planted. We have visions of the grape vine(s) being ten or perhaps even twenty years old or even older. This is done because for some reason people think that the older the vine, the better the wine and that is not necessarily true.

Once again there is no law or regulation that dictates the phrase has to mean anything. The vines for your wine could very well be from an old vine but it could also be from a three year old vine just as well and neither of these reasons guarantee a good wine.

   Cellared By - This phrase means what it says, some company held the bottles and was responsible for keeping the bottles in a temperature and humidity controlled environment and away from a lot of light as well. The building that cellared (held/stored) the wine might have had nothing to do with making the wine unless of course both the winery name and the cellaring company are the same but the label will specity this.

"Cellared By"

   French Oak - Here is a phrase that you usually won't see on the label but you will see on a Tech Sheet. So you buy an inexpensive Cabernet Sauvignon and you find out that the wine sat in 100% French Oak for one (1) year. That sounds really impressive for a wine you paid $10 for huh? What the winery purposefully isn't telling you on that Tech Sheet is that the French Oak is now used or, old. What a winery will say rather than use the words "old" or "used" is that the French Oak is "neutral" and they also won't tell you that since the oak is neutral it no longer imparts any of that oak flavor onto the wine. Once a French Oak wine barrel is used consistently for three to four years it no longer imparts any flavor onto the wine so basically it is useless for that purpose and the price for these barrels drop considerably as well. There are other uses such as toning down tannin's to soften a wine but not for that oak taste, it sure sounds impressive though.
  
   Well folks, I sure hope this article has enlightened you and made you a more aware wine consumer. Knowing what you are buying is pretty important to your satisfaction and that goes for any product.

"French Oak"

While the wine industry likes to confuse you or use fancy word to trick you into thinking you have something more than what you really have, you are now aware and can therefore be more selective on the wines you choose. Let the uninitiated pay more for an entry level, basic wine, you are going to be spending your money on good, mid-tier wine instead. There is a question that I know you are asking yourself, or perhaps even out loud as you read this article and that question is, "how do I know if the words mean anything on a particular bottle?" That is a great question and here is my answer. While you can't always be sure of the meanings of the above words, you have to ask yourself self, this wine cost $5 and since the winery doesn't make a less expensive wine, how can it be ar "reserve?" The obvious answer is, it can't and it isn't. I myself will research wines right there in the store in order to see if the winery is justified in using the words they use. It only really takes a minute to do the research and if you are really curious, stop taking selfies for a second and do it. 

P.S - As I finish this article I want to add that I in no way advocating for any new laws in this country as I believe we have enough laws on the books as it is.

                                                                                                                                     The Desert Wine Guy

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