Wine labels

Wine labels are the important source to know more about the wine. The wine labels tell the consumers the wine type and its origin. Wine label is the only resource with which the consumer can evaluate the wine before purchasing them. Information like type of wine, country of origin, quality, alcoholic content, producer, bottler, and importer are the main things that have to be included in the wine labels.

Judging a wine by its label

Most of the wine lovers choose their wine by seeing the labels. The way of looking at the label may vary from one person to another for example the novices are attracted by the artistic labels and the snobs are insisted by the famous names in the label. Whatever it may be the wine label reveals the most important thing about the wine - The Flavor.

Required Information

European Union's wine authorities want more information that specifies the quality of wine should be printed on the label.

US law requirements on the wine labels are:

• Brand name
• Type of wine
• Bottled information
• Alcohol by volume
• Net contents 

Kinds of labels:

There are three different types of bottles. They are:

• Varietal-based
• Terroir-based
• Sheer fantasy

Wine ratings

Wine Magazines use either of these methods:

 * Ratings are based on tastings by the magazine’s editors and other qualified tasting panelists, either individually or in a group setting. Tastings are conducted blind or in accordance with accepted industry practices. Price is not a factor in assigning scores to wines. Only wines scoring 80 points or higher are rated, but wines considered flawed or uncustomary are sometimes re-tasted to confirm the intitial impressions.

* Each wine region is the sole jurisdiction of one Editor who has, after much time and research, developed an expertise in that region’s offerings. During a tasting, other editors are on hand and can offer opinions, but the final say is had by that main Editor. All tastings are conducted “blind.” and tasters are told only the general type of wine (varietal or region) and the vintage. If a wine tastes corky or flawed in a major way, or if it scores below 70, a new bottle of the same wine is tasted again. By the same token, wines that score very highly are re-tasted to confirm such favorable first impressions. 

European wines are tasted in the districts that yield them, where fresher, perfectly stored examples will be readily available. Ratings are based on how good a wine will be when it reaches its peak, regardless of how soon that will be. If barrel samples are being rated rather than finished wines, that is revealed, since a world of difference can exist between these two stages of a wine’s life.

Wine Magazines typically use a 100 -Point Scale:

95-100 — Classic, a great wine.
90-94 — Outstanding, superior character and style.
80-89 — Good to very good, wine with special qualities.
70-79 — Average, drinkable wine that may have minor flaws.
60-69 — Below average, drinkable but not recommended.
50-59 — Poor, undrinkable, not recommended.

Reached The Everest

Cooperativa Agricola Ribadouro started to export Pauliteiros wine to Nepal. The wine will reach Nepal in the end of May. The contact of representer in Nepal is ''K&K International''.

Trás-os-Montes wine region

Trás-os-Montes is a Portuguese DOC (Denominacao de Origem Controlada) title of the Transmontano region in the far north-eastern corner of Portugal.

As its name (trans meaning ''across'' and montano ''mountains'') implies, Transmontano lies on the eastern, inland side of the low mountains which separate the Douro Valley from Toro and Rueda, and thus Portugal from Spain. This geological profile influences the region's shallow granite soils, and the high-quality wines they are capable of producing. Oddly enough, however, this region's most famous wine is not a supple, rich, dry red, but a semi-sweet, lightly sparkling rose known as rosado.

The mountains also have a dramatic impact on the climate. Sheltering the region from rain blowing in from the Atlantic, the hills cast a large rain shadow over Transmontano and a wide strip of western Spain beyond. This makes the area one of Portugal's driest, and consequently Transmontano's prime viticultural areas follow the paths of the region's four main rivers: the Douro, the Sabor, the Tua and the Tamega. This in turn has helped wines made in these vineyards to be elevated from IGP (Indicacoes Geograficas Protegidas, an area classification formerly known as Vinho Regional) status to full DOC status.

Wine drinkers live longer

Drinking red wine and cooking with olive oil may help us to live longer, say scientists. Figures from the European Union show that people living in Mediterranean countries like Spain and Italy can expect to live longer on average than people in other countries. Key ingredients in both substances can significantly increase the lifespan of yeast. Since yeast and humans share many genes, scientists have speculated they may have the same effect in people. The findings provide more evidence to suggest that the Mediterranean diet may be the secret to living a long and healthy life.

Drinking up to half a glass of wine a day may boost life expectancy by five years, at least in men. Red wine consumption - roughly 1 or 2 glasses a day - to a longer, healthier life. And for years researchers have hypothesized that wine’s unique antioxidants like resveratrol were the key to the liquid’s life-extending benefits. Wine drinkers make healthier food choices than beer drinkers.

Another interesting finding is that wine buyers spent more than beer buyers, though people who bought both wine and beer spent most of all. Wine drinkers tend to be better educated and wealthier than beer drinkers, which also results in better health.

Portuguese grapes varieties

Portuguese red grapes:

Alfrocheiro Preto: main grape in the Dao, rich in color.

Aragonês: see Tinta Roriz.

Baga: main grape used for wines in Bairrada appellation, also used in Alentejo and Ribatejo. High quality grape.

Bastardo: funny named grape grown in the Douro, early ripening. Used in Dao extensively.

Castelão Frances: see "Tricadeira Preta". Called "Periquita" in Ribatejo, and "Joao do Santarem".

Encruzado: high alcoholic white grape seen frequently in the Dão.

Moreto: widely grown blender grape all over Portugal, not used in single varietal wines.

Mourisco: small plantings in the Douro.

Portuguese wines

Some of the more famous Portuguese wines include:

Port. Is a fortified wine that is blended with grape brandy and is higher in alcohol, usually between 19 and 22 percent. Port can be very sweet, sweet, semi-dry or dry and is often served as a dessert wine. Port wine is typically aged for several years, often in barrels stored in cellars.

Vinho Verde ("Green" wine). This semi-sparkling wine is called "green" not because of its color, but due to the fact that it is consumed while the wine is still young, preferably within a year or two after its release. Vinho Verde is unique to Portugal and is not produced anywhere else in the world. Vinho Verdes in the U.S. are predominantly white wines, with medium alcohol content and citrusy palates and aromas.

Portuguese wines fall into one of 3 categories, and this is usually indicated on the front label:

Table Wines (Vinho de Mesa) are cheaper wines which usually include a diverse collection of grapes grown in many different regions. They often don't list the varietals or the year the wine was produced.

Regional Wines (Vinho Regional) are certified as to the region of Portugal where the grapes were grown. There are 11 wine regions in Portugal and a numbered stamp of certification should be visible on the back label for any certified Regional Wine.

Demarcated Wines (Denominação de Origem Controlada or DOC) have the highest wine certification in Portugal. DOC zones are more specific and strictly controlled. Similar to the Italian Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) classification. A numbered stamp of certification - with the words D.O.C. and the zone - should be on the back label.