Producer and wine name
The producer is the winery. Some wines also carry a proprietary name, such as a vineyard name or a blend name. In the Craft & Cork Guide, each wine’s Selection field holds the wine name and the Producer field holds the winery.
Grape variety
In the U.S., a wine labeled with a single grape name, like Cabernet Franc, generally must contain at least 75 percent of that grape (some states require more). Blends may list grapes or use a name like “Red blend.”
Vintage and NV
The vintage is the year the grapes were harvested. Vintage matters because weather changes year to year. Wines without a vintage are labeled NV (non-vintage) or sometimes MV (multi-vintage), and blend wine from several years for a consistent style. Many sparkling wines are NV. In the Guide, the vintage is always shown separately from any Crown award year.
Appellation and AVA
The appellation tells you where the grapes were grown: a state, county or American Viticultural Area such as the Willamette Valley or Texas High Plains. Federal rules generally require 85 percent of grapes from a named AVA. See our guide to where wine is made versus where grapes grow.
Alcohol by volume
Alcohol is a useful clue to body. Wines around 11 to 12.5 percent tend to feel lighter; wines at 14 percent and above usually feel fuller and warmer. U.S. rules allow some tolerance between the stated and actual alcohol for table wines.
Words that sound official but are not
“Reserve,” “old vine” and “special selection” are not legally defined in the U.S. Many producers use them meaningfully, for example to mark a smaller, longer-aged bottling, but the meaning is set by the winery. “Estate bottled,” by contrast, is regulated.
Questions people ask
Is an older vintage always better?
No. Most wines are made to be enjoyed within a few years. Some reds and sweet wines improve with age; many whites and rosés are best young.
What does “contains sulfites” mean?
Sulfites occur naturally in fermentation and are often added in small amounts to protect wine. U.S. labels must state when a wine contains them above a small threshold.
Why does the Guide say “confirm current vintage”?
Producers release new vintages regularly. When our reference is an earlier release, the Guide says so, so you can check what is on the shelf.