🍷 Wine label
The sticker on a bottle: who made it, where from, the year and strength.
A wine label is the sticker on a wine bottle. It states who made the wine, where it comes from, which year it is and how much alcohol it contains. This information helps the buyer understand what he or she is getting.
In the European Union the label must state the product category (for example, wine), the protected designation of origin or geographical indication if there is one, the alcoholic strength, the provenance and the bottler. The vintage and the grape variety are optional: they may be shown if at least 85% of the grapes come from that year or that variety. Allergens such as sulphites must be stated too, and wines made from 8 December 2023 must also give the ingredients and nutrition information; these may be put online behind a link or QR code, but the energy value stays on the label. Other countries add warnings: in the United States every label carries a government warning that women should not drink alcohol during pregnancy.
On the back of the bottle there is sometimes a back label: it gives a description of the taste, serving tips and extra details. Labels on wine and on milk play a similar role: they show the contents and the shelf life.
Interestingly, similar inscriptions were made in ancient Egypt: amphorae from Tutankhamun's tomb noted the year, the winemaker and the place where the grapes were grown.
How it connects to Wine
🍷 Wine label → kind of → 🍷 Wine bottle ← packed in ← 🍷 Wine
Links
- Previous step
- 🌿 Vintage, 🍷 Alcohol in wine, 🍷 Wine jars of Tutankhamun
- Next step
- 🏷️ Vintage, 🍷 Allergen labelling (contains sulphites)
- What is packed
- 🍓 Geist, 🍸 Distilled gin, 🥃 Fruit spirit, 🍸 London gin, 🍏 Cider spirit and perry spirit, 🍸 Juniper-flavoured spirit drink, 🥃 Anis, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Rum, 🥃 Straight bourbon whiskey
and 142 more
🥃 Single Grain Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Rhum agricole, 🥃 Straight rye whiskey, 🥃 Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Cachaça, 🥃 Corn whiskey, 🥃 Canadian whisky, 🌵 Tequila, 🌵 Mezcal, 🥃 American single malt whisky, 🥃 Grappa, 🥃 Slivovitz (šljivovica), 🍸 Ukrainian horilka, 🥃 Poire Williams (Williams pear spirit), 🥃 Kirsch (Kirschwasser), 🥃 Ouzo, 🥃 Mirabelle (mirabelle plum spirit), 🥃 Pálinka, 🥃 Hors d'âge cognac, 🥃 Sloe gin, 🍸 Vodka, 🥃 Japanese whisky, 🥃 Egg liqueur (advocaat), 🥃 Nocino, 🥔 Potato vodka, 🍸 Polish vodka (Polska Wódka), 🥃 Genever, 🥃 Blue agave, 🥃 English Whisky, 🥃 Irish Cream, 🍸 Flavoured vodka, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky, 🥃 Amaretto, 🥃 Single Malt Welsh Whisky, 🥃 Maraschino, 🥃 Norwegian aquavit (Norsk Akevitt), 🥃 Pisco (Chile), 🥃 Tsipouro, 🥃 Armagnac, 🥃 Pisco, 🥃 Cuban rum (Cuba), 🥃 Jamaica Rum, 🥃 Awamori, 🥃 Soju, 🥃 Arak, 🥃 Mezcal artesanal and ancestral, 🥃 Tequila classes, 🥃 Sri Lankan arrack, 🥃 Spiced rum, 🥃 Mezcal with worm (con gusano), 🥃 Shochu, 🥃 Mastika, 🥃 Demerara Rum, 🥃 Tequila 100% agave (100% de agave), 🥃 Cask Strength Whisky, 🥃 Feni, 🥃 Blended Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Sotol, 🥃 Steinhäger, 🥃 Old Tom Gin, 🥃 Marc champenois, 🥃 Marc de Bourgogne, 🥃 Marc des Côtes-du-Rhône, 🥃 Marc d'Alsace Gewurztraminer, 🥃 Marc de Provence, 🥃 Aguardente Bagaceira Alentejo, 🥃 Marc du Bugey, 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Douro, 🥃 Marc d'Auvergne, 🥃 Marc de Savoie, 🥃 Marc du Jura, 🥃 Aguardente Bagaceira Bairrada, 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho da Região dos Vinhos Verdes, 🥃 Sárrét blackthorn pálinka (Sárréti kökénypálinka), 🥃 Tsipouro of Thessaly, 🥃 Nagykörű sweet cherry pálinka (Nagykörűi cseresznyepálinka), 🥃 Marc du Languedoc, 🥃 Südtiroler Grappa, 🥃 Grappa piemontese, 🥃 Békés plum pálinka (Békési Szilvapálinka), 🥃 Aguardente Bagaceira da Região dos Vinhos Verdes, 🥃 Grappa della Valle d'Aosta, 🥃 Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Highland whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Alentejo, 🥃 Vas wild pear pálinka (Vasi vadkörte pálinka), 🥃 Homokhátság peach pálinka (Homokháti őszibarack pálinka), 🥃 Tsipouro of Macedonia, 🥃 Grappa siciliana, 🥃 Szatmár plum pálinka (Szatmári Szilvapálinka), 🥃 Orujo de Galicia, 🥃 Campbeltown whisky, 🥃 Lowland whisky, 🥃 Whisky d’Alsace (Alsace whisky), 🥃 Grappa di Barolo, 🥃 Medronho do Algarve, 🥃 Madaras quince pálinka (Madarasi birspálinka), 🥃 Grappa trentina, 🥃 Tsikoudia of Crete, 🥃 Borzag pálinka (Borzag pálinka), 🥃 Nagykunság plum pálinka (Nagykunsági szilvapálinka), 🥃 Újfehértó sour cherry pálinka (Újfehértói meggypálinka), 🥃 Grappa friulana, 🥃 Speyside whisky, 🥃 Islay whisky, 🥃 Tsipouro of Tyrnavos, 🥃 Breton whisky (Whisky de Bretagne), 🥃 Nagykunság quince pálinka (Nagykunsági birspálinka), 🥃 Aguardente de Vinho Ribatejo, 🥃 Grappa veneta, 🥃 Grappa lombarda, 🥃 Weinbrand, 🥃 Divin, 🥃 Rakı, 🥃 Pomace brandy, 🥃 Chacha, 🥃 Zivania, 🥃 Törkölypálinka, 🥃 Bombay Sapphire, 🥃 Tanqueray, 🥃 Bombay Bramble, 🥃 Bombay Dry Gin, 🥃 Bombay Sapphire East, 🥃 Bombay Sapphire Gin, 🥃 Gin de Mahón, 🥃 Aguardente Bagaceira Alentejana, 🥃 Aguardente Vínica Bairrada, 🥃 Aguardente Vínica Lisboa, 🥃 Anís Paloma Monforte del Cid, 🥃 Aperitivo Café de Alcoy, 🥃 Arak Bali, 🥃 Breton cider brandy (Eau-de-vie de cidre de Bretagne), 🥃 Maine cider brandy (Eau-de-vie de cidre du Maine), 🥃 Valais pear brandy (Eau-de-vie de poire du Valais), 🥃 Marne wine spirit (Eau-de-vie de vin de la Marne), 🥃 Geographical indication (GI) of spirit drinks, 🥃 Mirabelle d'Alsace, 🥃 Mirabelle de Lorraine, 🥃 Mirto di Sardegna, 🥃 Tequila joven - Images and sayings
- 🥃 Absinthe de Pontarlier, 🥃 Absinthe du Val-de-Travers
- Part of
- 🍷 Wine bottle
Frequently asked questions
What is written on a wine label?
In the EU: the product category, alcoholic strength, provenance, bottler and allergens; the vintage and grape variety are optional.
What is a back label?
An additional label on the back of the bottle with a description of the wine and tips.
Were labels used in ancient times?
Yes, amphorae from Tutankhamun's tomb carried inscriptions with the year, place and winemaker.
What to read next
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol. 'Single malt' means malted barley and one distillery.
- 🥃 Scotch Whisky — Scotch whisky is whisky distilled and matured in Scotland from water and malted barley (plus whole grains of other cereals), at least 3 years in oak, bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more. EU-protected since 1989.
- 🥃 Rum — A distillate of sugar-cane molasses, syrup or juice: in the EU at least 37.5% ABV, no flavourings or added alcohol, up to 20 g/l of sugar; in the US bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more.
- 🥃 Grappa — Italian grape pomace spirit with an EU geographical indication: at least 37.5% ABV (75 proof in US terms). “Invecchiata” means 12+ months in wood, “riserva” 18+.
- 🥃 Maraschino — Colourless liqueur from marasca cherry distillate: in the EU at least 24% vol. and 250 g/l of sugar, no colouring; "Zadarski maraschino" GI (Croatia).
Similar
🍷 Glass · 🍷 Punt (bottle) · 🍷 Bordeaux bottle · 🍷 Burgundy bottle · 🍷 Bocksbeutel · 🍷 Fiasco (bottle)
What it includes
Sources
- Wikidata Q1420576
- Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, Article 119: compulsory particulars on wine labels
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, Article 41 (allergens: sulphites)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, Article 49 (vintage year, 85 %)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, Article 50 (wine grape variety, 85 %)
- Commission Notice C/2023/1190: Q&A on wine labelling, ingredient listing and nutrition declaration
- 27 CFR 16.21: mandatory health warning on alcoholic beverage labels (eCFR)
- Guasch-Jané M. R. et al. First evidence of white wine in ancient Egypt from Tutankhamun's tomb. Journal of Archaeological Science 33 (2006)