There are basically three kinds of labels: varietal - based, terroir-based and sheer fantasy. The information they offer - much of it required by law - overlaps to a large extent, but each one reflects a different approach to winemaking, each kind of label gives different clues to the wine inside the bottle, but all labels include a few basics.

The front label would normally carry the quality classification, region of origin, alcohol content, year of vintage (in the year the wines are harvested), classification, grape variety, name and address of the producer (or bottler), size or capacity of the bottle, style of wine and the country of origin.

Other information, such as a brief history of the winery, suggestions on the best food to accompany the wine and advice on when to drink the wine, are carried on the back label.

Reading a wine label can be quite intimidating. Most New World wine labels are relatively easy to read. For example in the United States, Australia, and Argentina (to take three examples), most wines are called by the grape variety they contain. These labels should also contain at least a minimum of information about where the grapes were grown. This geographical identification is called the wine's appellation: Napa Valley and Mendoza are all examples of appellations. If the name of a specific vineyard is also provided, then the wine is considered a vineyard-designated wine.

In Europe, the situation is more complicated. French and Italian growers have traditionally labeled wines by geographic origin rather than by grape variety.

Every wine is a product of its history and terroir - the combination of soil and climate that makes a wine unique. Thus to standardize things too much would deny the richness that makes wine so fascinating.

Deciphering labels is part of the fun of learning about wine. The more information you have, the better you'll be able to appreciate the differences between grape varieties, between regions, and between wine makers' personal styles.