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Interpreting Labels

At first, trying to make sense of a Spanish wine label may seem to be a daunting task; but it's not really that difficult. Rather than run a course in label interpretation, let's just try and get a handle on the basic terminology.

First of all keep in mind 6 basic quality levels:

1. Vino de mesa

table wine without a geographic denomination

2. Vino joven

young wine, usually from a qualified DO region, sometimes with a bit of ageing, but not enough to be a "roble" or "crianza"

3. Roble

"roble" means oak, some regions allow this term on the label for lightly oaked wines that don't reach "crianza" standards

4. Crianza

aged 2 years, at least 6 months in oak

5. Reserva

quality wine, normally aged at least 3 years, at least 1 year in oak casks, 2 years in the bottle, made from top vintages

6. Gran Reserva

quality wine, aged at least 2 years in oak plus 3 years in the bottle, made from exceptional vintages

Other useful terms:

• Bodega = Winery
• Añejo = Aged
• Cepa = Vine or name of grape
• Cosecha, vendimia = Vintage year

  Types of wine:

• Tinto = Red wine
• Rosado = Rosé wine
• Blanco = White wine
• Cava = Sparkling wines made by champagne method
• Espumoso = Sparkling wines made outside the "cava" denomination

  Sweetness (whites, sherries and "cavas"):

• Dulce = Sweet
• Seco = Dry
• Semi-seco = Medium-dry
• Brut = Very dry

  Sherries (Jerez, Montilla, Sanlucar de Barrameda):

• Fino = Light dry sherry
• Manzanilla = Very dry sherry from Sanlucar
• Amontillado = An aged "fino"
• Palo cortado = Dark, superior grade sherry (or Montilla)
• Oloroso = Dark, full-bodied sherry
• Pedro Ximenez = A dark, sweet sherry (or Montilla)
• Cream = Very sweet sherry

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