If you looked at a wall full of wine bottles, would you be able to distinguish one from the other? It's not always easy. They are all so different. Yet once you know what to look for it becomes very easy.

A few things to look for on a wine bottle:

The wine name. I know...it sounds obvious. But its important, and its not always easy to understand. Wine names are derived in different ways depending on where they are produced and to whom they are being marketed. Some are named after the grape with which they were produced, some are named after the region which produced them, and some are not named after either. More info on wine names.

The wine bottle label holds all the information you need to make an informed choice. It should tell you where it is produced, the vintage, and more. More info on wine bottle labels.

The wine classification system can be a sign of the wine's quality. Most wine making regions have adopted classification systems that can help you determine the quality of wines. Though they vary by country, the idea is the same for each. The best wines receive the highest rankings, while lesser rankings are given to wines of lesser quality.

The wine bottle shape is not as important as it once was. For example, the presence of a punt on the bottom of a bottle of wine used to indicate a higher quality wine. But today, that is no longer the case.

Reading Wine Bottle Labels

You need to be able to understand all of the information on wine bottle labels in order to distinguish one bottle from another, and to know what it is that you are drinking.

Pick up a bottle of wine and take a look at the label. Some of the things you can expect to see include:

Now you should be confident enough to walk into the liquor store and read any wine bottle labels for yourself!