How to Read and Understand a French Wine Label
The French Hotel Barge Athos who cruises along the canal du midi in southern France shares some insight on how to read and understand a French wine label...
Some tips on knowing what’s in the bottle…
When you’re browsing the wine shop shelves looking for the perfect trip down memory lane in a wine bottle, how can you possibly know whether anything on that shelf will resemble what you drank while you were onboard Athos?
You need to be able to understand the content on a french wine label. The best news is that fluent french is not an obligation in this case.
French wines carry considerable information on that sometimes-confusing label. It can show where a wine comes from, how it was vinified, and which grapes were used.
Below is a great resource writtten by Total Wine & More: a map of the Languedoc wine regions, and a diagram of what can be found and where on a typical wine label.
It shows the areas called the AOCs – or Appellation d’Origine Controlés. These colour-blocked areas on the map show the officially licensed french wine regions with grape-growing and vinification requirements needing to be met in order to carry the AOC mark of standard.
Following the map and label-guide below, you should be able to work out the (relative) prestige of the winery, the age of the wine, the vinification, the grape varietals. Voilà. How to understand a french wine label.
How to Understand a Languedoc Wine Label
(with explanations in red)
(Click image to enlarge)
(Click image to enlarge)
Thanks for the information, Athos!
Athos
About The French Hotel Barge Athos
Hotel Barge Athos on the River Orb aqueduct
Athos
- Route: Canal du Midi, between Argeliers and Marseillan
- Up to 10 guests
- Private charters and Cabin cruises
- Itineraries: Standard classic, Art / Painting, Family, Golfing, Tennis, Wine Appreciation
- Learn more: Online Brochure
Cruise Highlights:
- Tour of the medieval city of Carcassonne
- Private tour and tasting at a Minervois winery
- Organic Olive Tasting at L’Oulibo
- Cruise through the natural haven that is the “Petit Camargue”
- Tour and tasting at the Noilly Prat vermouth distillery
- Excellent towpath for walking and cycling
Covid-19 info:
- See Book Your Cruise With Confidence for more information.
- Visit Safe Cruising Protocols being undertaken by the barges.
Contact Paradise Connections Yacht Charters to book ATHOS
View Athos' online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
View Athos' online brochure
Visit our website for more info on our barges and barging: www.BargeCharters.com
