[...]Back label watch: “handcrafted” | Dr Vino's wine blog[...]…

So a question to you, for the sake of discussion: if handcrafted means “natural” (and it may well not), then why don’t those producers push for mandatory ingredient labeling? They would have nothing to put on the back label but “grapes and sulfur.” But that’s not the case for everyone. It would certainly be a step toward moving back labels away from cliches.

The wine cliches are not only limited to handcrafted – here are a few more – artisan – small production – boutique – family – authentic – sure your readers will pick up the ones I missed.

I am in favor of disclosing the ingredients & cases produced on the back label – most consumers would be surprised and appalled to see a list of additives that read like the back of a twinkie package.

Great consumer article several years ago in LA Times about wine additives – down right scary.

So yes, if you are lobbying for more disclosure about what goes into the bottle – I am with you.

I also think it would be a good discussion for those members in groups like Family Wine Makers in California to share what these potential cliche words mean to them.

I also believe these words to be honorable and justified in use – just no way to know without lots of research.

So a question to you, for the sake of discussion: if handcrafted means “natural” (and it may well not), then why don’t those producers push for mandatory ingredient labeling? They would have nothing to put on the back label but “grapes and sulfur.” But that’s not the case for everyone. It would certainly be a step toward moving back labels away from cliches.

And to all: don’t forget to see our broader discussion of back labels.

In the case of wines that contain more than 14% alc by volume, 1% point of wiggle room is allowed. So if a wine has 14.9% on the label, the actual alcohol content can be anywhere between 14 and 15.9%. That is a big difference and wineries tend to understate their alcohol content.

The stated percentage must be within 0.5% of the actual in the case of exported wine.

Interesting about alc%. How/why are they fudged? Why especially in pinots?

I admit I don’t know much about this, but I’ve had a few “oh, wow, that’s good!” moments drinking high-alc% Italian reds. It seems to have an impact on the style of the wine.

As I posted in the comments of the other “back label” post, I shouldn’t say “tasting notes” or “pairing notes” – poor choice of phrases on my part. But I do want “style” notes and notes that suggest how the wine might be enjoyed.

Think about me browsing alone through a shop looking for wine to serve tonight and for the rest of the week. What info do I want the moment I pick up a bottle to look at?

Anyway I think there should be SOME accounting for taste!

Most of the other information people put on label is pretty meaningless. There are plenty of wines out there with wonderful stories on the label but the fact of the matter is that thee wines are made of plonk purchased from the bulk market. Mostly, this info is geared toward trying to get a sale from a casual consumer where a cheap thrill and a nice story wins. There is nothing wrong with that, but talk is cheap.

I don’t know, hand-crafted doesn’t mean anything to me on a wine. Anyone can use the phrase.

Maybe you could be more specific – put stuff on your bottles that the big producers can’t put without getting called out. Equipment used, names of the individuals who picked the grapes, etc.

“My dog Ralf and I picked the grapes between 3am and 9am Sunday morning 9/6/09. It was cold, but we beat the rain (just!). 85% of grapes were mature, and we chose the best 50% of our harvest for this wine. After poached eggs and Alpo for breakfast, we put on our boots and mashed the grapes. Ralf slept in the fermentation room for the next 8 days. I filtered the wine into 3 hand-crafted, lightly used French oak barrels (recently acquired from a neighbor). No pumps were used. Ralf moved his bed to the barrel room where the wine aged for the next 5 months. (Ralf’s bed is a half-barrel with a pillow inside given to him by the man who purchased our very first case of wine seven years ago. Thanks, Bob!)”

To answer the question, though, here’s what I *need* to see on a label, the more expensive the wine the more of these I want to see:

1) Alcohol content and grapes used
2) Pairing notes
3) Tasting notes
4) Grape sources (vineyards, locations, etc)
5) Future drinkability prediction

With that info, I can pick a wine quickly for any purpose. If I want to spend more time, I’ll talk to the wine guy at the store.

It is true consumers are challenged to truly know what goes on behind the scenes. The video & photos below shows the different type of care that winemakers use.

http://nocookiecutterwines.wordpress.com/2009/04/28/the-technology-of-wine/