European Union Wine Label Information

The European Union (EU) is home to the world's largest wine economy, with an average of 70% of world production and 60% of world consumption. Since the EU includes so many different countries, each with its own and unique wine laws and legislation, the general EU classification rules have been designed to maintain consistency across the entire economic zone.

In simple terms, the wines produced within the EU fall into two broad categories: Table Wine (TW) and Quality Wine, which is technically known as Quality Wine Produced in a Specified Region (QWPSR). All levels of national wine classification systems within the EU correspond to either the TW or QWPSR levels. Please take a look at the individual wine label information for France, Germany and Italy.

Table wines are basically cheap blends made from wines sourced from different regions. Most countries use a term in their official language to describe these wines, such as the French Vin de Table, German Tafelwein, Italian Vino da Tavola and so on. Typically, these wines are not permitted to disclose the region of production or the vintage on their labels.

The QWPSR, on the other hand, is a catch-all term to denote wines of higher quality with protected geographical indications. To qualify as QWPSR a wine has to pass the minimum standards of production, including vineyard practices, and must come from one of the defined geographical locations. Every country has its own regulations regarding quality wines and the terms that appear on the labels fall within the EU laws as a framework. Some of the common QWPSR terms from the main wine-producing countries are:

• France: 'AOC' (Appellation d'Origin Controlée), the French equivalent of the EU term AOP (Appellation d'Origin Protegée). The 'origin' is the geographical location.
• Italy: 'DOCG' or Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, and 'DOC' or Denominazione di Origine Controllata
• Spain: 'DOCa' or Denominacion de Origen Calificada, and 'DO' or Denominación de Origen
• Germany: 'Prädikatswein', formerly known as'QmP' or Qualitätswein mit Prädikat, and 'QbA' or Qualitätswein bestimmter Anbaugebiete. The higher level QmP wines are further classified according to the level of ripeness of the grapes during harvest. These are:
  • Kabinett: earliest harvested grapes among the QMP wines; also the driest.
  • Spätlese: means 'late harvest'
  • Auslese: means 'select harvest'. Only the ripest grapes are selected during harvest.
  • Beerenauslese: means 'berry selection'. Individual berries affected by the botrytis rot – shrivelled and hence sweeter – are picked later than Auslese wines.
  • Eiswein: means 'ice wine'. These wines are made from naturally frozen grapes. The water inside the berry freezes, concentrating the sugar.
  • Trockenbeerenauslese: means 'dry berry selection'. These are berries that have been left on the vine for the longest period of time and have become naturally shrivelled, so that the sugar content, as well as flavor components, is highly concentrated. The resulting wines are the sweetest and most expensive of all German wines.
• Portugal: 'DOC' or Denominacao de Origem Controlada.

Please see the illustration below for a typical QWPSR wine label. You may find it helpful to compare the label details to the information listed above.

You may also be interested in wine label information for USA and Australia.