Loving Labels

What are you trying to tell me?

You know what a beautiful label can do...it catches your eye; it compels you to pick up the bottle; it makes you want to know more.  Wine labels are mini stories unto themselves, and have so much more to tell you than what's in the bottle. There is, of course, mandatory information that is legally required to appear on the label, like what kind of wine it is, who bottled it, and how much alcohol by volume it contains. But you can learn much more than that with a quick perusal of the front and back of the bottle you are considering.

While the label art itself might grab your attention, take a moment to look at what the label is trying to tell you. If you're drinking a local Oregon wine, you can find out exactly where the wine was grown and bottled. While the general area right around Salem is called the Willamette Valley AVA, there are several smaller growing areas called sub-AVAs that are nested in the larger valley, each one with distinct characteristics of geography and climate. 

This vineyard 👆 in the Willamette Valley AVA is in the Eola Amity Hills sub-AVA, a growing area just to the west of Salem which is currently producing some of the best wines in Oregon, if not the world. That's worth noting! Also look for the sub-AVAs of Van Duzer Corridor or Mt Pisgah, Polk County for wines grown and produced right around Salem!

This wine label 👉 has some extra fun information on the back about the exact Pinot Noir clones used in this beautiful rosé (more on clones in a later post). It also lets you know what type of soil the grapes are grown in, which can influence what you're tasting in the glass (more on soil also in a later post). The other thing I love about this label is that it gives you a nice window of the best time to drink this wine — peak drinkability! Who doesn't want that information? You can also see the sustainable certifications in the lower right of that image. These certifications are common in the Willamette Valley and indicate low environmental impact for growing practices, safety for our salmon populations in the waterways, and in the case of this rosé, vegan production!

Labels will also often show you a scale of sweetness if the wine is not technically dry. The Pinot Blanc in this bottle 👉 is on the edge of dry/medium dry or could be called "off dry," which means that there is some sugar remaining after fermentation, but not a lot.  A wine is considered "dry" if there is less than 10 grams of sugar per liter remaining after fermentation. The sweetness goes up based on the grapes used and style of winemaking. Even if you don't think you like sweeter wines, give off dry a try. It is still not overly sweet (and it makes a great companion to spicier foods).

Of course, label art is also important! Many of our local wineries use artwork for their labels that is created by local artists. Always ask when you go to visit (and maybe pick up a postcard of the artist's work!). Beyond the obviously beautiful appeal of local wine labels there is a story to be told.

Until next time, cheers!