Getting the most from your off licence: wine labels explained

When choosing a good wine in an off licence, it helps if you can read the label. Here are some of the key words and phrases to understand...

Wine merchants

Off licences and wine merchants

ABV (alcohol by volume): the percentage of alcohol in a bottle—and it varies hugely. For sobriety's sake, your off licence will have some low-percentage options too.


Appellation d'origine contrôlée (AOC/AC): the category of top-quality French wines. An off licence is also likely to stock the Italian equivalent: Denominazione di Origine Controllata, the German, Qualitätswein mit Prädikat (QmP) and the Spanish: Denominación de Origen (DO).


Blanc de Blancs: A French wine made entirely from white grapes. Your local off licence will probably also stock Blanc de Noirs, a white wine made from black grapes.


Brut: a French term for "very dry".


Cava: a Spanish sparkling wine made using the Champagne method.


Cuvée: on sale in most off licences, this sparkling wine, along with cava, is a cheaper alternative to champagne and blends together different vineyards, grapes or vintages.


Demi-sec: a French term for "medium dry".


Fairtrade: a trading partnership that supports wine producers in developing countries, giving them fair trading conditions and a stable price. Keep an eye open for off licence wines that carry the Fairtrade mark.


Fortified wine: wine with added alcohol, usually brandy. Port and sherry are two familiar examples you'll find in off licences.


Grand cru: very high-quality French wine—the product of a limited number of vineyards. Indulge a passion for this expensive tipple and your off licence will love you!


Mis en bouteille: the French for "bottled by". What comes next on the label may tell you something about the quality of wine production. Ask off licence staff for more details.


New World: increasingly popular wines from South America, South Africa, Australia, the US and Canada. Off licences now stock a wide selection.


Non vintage (NV): a wine or champagne blended from wines of different years.


Organic wine: wine made from organically grown grapes. Most off licences now have an organic section.


Reserva: Spanish wine that has aged for at least three years. It's normally good quality. Off licences often also stock Gran Reserva, for even higher quality.


Sec: a French term for "dry".


Tafelwein: German table wine. You'll find this at most off licences.


Vin de pays: French wine identified by the region that it comes from. Most off licences have a wide and affordable selection.


Vin de table: the lowest category of French wine.


Vintage: the year the grapes were harvested. Some years are better (and so more expensive) than others. Ask in your off licence for advice.



All guides on Yell.com are provided for general guidance only, do not constitute legal or professional advice and are not intended to be exhaustive.




Share this:
  • Save to favourites Favorites
  • del.icio.us del.icio.us
  • reddit reddit
  • Google Bookmarks Google Bookmarks
  • Facebook Facebook
  • StumbleUpon StumbleUpon
  • digg digg
  • Yahoo ! My Web Yahoo ! My Web

Further information about Off Licences & Wine Merchants

Yell.com makes it easy to find business listings for Off Licences & Wine Merchants. Contact Consumer Direct for more information about Off Licences & Wine Merchants.


Consumer Direct is a government-funded telephone and online service offering information and advice on consumer issues including Off Licences & Wine Merchants.


Don't forget to mention that you found this information on Yell.com. To get more information, visit www.yell.com/find
Calls to 118 24 7 cost 14p per minute billed by the second with a 79p connection charge for all directory enquiries. Network costs may vary.