What Does "Vinted By" Mean?

Reading a wine label can be confusing. There's a lot of marketing being done to try to get you to buy a wine. Everything from fancy artwork to cute names. And then there's the back label that describes all about the aromas, flavors and quality of the wine.

But actually, the three most important things on a wine label are the vintage date, the place where the grapes were grown, and the grape(s) used to produce the wine. The vintage date tells you that 95% of the wine in the bottle had to be harvested in the year listed. The place (State, County, or AVA) on the label tells you that 85% of the wine comes from the listed location. And finally, the grape varietal identified on the label ensures that the wine is produced from at least 75% of that grape variety.

But then on the back label you'll see statements such as "Vinted and bottled by" or “Cellared and bottled by” along with a winery's name, city and state. This is where things get murky. These phrases are sometimes used when a label does not have their own winery and may have had little to do with the making of this wine. They may be buying grapes to produce wine or even buying bulk wine and bottle it themselves and just putting their "Winery" label on the bottle.

Under another scenario, the "Cellared and bottled by" wording must be used by law if, for example, a winery located in the Napa AVA is producing wines from grapes grown in Sonoma's Russian River Valley AVA. These wines are still the winemakers, but they can't claim to have produced the wine.

If it says “Produced and Bottle by” it means that, by law, 75% or more of the wine in that bottle must be made by the producer listed. If the wine bottle says “Made and Bottled” it means at least 10% of the wine is made by the winery or company listed.

Now don't get me wrong. These caveats on the back label don't imply anything about the quality of the wine. You just need to realize that someone other than the company listed on the label may have grown the grapes or made the wine.

Now, you may now be asking yourself "So how can I tell if a winery is actually growing the grapes and making the wine?"  We'll get to that next time. For now, cheers!

What is Mulled Wine?

During the winter months and the holidays, mulled wine is a very popular drink, especially in European countries. Partly by tradition and partly because it's a warm drink that is enjoyed on cold evenings.  There are many names for mulled wine including Glögg in Sweden, Vin Chaud in France, and Glühwein in Germany.

A quick check of Webster's Dictionary shows that the word 'mull' can mean to mix thoroughly, or to heat, sweeten and flavor with spices.

This is exactly why this drink is called mulled wine. It's a heated mixture that can be sweetened and flavored with spices.

Now, just like barbecue sauce, meatloaf and pizza, there are no standard recipes for mulled wine. But, there are a lot of common ingredients. 

Most mulled wines start with red wine. You can find examples of white and even rosé mulled wines, but let's stick with red wine.  There is no best red wine to use, but any inexpensive bottle of a full-bodied, fruity, bold and tannic wine will do.  Examples might include Syrah, Malbec, Zinfandel, Grenache or Merlot. Even a red blend would work nicely.

Next, mulled wine includes spices. Often these originally included local ingredients.  But today, common spices in mulled wines include clove, star anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom and ginger. Even vanilla shows up in some recipes.

Next, fruit is added.  Common fruits include orange, apple, figs, and raisins.  You can also sweeten your mulled wine with sugar or honey.

Then, some mulled wines are given an extra kick with the addition of vodka, brandy, rum, Cognac, sherry or aquavit. Other recipes will include hard cider, Madeira wine, and even Port.

Finally, all these ingredients get mixed together and heated to about 140-150 degrees F (60-70 C). You just want to avoid boiling since that will cause the alcohol to evaporate. Serve your mulled wine in a sturdy glass meant for hot liquids, or a mug. And you'll get to enjoy a warm, comforting drink during the holidays and during those cold winter evenings. Cheers!

What is Pét-Nat?

Have you heard of "Pét-Nat?"  Well, it's actually pétillant-naturel but it seems to be more affectionately known as “pét-nat."

Pét-Nat is a natural sparkling wine made using the ancestral method.  Whereas the Champagne method involves a secondary fermentation by adding sugar and yeast, the ancestral method allows the initial fermentation to finish in the bottle without any additives, imparting carbonation by trapping the carbon dioxide that is naturally produced during the fermentation process.

So what you get is a lighter, low alcohol, refreshing sparkling wine without additives.  But, because the yeast remains in the bottle, it tends to be a bit cloudy or hazy.

Pétillant-naturel got its start in France’s Loire Valley, pre-dating Champagne. Today, you'll find it everywhere. And, you are very likely to find it sealed under a crown cap instead of a cork.

Since the wine is named for the method used to produce it, as opposed to the grape type, it can be white, rosé or red, but typically you'll find sparking whites and rosés. The great news is that Pét-nat is typically lower priced (typically under $30) than entry-level Champagnes. 

Pét-nat is viewed as having crossover potential with appeal from beer and cider drinkers who haven’t explored wines, since it has similar flavors to dry ciders and some beers.

It's uncertain if this style of sparkling wine will ever become widespread, but if you find a bottle or have an opportunity, be sure to try it. It isn't a wine meant for aging, so drink it sooner rather than later. Cheers!

Are Red Wine Blends Any Good?

In years past in the U.S., red wine blends were sold by the jug as "Red Wine" or "Table Wine."  These were inexpensive wines that were blends of grapes, vineyards or even vintages. So, today, blends are often disregarded as being of poor quality.

But we only need to look to France, home of some of the world’s best wines, to see that blends are nothing to turn your nose up at.  France's famous region of Bordeaux produces red blends almost exclusively.  Depending on which bank the wine is from in Bordeaux, it will be a different blend. The Left Bank is known for its blends based on Cabernet Sauvignon while the Right Bank blends are Merlot based. These blends may also include Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Malbec.

Other famous regions known for their blends include the Rhône Valley that uses Grenache, Syrah and Mouvedre and the so-called Super Tuscans from Italy that may include Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Syrah, Cabernet Franc and others.

The main reason that winemakers produce blends is to make the best wine possible. Blending different grape varieties is useful in accentuating a particular grape's virtues. But winemakers have also learned never to blend an inferior wine with a good wine because the result is usually an inferior wine. Again, the goal is to produce a wine that is actually better than the sum of its parts. And blending allows for wines that are well balanced and complex in their aromas, flavors, colors and textures. The blended grapes can add layers of flavor that will change through the process of taking the first sip, letting it sit on your tongue and then as you swallow.

Another thing you may not realize is that most wines labeled in the U.S. as single varietals are actually blends.  The laws state that for a wine to be labeled as a single varietal, it must contain at least 75% of the noted grape. But that leaves the other 25% for the winemaker to be creative and generally to blend in other grapes that results in their best possible wine.

So don't turn up your nose at red wine blends.  These can actually be some of the best wines in the world. Cheers!

What is Meritage Wine?

Have you ever come across a wine labeled as Meritage and wondered what it is? It's made in the U.S. where you can dependably know what a wine is because the label will tell you the grape varietal used to make the wine.  But this U.S. made wine seems to fall into the category of many European wines; the label does not directly tell you the grapes used in the wine's production. And for good reason.

Old World wines, especially those of France, are named for regions. Regions where only certain grapes are allowed to be grown. Additionally, there are regions, such as Bordeaux, where the wines are blends of these controlled grapes. And, as you may know, these Bordeaux blends have done rather well in the world market.

Blended wines have been made for years in the U.S., but their labels had to say generic things like "Red Blend" or "Table Wine."  Not nearly as sophisticated sounding as a Bordeaux. So, in 1988, U.S. wine makers decided to form an alliance and create a name for their blended wines. They decided on blending two words: 'Merit,' for having worth, and 'Heritage' for the Bordeaux style of wine making. Thus the new word 'Meritage.'  But, instead of making it sound like it is a French wine, they insisted that it be pronounced to rhyme with the word heritage.

Red Meritage can be blended from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Petit Verdot and Carmenère. White Meritage is produced from Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Muscadelle du Bordolais.  So these blends rely on the traditional Old World Noble grapes yet gives U.S. wine maker's their own name for their blends.

Don't skip over this wine just because its label doesn't tell you what it is.  The label actually does tell you what grapes may be used. But most importantly, it allows wine makers the freedom to blend their own very unique creations from a common set of grapes. Cheers!