First of all, there is the varietal--Petit Rouge vs Petit Verdot vs Cabernet Sauvignon--this is a matter of personal preference; different people tend to prefer different varietals. The grape varietal affects the flavor of the wine and what meal it goes best with.
Second is the vintage. This simply refers to the year the wine was bottled and it is sometimes on its own label--2005 or 2006. Some vintages are better than others; true oeniphiles (wine drinkers) would carry a vintage chart or more likely know off their heart which vintages are good for which wines.
However, in the case of wines costing under, say, $20, vintage is less relevant. It's a more important factor with a more expensive wine, which is expected to age and mature in the bottle. The vast majority of wine bottled today is expected to be drunk immediately.
Another point on a label is alcohol content. It has been noted by some that far too many wines today are bottled with too high an alcohol content and are harsh in character; Generally under 14% is desirable unless you seek a Mad Dog 20/20 sort of thing.Sometimes a winemaker or vintner (grape grower) will put the phone number of his winery or vineyard on the back label of the bottle. You have to understand that someone willing to have his customers randomly call him and talk grapes or wine is someone who *lives* grapes and wine, and therefore the wine he makes is probably pretty good. A winery phone number on the back label is an indicator of an obsessed winemaker and probably an excellent wine.
Geography: Generally the more specific the label gets with geography the better--whether it's Napa Valley vs California or Château Lafite-Rothschild vs Bordeaux (Bordeaux is an entire winemaking region. Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is a specific wine producing estate in Bordeaux owned by one family).
Those are a few tips on how to read a label. Check out the next blog post here for specific recommendations, 'til then, SEE YA!
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