What's in a
Name: Regionals, Varietals, Generics and Proprietary
Wines?
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The way that
wines are named can be confusing. Sometimes they are named for
the area in which they are produced (i.e. - Champagne,
Pouilly Fuisse), others are named for the grapes from which
they are made (i.e.- Chardonnay, Merlot), some are named for
distant, better known production areas which produce wines that
are at least slightly similar (i.e.- Chablis, Burgundy
or Champagne produced in the United States), and finally, there
are wines that have 'made up' brand names applied to them (i.e.
- Mateus, Blue Nun). The decision to name a wine in a certain
way is influenced by local laws or traditions and marketing
forces.
Regional Wines: In countries (mostly European) that have
a long history of wine production, regulations have been developed
that require certain varieties of grapes, viticultural practices
and winemaking to be applied to wines from individual regions.
These laws are based on centuries of experience with different
grapes and methods and a resulting knowledge of what works best
for that particular location. Most of the better French, Italian
and Portuguese wines fall into this category. Examples of a
few Regional names include: Bordeaux,
Chablis,
Chianti, Burgundy, Beaujolais
and Champagne.
Varietal Wines: These wines are named for the grape variety
from which they are produced. Almost every country now allows
wines to be labeled this way although knowledge of local laws
is beneficial because variations do exist. In California, only
75% of a particular grape is required for a wine to be labeled
with that varietal name. In France,
a wine designated with a grape varietal name must contain 100%
of that particular variety. In general, 'new world' countries
are more likely to label their better and best wines with varietal
names while 'old world' countries relegate varietal naming to
wines of the everyday table wine category. Some examples of
Varietal names are: Chardonnay,
Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot, Pinot
Gris and Sangiovese.
Generic Wines: This particular category of wines is more
common in the United States than in most other countries and
is almost non-existent in European countries. These are wines
that have no content or origin requirements that are named for
distant and famous wine producing regions. It is a marketing
practice that was especially common in the United States when
the modern wine business was developing. If an American winery
produced a sparkling wine, it was labeled as a 'Champagne' even
though true Champagne can only be produced in the Champagne
region of France.
Similarly, if a wine was white and dry, it might be labeled
'Chablis' even though it bore little resemblance to a true French
Chablis. Some examples of Generic names include: Chablis, Burgundy,
Champagne, Sherry and Port. Most countries have treaty agreements
that protect the names of important wine regions. You'll never
see a sparkling wine produced in Europe outside of the Champagne
region of France that is labeled as Champagne. Sparkling wines
from Italy are Spumante and those from Germany are called Sekt.
In the United States and any other countries that allow generic
naming, consumers become easily confused and often fail to appreciate
the true quality of the real regions whose names are used to
market inexpensive and inferior wines.
Proprietary Wines: These are wines that may qualify for
varietal or regional naming but for marketing reasons have been
given unique trademarked names. If is usually harder to establish
a proprietary brand, but if it is done successfully, the result
can be much more profitable. Imagine if the Sutter Home winery
had trademarked the "White Zinfandel" name that they gave to
their Zinfandel Rose. Had they done so, they would be the only
White Zinfandel on the market. Instead they face challengers
from Beringer, Mondavi, Gallo and nearly every other large winery
in California. On the other hand, if they were the only winery
promoting White Zinfandel, you have to wonder if that wine would
ever have become so popular in the United States. While most
proprietary named wines are mass market wines, the use of a
proprietary name is not necessarily an indication of quality.
Some examples of Proprietary names include: Blue Nun, Grange,
Opus 1, Dominus
and Soleo. |
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