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Have you ever stood in the wine aisle holding a bottle and thought, “Am I overthinking this?”

In this episode of The Wine Lab, Andreea  unpacks why wine labels can feel so confusing, even to people who work in wine.

Why do some bottles list the grape, while others only name a place? What does Burgundy actually mean? Why does Bordeaux rarely tell you the grape outright? 

We explore how grape varieties work (think apples: Granny Smith vs. Honeycrisp), how geography compresses information into shorthand, and how labeling laws can shape what appears on the bottle. Along the way, we untangle terms like Chianti, Rioja, and Barolo, and talk about how language, history, and marketing all influence what we think we’re tasting before we even take a sip.

From traditional appellations to vibe-driven, made-up names, this episode reveals how expectation shapes perception and why confusion around wine labels says more about the system than it does about you.

If wine names have ever made you hesitate, doubt your palate, or feel like you missed a memo everyone else got, this episode is your guide.

Let’s decode wine names together.

Blend
A wine made from more than one grape variety.

Bordeaux
A French wine region known primarily for blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other complementary grapes.

Burgundy
A French wine region associated mainly with Pinot Noir (red wines) and Chardonnay (white wines).

Chianti
An Italian wine region whose wines are predominantly made from Sangiovese.

Claret
A historical British term traditionally used to describe red Bordeaux wines.

Geographic Denomination
A wine label that identifies a wine by its place of origin rather than by grape variety.

Grape Variety
A genetically distinct type of grapevine with specific characteristics, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, or Tempranillo.

Nebbiolo
The primary grape used in Barolo and Barbaresco wines from Italy.

Sangiovese
The primary grape used in Chianti and many other central Italian wines.

Tempranillo
The principal grape variety used in Rioja wines from Spain.

Varietal Labeling
A labeling practice in which a wine is named after its dominant grape variety, typically subject to minimum percentage requirements (e.g., 75% in the U.S.).

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