Most Americans do not drink European wine for the simple fact that European wine labels are difficult to understand. Where most US wine is labeled by grape variety, European wine is typically labeled by region of production. California chardonnay lovers will grimace like a politician asked a tough question when offered a Pouilly-Fuiss? from France’s Burgundy region, until they are told that it is made from 100% chardonnay.

   The European wine industry is struggling with an identity crisis. Imports to America are down due in part to the decline in the dollar’s value and the simple fact that Americans do not understand European wines. The California “grape glut” you may have heard of in recent years, pales to the overproduction of wine in Europe.
   The EU is planning to spend over 20 billion dollars to pay growers to rip out over a million acres of vines to curb the excess. For the consumer, overproduction offers a cornucopia of great wine at reasonable prices for those adventurous enough to learn how to read the labels.

   Wine from across the pond is labeled by the place of origin. French Bordeaux is typically labeled by the chateau producing the wine or simply “Bordeaux AOC” for lesser quality wine. Italian and Spanish wines are labeled by region.  Names like Barolo, made from the nebbiolo grape, Chianti, made from sangiovese, and Rioja, made mainly from Tempranillo can be confusing. Germany adds the ripeness of the grape with terms like Qualit?tswein mit Pr?dikat to confuse us even more.

   Due the vast number of choices, European wine exploration is much like a treasure hunt. You can sample a lot of rocks before you find the gems. With the help of a good wine shop, your chances of striking gold improve dramatically. Our top choices for finding good European wine locally are Whispering Vines, Aloha, Washoe Wine, and Luva Bella.