Wine 101
The basics without the jargon: reading a label, tasting, serving and talking about wine.
- Stories
- 10on the topic
- Last covered
- November 14, 2026
Latest in Wine 101What Wine Goes With Thanksgiving Dinner? Start With AcidityWine 101 stories
75, 85, 95: The Numbers Hiding in Every American Wine Label
by Uncorked Wave ·A grape name means at least 75% of it. An AVA means 85%. Here is what federal rules require behind a US wine label's grape, place, year and alcohol.
A Four-Step Wine Tasting You Can Run at Your Kitchen Table
by Uncorked Wave ·A simple four-step way to taste wine at home, based on the methods WSET and the Court of Master Sommeliers teach, plus how to set up a side-by-side flight.
How the Alcohol Comes Out of Dealcoholized Wine
by Uncorked Wave ·Vacuum distillation, spinning cone and reverse osmosis explained, plus what dealcoholized and alcohol-removed mean on a US wine label below 0.5% ABV.
Beaujolais Nouveau 2026 Arrives Thursday, November 19
by Uncorked Wave ·This year's Beaujolais Nouveau is released Thursday, November 19. What Gamay is, how the wine is made in weeks, and how Nouveau differs from the crus.
Six Wines Under $25 From Portugal, Spain, France, Chile and Argentina
by Uncorked Wave ·Six wines under $25 from Vinho Verde, Rioja, Côtes du Rhône, Colchagua and Mendoza, each checked against the producer and a US retailer listing.
Pinot Noir vs. Cabernet Sauvignon: Why Two Red Grapes Pour So Differently
by Uncorked Wave ·Thin skins or thick, cool coast or warm valley: how grape, climate and winemaking make Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon so different in the glass.
Why Finger Lakes Riesling Tastes the Way It Does
by Uncorked Wave ·Deep glacial lakes keep Finger Lakes vineyards steady, and a four-step scale on the back label shows how sweet a Riesling is. Here is how to read both.
Butter or Steel? How to Tell Oaked From Unoaked Chardonnay Before You Buy
by Uncorked Wave ·Chardonnay can taste rich and toasty or crisp and lean. Here is what oak and malolactic fermentation do, and the label and region clues to look for.
What the Organic Seal on a Wine Bottle Promises, and What Natural Does Not
by Uncorked Wave ·On a US label, organic wine and wine made with organic grapes follow different rules. Here is what each means, plus what natural and biodynamic certify.
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