The 75-85-95 wine rule refers to the minimum percentage of grapes required from a specific vintage or varietal in order for a wine to be labeled with certain designations. These rules are established to ensure that consumers have accurate information about the origin and composition of the wines they are purchasing.
Let's start with the vintage requirement. When a wine is labeled with a specific vintage, such as 2015 or 2020, it means that at least 95% of the grapes used to make that wine must come from the stated year. This rule applies to wines that also list a specific American Viticultural Area (AVA), which is a designated wine grape-growing region recognized by the United States government. So, for example, if you have a bottle of wine labeled as “2015 Napa Valley,” you can be confident that at least 95% of the grapes used in that wine were harvested in 2015 from vineyards within the Napa Valley AVA.
Now let's move on to the 85% rule, which applies to wines labeled with a state or county designation, rather than a specific AVA. In these cases, at least 85% of the grapes used in the wine must come from the stated state or county. For instance, if a wine is labeled as “California” or “Sonoma County,” you can expect that at least 85% of the grapes used in that wine were grown in California or Sonoma County, respectively. This rule allows winemakers some flexibility to blend grapes from different regions within a state or county, as long as the majority of the grapes are sourced from the designated area.
Moving on to varietal laws, these pertain to wines that list a specific grape variety on the label, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. In order to use a varietal designation, the wine must be made from a minimum of 75% of the stated grape variety. This means that if a wine is labeled as “Merlot,” at least 75% of the grapes used in that wine must be Merlot grapes. The remaining 25% can be made up of other grape varieties, as long as they are disclosed on the label. This rule ensures that wines labeled with a specific grape variety contain a significant proportion of that grape in the final blend.
These percentage requirements are important for consumers because they provide some level of assurance about the composition of the wines they are buying. For example, if you have a preference for wines made from a particular grape variety, the 75% varietal rule allows you to easily identify those wines. Similarly, if you are interested in wines from a specific vintage or AVA, the 95% and 85% rules help to ensure that the majority of the grapes used in those wines come from the stated year or region.
In my experience as a sommelier and brewer, I have found these rules to be helpful in guiding consumers towards wines that meet their preferences. It's reassuring to know that when I see a specific vintage or varietal listed on a label, there are minimum standards in place to ensure the accuracy of that information. This allows me to confidently recommend wines to customers based on their specific tastes and interests.
To summarize, the 75-85-95 wine rule establishes minimum percentage requirements for grapes used in wines labeled with specific vintages, AVAs, states, counties, or grape varieties. These rules help consumers make informed decisions about the origin and composition of the wines they purchase, and they provide a level of transparency and accuracy in the labeling process.