Wine Atlas

Wine: Italian wine labels can throw anyone for a loop

By Frank Sutherland and Kate Sutherland Gannett News Service

Even if you stick to the most well known red Chianti there are often plenty of other words on the bottle to decipher.

Some wines might just say Chianti, which are inexpensive everyday wines from anywhere in the region. The next step up in quality is a wine from a specific subregion that is listed on the label after Chianti.

There are seven subregions, but most readily available and highly regarded is Chianti Classico. One step beyond that is the Chianti Classico Riserva, which must be aged at least twice as long as regular Chianti Classico. These wines are fuller bodied, more complex and age longer. As with all Chianti, the Riservas usually taste better with food than alone.

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Signature Wines on Inc. 500 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies; Custom Labels, Wine Clubs and Elvis Fuel Growth of Innovative Wine Firm

HAYWARD, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE) Oct. 19, 2005 Corks popped today at Signature Wines on news that the firm has been named to Inc. Magazine's 2005 Inc. 500 list of America's fastest growing private companies. The Hayward, California-based wine seller vaulted on to the coveted list through an innovative mix of internet-based custom private label solutions, wine club services and the Graceland Cellars(R) brand of Elvis Presley(R) wines.

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