Many French and other European labels list the region rather than the grape variety. This was the traditional way all wines were labelled at a time when the grape variety wasn’t seen as very important. Even today it is considered just one part of the terroir, a French term that includes the climate, soil, traditional viticulture and grape variety. All of these, the producers argue, make the wine what it is.

In the past, producers in California, Australia and elsewhere faced a problem. If they made a wine using chardonnay, the Burgundian grape variety, they faced legal problems if they labelled their wine Burgundy, or Chablis (as was very popular in the US at one time).

So instead, they began using the grape variety. The idea was a great success, simplifying the process of buying a bottle of wine. Instead of remembering a long list of towns, regions and countries, consumers just had to understand a few names, and they would have a good idea of how the wine would taste.