The taste of a wine depends not only on the grape species and varietal blend, but can also depend on the ground and climate (known as terroir) where it is cultivated.

A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were grown in a single specified year, and are dated as such. Vintage wines, particularly good quality red table wines, can improve in flavour with age if properly stored. Consequently wine enthusiasts and traders save their best bottles of especially good vintages for future consumption. Superior vintages, from reputable producers and regions, will often fetch much higher prices than average vintages from the same producer. Some vintage wines are only made in better-than-average years, so as to preserve the reputation of the producer.

Wines are usually named either by their grape variety or by their place of production. Generally speaking, European wines are named both after the place of production (e.g. Bordeaux, Rioja, Chianti) and to a lesser extent after the grapes used (e.g. Pinot, Chardonnay, Merlot). Wines from everywhere except Europe are generally named after the grape variety, but similarly there are also exceptions to this rule..

Historically, wines have been known by names reflecting their origin, and sometimes style: Bordeaux, Rioja, Mosel and Chianti are all legally defined names, reflecting the traditional wines produced in the named region. These naming conventions or "appellations" (as they are known in France) dictate not only where the grapes in a wine were grown, but also which grapes went into the wine and how they were vinified. The appellation system is strongest in the European Union, but a related system, the American Viticultural Area, restricts the use of certain regional labels in America, such as Napa Valley, Santa Barbara and Willamette Valley. The AVA designations do not restrict the type of grape used.