Labelling of aromatised wine

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/585 of 8 December 2023 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 251/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards specific rules for the indication and designation of ingredients for aromatised wine products

Update

The European Commission has amended the rules on the labelling of aromatised wine products to take into account the specific characteristics and processes associated with these products. The new rules, applicable to product labels and information provided electronically, aim to provide consumers with clearer and more comprehensive information.

Impacted Products

Aromatised wine

What is changing?

Regulation 251/2014 sets rules on the labelling of aromatised wine products (wine products that have been flavoured). The new Regulation amends the rules to clearly distinguish for consumers those ingredients used to make the wine products and those other ingredients that have been added to the product:

• Ingredients used to make the product: must be included within brackets, immediately after the term “wine” (or similar term identifying the grapevine product).
• Ingredients added to the base product: must be outside of brackets in descending order of volume or weight (see Regulation 1169/2011, Art. 18 (1)).

For the following ingredients added to base grapevine products (i.e. indications to be included on labelling outside the brackets):

• Concentrated grape must: The term “concentrated grape must” and/or “rectified concentrated grape must” can be used.
• Allergens including sulphites, eggs and egg-based products, and/or milk and milk-based products can be indicated using the terms and pictograms set out in Annex I to Regulation 2019/33. Where allergens relate to ingredients used in the base production, they should appear inside the brackets. If the full list of ingredients is provided electronically, and the allergens are both used in the base products and added to those products, the allergens should appear just once on the package label following the word “contains”. Any other added ingredients causing allergies/intolerances must be presented in accordance with Regulation 1169/2011, Art. 21(1).
• Additives that are “packaging gases” (used during bottling but not part of the consumed product) may be replaced by the indication “bottled in a protective atmosphere”.

Why?

The Regulation clarifies the terms that are used on aromatised wine labels in view of providing consumers with comprehensive and accurate information that ensures consumers are not confused by the ingredient lists. It helps consumers distinguish between ingredients used as a base for the wine from other ingredients including allergens added to the product, and additives used in the winemaking process that are not present in the final product.

Timeline

The new labelling requirements apply from 8 December 2023.

Aromatised wine products labelled between 8 December 2023 and 18 February 2024 in accordance with Regulation No 251/2014 can be marketed until stocks are exhausted.

Background

Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 makes the provision of food information to consumers mandatory for all foods. Mandatory food information includes the indication of a list of ingredients and a nutrition declaration.

Regulation No 251/2014 provides for the definition, description, presentation and labelling, including indication and designation of ingredients, for aromatised wine products.

All the ingredients of the grapevine products used in the production of aromatised wine must be listed subject to specific rules concerning the indication and designation of ingredients of grapevine products as laid down in Regulation 2019/33 (Article 48a).

Resources

Sources