Alcoholic Beverages

New specific labeling rules for wine and aromatised wine products

Following the entry into force of Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 amending the Aromatised Wine Products Regulation (EU) No 251/2014, it is necessary to adopt rules for the indication and designation of ingredients for wine and aromatised wine products.

New specific labelling rules applicable to wine and aromatised wine products were adopted by the EU institutions in December 2021 (Regulation (EU) 2021/2117), in the framework of the reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

These new labelling measures require wine and aromatized wine products to communicate, on a mandatory basis, the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration either on the label or through a digital support.

Regulation (EU) 221/2117 modernized EU (wine) information to consumer policy by authorizing producers to make the new required information available through e-labels.

Key Points:

Listing of ingredients causing allergies and intolerances must be on the “physical” label;
“Electronic” labels cannot contain any other information intended for sales or marketing purposes; and
No user data can be collected or tracked through electronic means.

The adoption of new mandatory labelling rules will respond to consumer’s expectations and increase transparency while harmonising an adapted communication on wines and aromatised wine products.

By November 2023, all wines and aromatised wine products commercialised in the EU, independently of their origin, will have to communicate the list of ingredients and the full nutrition declaration on-label or online.

According to the Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 the labelling of aromatised wine products marketed in the Union shall contain the following mandatory particulars:

(a) the nutrition declaration pursuant to Article 9(1), point (l), of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011; and

(b) the list of ingredients pursuant to Article 9(1), point (b), of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011.

GS1 in Europe can help you!

Before adaptation you should consider the below points which will be critical:

Data must be publicly published as an e-label
Data must be retrieved by consumers through a digital link
Digital link should be scannable through a 2D barcode

We can help industries to comply with the new (legal) requirements on consumer information thanks to GS1 standards.

Please find the GS1 in Europe implementation guideline titled “Use a QR code powered by GS1 Digital Link to inform consumers about alcoholic beverages_1.0” in the publications listed below.

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