Wine producers in the European Union will have to, from December this year, on the label on the back of the bottle, highlight much more information useful for consumers, including which additives they used during the production process.
The news also applies to winemakers from Serbia who export to the EU market, and they also bring benefits to domestic customers, as considerable quantities of wine are imported from European countries. According to information in the European media, the substances whose presence will have to be stated include – sulphites, commercial yeasts, added sugar, colors and all other additives used in the cellar.
Winemakers will also have to list the nutritional value of the wine on the label, as is the requirement for other food producers. Among other things, how many calories it contains per 100 milliliters and this information will have to be clearly indicated. It is stated that this measure is the result of EU efforts to put wine producers on the same level as other companies from the food sector in terms of the obligation to inform customers.
However, not all information will have to be displayed on the label, only the basic ones – alcohol content, potential allergens and nutritional values of the wine. Customers will be able to access other data using a mandatory QR code.
If the wine has more than 10 milligrams of sulfite per liter, it will have to be stated on the bottle that this drink contains it. This information is important because this substance (sulfur compound), which normally protects wine from spoilage, can cause allergic reactions in some consumers.
As Stevan Rajta, director of the Association of Winemakers and Vinegrowers of Serbia said, the new rules could initially bring a significant increase in costs not only for producers in Serbia but also for others. – The problem is that most of our winemakers have never worked under these conditions. Large wineries will certainly be able to carry out these changes.
The others will have to buy additional equipment and adjust production according to these requirements, as well as hire experts, oenologists – said Rajta. This will affect the increase in costs because every drastic change brings some kind of problem, mostly of a financial nature.
I expect that we will adapt, we will see how the law will come to life in practice and whether there will be any changes on the fly. Certainly, everything becomes more complicated – emphasized our interlocutor.
He noted that the EU wants to check the wines entering their market. But not only producers from Serbia will have difficulties in adapting, but also Italy, Spain..
“Dekanter”, the world’s most famous wine magazine, announced that discussions on this topic began several decades ago, and that the wine sector managed to avoid this obligation until recently. It is said that this is the most significant change in the law in wine labeling since May 1919, when France introduced the Law on the Protection of Geographical Origin.
