Just when you thought that you understood wine labels
English and Welsh wine labels currently bear the designation ‘Table Wine’ (untested), Regional Wine or ‘Quality Wine’, the latter 2 of which implies rigorous testing and tasting. This may continue until 2014 while existing stocks of labels are used up. However, consumers will now have to get used to Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI). The former means that all the grapes have to come from a specified area, the latter that 85% of them do. Grapes must be vinifera or vinifera cross. Every other wine produced cannot be so labelled- a new snappy title for them has yet to be found!Old Labelling details
- Country of origin - England or Wales (British wine is NOT made from grapes grown in the UK)
- Percentage of alcohol
- Type of wine (Table wine, Quality or Regional)
- QUALITY wine is wine labelled either ENGLAND or WALES, produced from 100% grapes grown in that region below 220m asl, and subject to analysis
- REGIONAL WINE is wine from at least 85% grapes grown in the specified region (a county) from vineyards below 250m asl and subject to an analysis
- TABLE WINE is from grapes grown anywhere in the UK. It can only be designated as 'Product of the UK'
- BRITISH wine is a product produced from cheap imported allegedly grape-based substances
- Wine maker. This MAY not be on the label but can often be found on the cork. All registered wine makers have a reference number e.g. W1234
- Type of grape . On regional wines, any such declaration should be in descending order of content.
The above label was produced under former regulations. On how many counts does it not meet current regulations?
