Which particulars are mandatory on a wine label?
Article 119 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 lists the compulsory particulars for wine. Allergens, nominal volume and lot come from the general food rules. The table gives each particular, an example and the text that requires it.
| Particular | Example | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Category of the product | Red wine, sparkling wine, liqueur wine | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(a) |
| PDO / PGI term and name | Protected Designation of Origin + name, or a traditional term such as DOC | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(b) |
| Actual alcoholic strength | 13.5 % vol | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(c) |
| Provenance | Product of Italy | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(d) |
| Bottler (or producer, vendor) | Bottled by Example Winery, Village | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(e) |
| Importer, for imported wines | Imported by … | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(f) |
| Sugar content (sparkling wines) | Brut, Extra dry, Demi-sec | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(g) |
| Nutrition declaration | E (100 ml) = 312 kJ / 75 kcal on the label, full table on the label or online | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(h) and (4), added by 2021/2117 |
| List of ingredients | Grapes, preservative: sulphites, … | 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(i) and (4), added by 2021/2117 |
| Allergens | Contains sulphites | 1169/2011, art. 21 and annex II; 2019/33 |
| Nominal volume | 750 ml or 75 cl | 1169/2011, art. 9(1)(e) |
| Lot | L 117 | Directive 2011/91/EU |
Detailed rules on presentation and wording are in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, amended by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1606. Optional particulars such as the vintage or the grape variety are regulated by article 120 of 1308/2013.
What changed with Regulation (EU) 2021/2117?
It added two particulars to article 119 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013: the nutrition declaration and the list of ingredients. It also allowed both to be given by electronic means, provided the energy value is printed on the label. The rules apply to wines produced from 8 December 2023.
Before this reform, wine and other drinks above 1.2 % vol were exempt from the ingredients list and nutrition declaration required for most foods by Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011. The CAP reform text ended that exemption for wine and for aromatised wine products. Spirits follow other rules.
The practical details, such as the terms to use in the ingredients list, came later with Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1606, and the European Commission published a set of questions and answers in November 2023. The rules were amended again in 2026 by Regulation (EU) 2026/471, corrected in May 2026. We follow these texts as they change.
What can be provided through a QR code?
The list of ingredients and the full nutrition declaration may be provided by electronic means identified on the label. The energy value must stay printed, and allergens must always be printed on the label itself (Regulation (EU) 2021/2117). The word “ingredients” must appear next to the code.
On the label, the nutrition declaration can be reduced to the energy value, which may be written with the symbol “E”, for example “E (100 ml) = 312 kJ / 75 kcal”. The full table (energy, fat, saturates, carbohydrate, sugars, protein, salt) then goes online.
In November 2023 the European Commission clarified that a symbol alone, such as an “i”, does not identify the electronic means clearly enough: the word “ingredients”, in the language of the label, must be written next to the QR code.
What must the e-label page contain, and what must it avoid?
It must give the ingredients list and the nutrition declaration of that wine, in a language understood where the wine is sold, and repeat the allergens. It must not be displayed with sales or marketing information and must not collect or track user data.
- Content: ingredients in descending order with additive categories, nutrition per 100 ml, allergens highlighted.
- Language: each language of the countries of sale.
- No marketing: no shop button, no promotion, no tasting notes or awards, no links to social networks.
- No tracking: no cookies, no analytics, no advertising pixels.
- One page per wine, and per vintage when values change. Our wine e-label page shows an example.
How large must the characters be on a wine label?
Mandatory particulars need an x-height of at least 1.2 mm, or 0.9 mm when the largest surface of the container is under 80 cm² (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, art. 13). Alcoholic strength and nominal volume have their own minimum figure heights.
| Particular | Minimum size | Source |
|---|---|---|
| All mandatory particulars | x-height 1.2 mm (0.9 mm if largest surface < 80 cm²) | 1169/2011, art. 13(2)-(3) |
| Alcoholic strength, bottle over 100 cl | Figures 5 mm high | 2019/33 |
| Alcoholic strength, 20 cl to 100 cl | Figures 3 mm high | 2019/33 |
| Alcoholic strength, 20 cl or less | Figures 2 mm high | 2019/33 |
| Nominal volume, over 20 cl up to 100 cl | Figures 4 mm high | Directive 76/211/EEC |
| Nominal volume, over 100 cl | Figures 6 mm high | Directive 76/211/EEC |
Details and examples in our label size guide.
Which particulars must be in the same field of vision?
The name of the wine with its category or PDO/PGI term, the alcoholic strength and the nominal volume must be readable together without turning the bottle (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33). The other particulars, such as allergens, the lot or the bottler, can sit elsewhere on the container.
This is why many wineries print the alcohol and the volume on the front label, next to the name. If you prefer a clean front label, the back label can carry them only if the name of the wine is repeated there in the same field of vision.
How is the energy value of a wine calculated?
With the conversion factors of annex XIV of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011: 29 kJ (7 kcal) per gram of alcohol, 17 kJ (4 kcal) per gram of carbohydrate, 13 kJ (3 kcal) per gram of organic acid and 10 kJ (2.4 kcal) per gram of polyol. A dry red at 13.5 % vol gives about 312 kJ / 75 kcal per 100 ml.
Alcohol in grams per 100 ml is the strength in % vol multiplied by 0.789, the density of ethanol. At 13.5 % vol that is 10.65 g, or about 309 kJ. Residual sugar adds 17 kJ per gram: 2 g/l is 0.2 g per 100 ml, so 3.4 kJ. Sweet wines and wines with high glycerol change the result noticeably.
The values may come from your own analysis, from a calculation based on known values of the ingredients, or from generally established data (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, art. 31(4)). Our free calculator does the arithmetic, and our article on wine calories explains each step.
What goes in the list of ingredients of a wine?
Grapes and the other ingredients in descending order of weight at the time they are used, then additives under their category name followed by their name or E number, for example “acidity regulator: tartaric acid”. Allergens are highlighted, for instance in bold.
- Ingredients: grapes, concentrated grape must, rectified concentrated grape must, sucrose where allowed, tirage and expedition liqueur for sparkling wines.
- Additives, with their category: acidity regulators, preservatives, antioxidants, stabilising agents.
- Similar acidity regulators or stabilising agents may be grouped with “contains … and/or …” under the conditions set by Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1606.
- Processing aids that do not remain in the wine are not listed, except allergens such as egg or milk products when they are detectable.
- Full details in our ingredients list article.
Which allergens must be declared on a wine label?
Sulphites above 10 mg per litre, and egg or milk products when residues used for fining are detectable in the wine (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, annex II; Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33). They must be printed on the label, in the language of the country of sale.
| Allergen | When it must be declared | English wording allowed |
|---|---|---|
| Sulphites | Above 10 mg/l, expressed as SO₂ | Contains sulphites / sulfites / sulphur dioxide |
| Egg | If residues from fining (albumin, lysozyme) are detectable | Contains egg / egg protein / egg product / egg lysozyme / egg albumin |
| Milk | If residues from fining (casein) are detectable | Contains milk / milk products / milk casein / milk protein |
Pictograms set out in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 may accompany the words. Read more in our articles on sulphites and egg and milk fining.
How must the bottler be indicated?
With the words “bottler” or “bottled by”, followed by the name and the address of the bottler, or the place where the bottler is based (Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33). For sparkling wines, the producer or vendor replaces the bottler.
Terms such as “estate bottled” or their equivalents in each language are optional and have their own conditions. When a wine is bottled under contract, the bottler may be identified by a code where member state rules allow it, with the name of the business that ordered the bottling written in full.
What are the rules on the lot number?
Every wine needs a lot mark that lets it be traced, usually preceded by the letter “L” (Directive 2011/91/EU). It can be printed on the label or marked on the glass. The lot does not have to be in the same field of vision as the name.
Many wineries use the bottling date or a running number. What matters is that one lot covers wine produced and bottled under the same conditions, so that a recall can target it precisely.
Do the rules apply to wines produced before 8 December 2023?
No. Wines produced before 8 December 2023 may continue to be sold with their previous labelling until stocks are exhausted (Regulation (EU) 2021/2117). Every wine produced on or after that date must carry the new information, whatever its vintage year on the label.
The date that counts is the production date of the wine, not the bottling date or the date of sale. Keep the cellar records that show when each wine was produced, in case a control asks.
What extra rules apply to sparkling, organic or dealcoholised wines?
Sparkling wines must state their sugar content (brut, extra dry and so on). Organic wines carry the EU organic logo and the code of the control body (Regulation (EU) 2018/848). Dealcoholised and partially dealcoholised wines have their own terms and, below 10 % vol, a date of minimum durability.
- Sparkling wines: the sugar content term, and the ingredients of the tirage and expedition liqueurs in the ingredients list.
- Organic wines: EU organic logo, control body code (for example IT-BIO-000), and the place of farming of the raw materials.
- Dealcoholised wines: the term “dealcoholised” or “partially dealcoholised” with the category, and a best-before date where the strength is under 10 % vol.
- Liqueur wines and semi-sparkling wines: their own category names.
In which language must a wine label be written?
Mandatory particulars must appear in a language easily understood by consumers in the member state where the wine is sold, and that state may require its own official language (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, art. 15). Several languages on one label are allowed.
Some terms stay in their original language whatever the market: the name of the PDO or PGI, traditional terms such as “Riserva” or “Spätlese”, and the name of the bottler. The allergen wording, the word “ingredients” and the e-label page must follow the country of sale.
Are there national rules on top of the EU rules?
Yes. France requires a pregnancy warning and, depending on the packaging, sorting information. Italy has environmental labelling of packaging. Germany and Austria have quality control numbers for quality wines. Ireland has scheduled health warnings for 3 September 2028.
| Country | Allergen wording | National points to check | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | Contiene solfiti | Environmental labelling of packaging (D.Lgs. 116/2020), state band for DOCG | Italy |
| Germany | Enthält Sulfite | Weingesetz, Weinverordnung, AP number for quality wines | Germany |
| Austria | Enthält Sulfite | Weingesetz 2009, state control number for Qualitätswein | Austria |
| France | Contient des sulfites | Pregnancy pictogram, sorting information where it applies | France |
| Spain | Contiene sulfitos | Royal Decree 1363/2011, regulatory councils of each DO | Spain |
| Portugal | Contém sulfitos | IVV, seals of the regional wine commissions | Portugal |
| Ireland | Contains sulphites | Health warnings and grams of alcohol from 3 September 2028 | Ireland |
| Switzerland (not EU) | Depends on language | EU rules only for wines exported to the EU | Switzerland |
What changes for wines imported into the EU?
The same EU rules apply, plus the name and address of the importer (Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, art. 119(1)(f)) and the provenance, such as “Product of Switzerland”. The ingredients list, the nutrition declaration and the allergen wording follow the EU format, not the format of the country of origin.
Our guide on exporting wine to the EU covers Swiss, British and American producers.
Who checks wine labels, and what happens in case of error?
No authority approves wine labels in advance in the EU. National bodies check them on the market: ICQRF in Italy, DGCCRF in France, the Länder authorities in Germany. In France, controls in 2022 and 2023 found infractions in about 30 % of producer sites, 85 % of them minor and often about labelling.
The winery is legally responsible for its labels, not the printer or the designer. A non-compliant label can lead to a warning, a requirement to relabel, a withdrawal of the batch or a fine, depending on the country and the seriousness. The cheapest fix is always before the print run.
Which optional particulars are also regulated?
Optional particulars such as the vintage, the grape varieties, the sugar content of still wines, terms like “estate” or “reserve”, and environmental or organic claims are listed in article 120 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013. Optional does not mean free: each has conditions.
A vintage requires at least 85 % of grapes from that year. One variety named on the label requires at least 85 % of that variety. Two or more varieties must be listed in descending order and together make up the whole wine. These rules sit in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33.
Printed or behind the QR: summary
| Mention | On the printed label | Can go behind the QR |
|---|---|---|
| Energy value (kJ / kcal) | Yes | Full table: yes |
| Allergens (e.g. sulphites) | Yes | No, must stay printed |
| List of ingredients | Or via QR | Yes |
| Full nutrition declaration | Or via QR | Yes |
| Alcohol, volume, category, origin | Yes | No |
| Marketing, tracking, cookies | — | Never on the e-label page |
Under Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, for wines produced from 8 December 2023.
The texts we check against
- Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013
Common market organisation, wine labelling (art. 119 to 122).
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2117
Adds the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration for wine.
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33
Detailed rules on wine labelling and presentation.
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1606
Amends 2019/33: electronic labels, ingredients terms.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011
Food information: font size (art. 13), allergens (art. 21), energy factors (annex XIV).
- Directive 2011/91/EU
Lot identification.
Questions from winemakers
What are the new EU wine labelling rules?
Since 8 December 2023, wines produced in the EU must give a list of ingredients and a nutrition declaration (Regulation (EU) 2021/2117). The energy value and allergens are printed; the rest can be online through a QR code.
Does a wine label need a list of ingredients?
Yes, for wines produced from 8 December 2023. It may be printed or provided through a QR code with the word “ingredients” next to it.
Can the QR code lead to my winery website?
Only to a page that shows no marketing and collects no data. A normal product page with a shop, cookies or analytics does not qualify.
Must “contains sulphites” be printed?
Yes. Allergens cannot be moved behind the QR code. They must be on the label, in the language of the country of sale.
What is the minimum font size on a wine label?
An x-height of 1.2 mm for mandatory particulars, or 0.9 mm when the largest surface is under 80 cm². Alcoholic strength figures must be at least 3 mm high on a 75 cl bottle.
Is the vintage mandatory on a wine label?
No. The vintage is an optional particular (article 120 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013). If you show it, at least 85 % of the grapes must come from that year.
Do these rules apply to wine sold only in Switzerland or the UK?
No. They apply to wine placed on the EU market. Switzerland and Great Britain have their own rules; Swiss and British producers follow EU rules for the bottles they ship to the EU.
Sources
Selection criteria: we cite official texts first (EUR-Lex, national law portals), then named surveys with their publisher.
- Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 (EUR-Lex)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 (EUR-Lex)
- Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1606 (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 (EUR-Lex)
- Directive 2011/91/EU (EUR-Lex)
- Regulation (EU) 2018/848 on organic production (EUR-Lex)
- Directive 76/211/EEC on prepackaged quantities (EUR-Lex)
- Just Drinks, EU wine label update, November 2023
- Arthur Cox, alcohol labelling in Ireland: timeline deferred
- Économie Matin, DGCCRF controls in the wine sector
Updated on November 2, 2026 by the WineLex team