Wine Law

9 It would also be helpful to make a distinction in mandatory information between core items that are more relevant in influencing a consumer’s educated choice (which should be highlighted with more visual emphasis) and information that, while still mandatory, may be left to text in labels. Additionally, it is also necessary to differentiate mandatory information for different products; for example, it is certainly relevant for customers to know the region in which a bottle of milk was produced, though probably less so for a packet of cereals. While regulations regarding PDOs (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGIs (Protected Geographical Indication) partially address this problem, many products for which the place of production is relevant to consumers do not fall under origin indication rules. 3. Wine Labelling: Regulations Regulation 1169/2011 sets forth specific rules for alcoholic beverages. Article 16(4) provides that the list of ingredients and nutrition information are not “mandatory information” as defined by Article 9. In practice, the only mandatory ingredient information on a wine label is the alcohol content by volume and a generic warning for allergens (typically “contains sulphites”). Lemme has argued on the rationale behind this practice, or lack thereof 28 . It seems that the legislator endorses a “cross-eyed” approach, whereas it sets forth strict (almost too strict) principles on mandatory indications for food labels, while simultaneously neglecting to recognise the importance of a more accurate list of ingredients for alcoholic beverages. To date, most scholars have concentrated on the need for nutritional and health information, which some governments have invoked as a measure against the overconsumption of alcohol 29 . Currently, voices calling for a more complete list of 28 G. L EMME , Lo Strabismo di Bacco. L’Etichettatura dei Prodotti Vitivinicoli tra Tutela del Consumatore e Reticenze Legislative , in Rivista Quadrimestrale di Diritto dell’Ambiente, 2015. 29 A. A NNUNZIATA , E. P OMARICI , R. V ECCHIO , & A M ARIANI , Do Consumers Want More Nutritional and Health Information on Wine Labels? Insights from the EU and the USA , in Nutrients, 2016.