Wineries Implement Transparency in Labeling
Wine Business Monthly
September 2024
A recent article from Wine Business Monthly dives into the worldwide discussion about how wineries incorporate ingredients and nutritional information on their labels. The article poses that ingredient labeling may soon be a requirement, following the European Union’s lead. Read on to learn more about our history with ingredient labeling and what we believe wine audiences are looking for on the shelf.
Transparency in Ingredient Labeling
Although ingredient lists are not required by the TTB, if a winery chooses to add a list of ingredients to its back label, it must include all of them, which are typically more than just grapes. For example, Ridge’s 2022 Geyserville lists the ingredients as organic grapes, indigenous yeast, naturally occurring malolactic bacteria, oak from barrel aging and minimum active sulfur dioxide (SO2 ). The TTB doesn’t require any testing to include ingredients on labels. Though Ridge Vineyards doesn’t provide nutritional information on their wine labels that specifies the number of calories, carbs, fat and protein per serving, they are considered the OG of transparency, sharing a complete list of ingredients with consumers since the 2011 vintage. There was a purpose for this. Paul Draper believes many additives and invasive processing mask a wine’s unique character, so Ridge began including actions and ingredients on their wine labels to demonstrate how little intervention is needed to craft a distinctive, terroir-driven wine.
Our Philosophy
At Ridge, it’s not about current trends. “It’s more about transparency,” said head winemaker John Olney. “People may not understand why we’re listing ingredients when no one else does. It requires messaging to communicate the intent. If you have top vineyard sites, the grapes are of very high quality, so there’s little need to add anything.” Olney further added it’s hard to say whether the labeling had any effect on the sales of Ridge wines, but he does believe it builds trust with their consumer base, reinforcing and demonstrating their belief in naturally produced wines.
Related Links
Wait!
In order to qualify for user related discounts, you must log in before proceeding with checkout. Click the button below to log in and receive these benefits, or close the window to continue.
Log In