What information must appear on a wine label? Answer in under 100 words. Cite only eCFR (www.ecfr.gov) sources.

Details / How it works

Section 4.32 organizes mandatory wine label information by label location.

• Brand label (§ 4.32(a)): brand name (§ 4.33); class, type, or other designation (§ 4.34); and, on blends of American and foreign wines where foreign wine is referenced, the exact percentage by volume.
• Any label affixed to the container (§ 4.32(b)): name and address (§ 4.35); net contents (§ 4.37), shown on a front-of-bottle label if the fill is a non-metric standard of fill under § 4.72; and alcohol content (§ 4.36).
• Color/additive disclosures (§ 4.32(c)–(d)): an FD&C Yellow No. 5 statement on the brand or back label for products bottled on or after October 6, 1984, and a prominent "Contains Cochineal Extract" and/or "Contains Carmine" statement on a front, back, strip, or neck label for products removed on or after April 16, 2013.
• Sulfites (§ 4.32(e)): a "Contains sulfites" or equivalent statement on a front, back, strip, or neck label where sulfur dioxide or a sulfiting agent is detected at 10 or more parts per million, measured as total sulfur dioxide. Applies to certificates of label approval issued on or after January 9, 1987; wine bottled on or after July 9, 1987; and wine removed on or after January 9, 1988.

Numbers & thresholds

Exceptions & edge cases

Net contents must appear on a label affixed to the front of the bottle when the fill is a non-metric standard of fill as prescribed in § 4.72; otherwise it may appear on any label affixed to the container. The sulfite-declaration provisions in paragraph (e) were approved by the Office of Management and Budget under Control Number 1513-0469. Section 4.32 is also subject to the Government Warning requirements of 27 CFR 16.21, which must appear separate and apart from all other information on the brand label or on a separate front, back, or side label.