1. The name of the Designation of Origin
It specifies the exact name of the Designation of Origin, as indicated in the related Production Regulations.
2. Specific traditional classifications D.O.C. or D.O.C.G. (P.D.O.)
The expressions “Controlled Designation of Origin” (D.O.C.) or “Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin” (D.O.C.G.) indicate that the wines are produced in compliance with strict regulations that guarantee their high quality. This information may be accompanied (or replaced) by the acronym D.O.P. (P.D.O. – Protected Designation of Origin) which defines, at European level, the Designation of Origin Wines.
3. Nominal volume of wine
The nominal volume of wine must be stated in litres, centilitres, or millilitres.
4. Vintage
Starting from the 2010 harvest, the indication of the year is mandatory for all
D.O.C.G. and D.O.C. wines, except for sparkling, fizzy, and fortified wine.
5. Indication of the bottler
The company name of the corresponding bottler must always be specified. As for sparkling wines, the producer or retailer name may replace the bottler one. The bottler company name (or the producer/retailer one, where permitted), must appear together with the name of the municipality where the production plant is located and its home Member State (Italy).
6. Indication of origin
The term “produced in” (or equivalent terms such as “wine of”, “product of”, etc.) followed by the name of the Member State, indicates the area where the grapes were harvested and vinified.
7. Indication of the batch
Numbering that indicates a set of bottles belonging to the same lot or parcel, produced in virtually identical circumstances.
As a rule, it is usually preceded by the letter “L”.
8. Contains sulphites
It indicates that the product has been treated with allergens such as sulphur dioxide.
This statement is mandatory when the sulphite content exceeds 10 mg/litre.
9. Actual alcoholic strength
The alcohol content must be expressed in units or half units of percentage by volume (e.g. 10% vol., 10.5% vol.) and may be preceded by the wording “actual alcoholic strength’’ or “actual alcohol’’ or just by the abbreviation “alc’’.
10. Environmental labelling
From the 1st of January 2023, in accordance with the provisions taken by the European Union, it is mandatory to indicate on the label appropriate instruction for packaging disposal. The aim is to facilitate the packaging collection, reuse, and recycling. The information must be related to the bottle, the closure, the capsule, and the muselet. All the information can be also conveyed through digital channels of your choice (eg. App, QR code, website).
11. Indication of the ingredients
From December 8th 2023, the list of ingredients (grapes, additives, adjuvants, syrup, and dosage) must be indicated on the label of wine products. This list can be dematerialised and be available through a QR code preceded by the lettering “ingredients”.
12. Indication of nutrition declaration
From December 8th 2023, the nutrition declaration (energy value and amount of fat, saturated fatty acids, carbohydrates, sugars, proteins, and salt) must be indicated on the label of wine products. It is possible to indicate only the product’s energy value, expressed by the letter “E”, as long as the remaining information is dematerialized through a properly indicated QR code.
All mandatory information must appear in the same visual field (either on the front or on the back of the bottle), except for the year, the indication of the batch, and information related to the presence of sulphites, which may also appear separately, outside of that visual field.
The label applied on a bottle can be regarded as the identity card of the wine, and therefore must contain precise details and illustrations specially designed to help the consumer understand the true nature of the product it refers to.
The label therefore takes an important significance since it determines the first contact of the consumer with the wine. In fact, in current commercial reality, the only message that the bottler may get to those who will drink the product consists of the information provided on the label.
The label thus transmits a whole series of important information about the wine and its characteristics. The information must be clear, complete, and verifiable. The European Community issued in this regard a series of precise rules in order to create a uniform legislation on a European level. The E.C. legislation brings together wines with D.O.C. and D.O.C.G. labels under the acronym D.O.P. (P.D.O. – Protected Designation of Origin).