A supermarket chain in the UK has started listing the contents of the beers
it carries and its own-brand wine and this is seen as the start of a trend.
Be forewarned!!



This is their Côtes du Rhone:



Grapes (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsaut), Tartaric acid,
Preservative(Sulphur dioxide, Potassium metabisulphite)
Made using: Stabiliser (Potassium bitartrate), Yeast Nutrient
(Diammonium phosphate) Yeast, Antioxidants (Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen)
Cleared using: Pectinolic Enzymes, Filtration.

I wonder how long it will be before those little gnomes that inhabit the
Eurobureaucracy will demand such labels on 1st Growths.

Graham

graham wrote:
> A supermarket chain in the UK has started listing the contents of the beers
> it carries and its own-brand wine and this is seen as the start of a trend.
> Be forewarned!!
>
>
>
> This is their Côtes du Rhone:
>
>
>
> Grapes (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsaut), Tartaric acid,
> Preservative(Sulphur dioxide, Potassium metabisulphite)
> Made using: Stabiliser (Potassium bitartrate), Yeast Nutrient
> (Diammonium phosphate) Yeast, Antioxidants (Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen)
> Cleared using: Pectinolic Enzymes, Filtration.
>
> I wonder how long it will be before those little gnomes that inhabit the
> Eurobureaucracy will demand such labels on 1st Growths.

Honestly, Graham, I see this as a welcome trend. While it will be
something of an annoyance for the traditionalists, for the more
industrial wineries it will shine some much-needed light into the dim
corners of industrial wine production. How many wineries will want to
have to list MegaPurple, pectinase and beet sugar on their list of
ingredients?

Mark Lipton

"Mark Lipton" > wrote in message
...
> graham wrote:
>> A supermarket chain in the UK has started listing the contents of the
>> beers it carries and its own-brand wine and this is seen as the start of
>> a trend. Be forewarned!!
>>
>>
>>
>> This is their Côtes du Rhone:
>>
>>
>>
>> Grapes (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsaut), Tartaric acid,
>> Preservative(Sulphur dioxide, Potassium metabisulphite)
>> Made using: Stabiliser (Potassium bitartrate), Yeast Nutrient
>> (Diammonium phosphate) Yeast, Antioxidants (Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen)
>> Cleared using: Pectinolic Enzymes, Filtration.
>>
>> I wonder how long it will be before those little gnomes that inhabit the
>> Eurobureaucracy will demand such labels on 1st Growths.
>
> Honestly, Graham, I see this as a welcome trend. While it will be
> something of an annoyance for the traditionalists, for the more industrial
> wineries it will shine some much-needed light into the dim corners of
> industrial wine production. How many wineries will want to have to list
> MegaPurple, pectinase and beet sugar on their list of ingredients?
>
Mark:
I hadn't thought this through when I posted and I agree with you. As I don't
drink the Yellow Tails and 2-Buck Muck, I hadn't considered the short cuts
demanded by the MBAs at the heads of these big companies.
I wonder if "Foot-pressed" will appear on the labels of some small
producers{:-)
Graham

On Wednesday, February 27, 2013 7:20:06 PM UTC-8, Mark Lipton wrote:
> graham wrote:
>
> > A supermarket chain in the UK has started listing the contents of the beers
>
> > it carries and its own-brand wine and this is seen as the start of a trend.
>
> > Be forewarned!!
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > This is their Côtes du Rhone:
>
> >
>
> >
>
> >
>
> > Grapes (Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsaut), Tartaric acid,
>
> > Preservative(Sulphur dioxide, Potassium metabisulphite)
>
> > Made using: Stabiliser (Potassium bitartrate), Yeast Nutrient
>
> > (Diammonium phosphate) Yeast, Antioxidants (Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen)
>
> > Cleared using: Pectinolic Enzymes, Filtration.
>
> >
>
> > I wonder how long it will be before those little gnomes that inhabit the
>
> > Eurobureaucracy will demand such labels on 1st Growths.
>
>
>
> Honestly, Graham, I see this as a welcome trend. While it will be
>
> something of an annoyance for the traditionalists, for the more
>
> industrial wineries it will shine some much-needed light into the dim
>
> corners of industrial wine production. How many wineries will want to
>
> have to list MegaPurple, pectinase and beet sugar on their list of
>
> ingredients?
>
>
>
> Mark Lipton

I agree that it would be enlightening for us wine consumers to know what goes into the wines we drink. Perhaps even some of us who who consider ourselves somewhat educated on the subject will be surprised to find out that additions such as enzymes (like pectinase), potassium metabisulfite (the source of the added sulfites that most wines have), yeast nutrients, fining agents, acidity adjustment agents (tartaric acid and potassium bitartrate), dilution with water and sugar from beets or cane, are common even in wines made by very small producers. I think we wine drinkers would simply get used to the idea that most wine has more than one ingredient. If such labeling becomes common or mandatory it will be a minor nuisance for us wine producers (or not so minor, depending on the public response) because of the time it will take to compile the data for the label and the added expense. We may respond in several ways: (1) Comply and hope people acclimate to it; (2) change our winemaking practices, if applicable, in order to use fewer additives; (3) lie. Of course, no one we know would opt for (3), just saying it's possible.

Andy