A guide for wine producers
Since 8 December 2023, wine placed on the EU market carries a list of ingredients and a nutrition declaration. Much of it can live online, behind a QR code. Below: what stays on the bottle, what can move to the phone and how to word each part correctly.
In short
For wines produced from 8 December 2023 (Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, amending Article 119 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013). Wines produced earlier may be sold until stocks run out.
Two more mandatory particulars: the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration, as for other foods.
The energy value and the allergens, next to the usual particulars: name, alcoholic strength, volume, provenance, bottler, lot.
The full list of ingredients and the full nutrition declaration, on a page opened from the QR code on the label.
Splitting the information
The electronic page
The page does not collect or track data about the person scanning: no accounts, no analytics cookies, no advertising pixels.
Ingredients and nutrition values do not sit next to offers, an online shop or other sales information. Use a separate code for those.
The code is visible on the label, and the page is in a language easily understood by buyers in the country where the wine is sold.
The list of ingredients
The wording rules come from Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1606, which supplements the wine labelling rules.
The nutrition declaration
When fat, saturates, protein or salt are present in negligible amounts, as is usual for wine, a short statement may be used, for example “Contains negligible amounts of fat, saturates, protein and salt”.
In Digital Wine Label you enter kcal and kJ is calculated automatically. Allergens in the list of ingredients are emphasised without marking them by hand, in all 24 EU languages.
What comes next
Regulation (EU) 2026/471 brings a few labelling changes, applying in stages.
The European Commission may set a single pictogram for the electronic label, instead of the words written next to the code.
Wines intended solely for export outside the EU will be exempt from the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration.
The terms “alcohol-free” (no more than 0.5% vol.) and “reduced alcohol” become the same across the Union.
With Digital Wine Label
Ingredients are picked from a translated list and nutrition values are entered once. The preview shows the label in any language.
Download the QR code as PNG or SVG for the printer. Each code is unique and linked to your wine.
Change the recipe or fix a text without reprinting the label. The page has no cookies and no ads.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to change the labels of wines produced before 8 December 2023?
No. Wines produced before that date may be sold with their old labels until stocks run out. The new rules apply to wines produced from 8 December 2023 onwards.
Can I put all the ingredients online only?
Yes, the full list can sit on the QR code page. Allergens (for example sulphites) must still be stated on the bottle, as must the energy value.
What do I write next to the QR code?
A short text, in the language of the label, saying what the buyer will find there, for example “Ingredients” or “Ingredients and nutrition”. The common symbol to be set by the European Commission will be able to replace it.
Can the same page show my online shop or a promotion?
No. The mandatory information does not sit alongside sales or marketing information. For a shop, reviews or promotions, use a second code or a separate link.
Can I measure how many people scan the code?
The page may not collect or track visitor data, so no Google Analytics, pixels or cookies. Digital Wine Label counts scans anonymously, by day, country and language, without identifying anyone.
Which languages must the information be in?
In a language easily understood by buyers in the country where the wine is sold. The electronic page can offer several languages at once: Digital Wine Label shows all 24 official EU languages and picks the phone’s language automatically.
What if I change the recipe after printing the labels?
Update the wine sheet and the QR code already printed shows the new information straight away. For a batch with a different composition you can create a separate wine, with its own code.
What happens to a wine withdrawn from the market?
You deactivate it in your account. The data is kept and the wine can be reactivated at any time, with the same code.
How do I indicate sulphites?
On the bottle, with “Contains: sulphites” (or “sulphur dioxide”). In the list of ingredients, sulphur dioxide appears under preservatives and antioxidants and is emphasised as an allergen.
Do the rules also apply to sparkling or alcohol-free wines?
Yes. The obligations cover still, sparkling, liqueur and semi-sparkling wines, as well as de-alcoholised and partially de-alcoholised wines. For those below 10% vol. obtained by de-alcoholisation, the date of minimum durability is added too.
Do wines sold only outside the EU need a digital label?
Regulation (EU) 2026/471 provides an exemption from the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration for wines intended solely for export, from the date that provision applies. Before and after that, the rules of the destination country also matter.
How big must the QR code be?
The regulation does not set a size. We recommend at least 1.5 × 1.5 cm, good contrast with the background and a scan test on a printed label before printing the run. Our digital QR labels use error correction, which helps scanning.
General information drawn from the Official Journal: Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1606 and Regulation (EU) 2026/471.
Next step
We will prepare a quote and a test account where you can fill in your first wine.