Coming To Your Wine Label Soon

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! Well maybe it will.

Dan Berger in today’s edition of his Vintage Experiences has alerted us to new warning labels that may soon be forced on wineries. The first is a warning (to be determined by each winery) on allergens used in fining such as isinglass, egg whites, and milk products. The fact that all these pass through the wine without becoming part of it does not matter because governing legislation (Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004) talks about any product that COMES INTO CONTACT with an allergen being so labeled.

The other two labels being considered are the number of standard drinks in a bottle based on alcohol content, and another would require a list of all ingredients.

Can you imagine the burden not only on small North American producers but also small producers that have gained a little toehold on our market from the lesser know regions of France, Spain, and Italy as well as most of Southern Hemisphere. I can think of many of these we’ve recently enjoyed such as the tiny Domaine du Mage from S.W. France, who produce a delightful blend of Tannat and Merlot and sells for less than $10. It is only distributed in the U.S by a handful of small distributors. I’m sure they would drop the whole idea of a market here and try to sell what they produce on the Continent.

Many small producers here and abroad could easily fold with requirements for this kind of administrivia. Furthermore even the conglomerates will lose customers who are scared away by this ridiculous labeling added to the nonsense that is already printed on our wine bottles.

Warning labels in North America are really something.....

Australia and New Zealand already have a requirement to list the Standard Drinks contained in the bottle. There is no allowance for error in this figure, as distinct from the alcohol by volume figure, which can be +- 1.5% (I think). They also print the warnings such as "This wine has been fined using milk and egg products and traces may remain". Also additives statements such as "Preservative (220) added" as also included on most bottles. So this will not be a major problem for Australasin wineries.

And some parts of Europe already require allergen information from wineries. The EU will do this soon.

Carl, where have you been? I reported on this possibility last year after attending a seminar on malolactic fermentation and Brett. i wrote an articel about it for Wines and Vines--not sure if they ever printed the article, though. I did get paid for it.

Anyway, there are situations in winemaking that can cause allergens to remain--unfiltered is one of them, not that I like a label requirement, but that there does seem to be a need for some sort of control.

Label requirements was one among a few reasons that got me to get out of commercial winemaking.

[James Roscoe]

Label requirements was one among a few reasons that got me to get out of commercial winemaking.

I thought it was because the wine tasted nasty! All right that was just mean. I apologize.

Today I saw an Australian label that said something like "Egg and nuts used, and traces may remain". Was this serious? What might one use nuts for in winemaking?

Today I saw an Australian label that said something like "Egg and nuts used, and traces may remain". Was this serious? What might one use nuts for in winemaking?

Added tannins that have been derived from nut trees.

One of the things such label regulations will do is to show the consumer how much stuff is used in wine processing, especially in many mass consumer oriented wine products that are manipulated and altered.

Carl,

While I agree that all those additional requirements will probably diminish some of the available wines, which is very unfortunate, I would like it to take place. I have a son who is allergic to many, many things...and although he is not allowed to drink wine yet, for the future, I (and he) would need to know exactly what is in it. I also cook with wine alot and he cannot eat anything I make with wine because it could contain allergens (especially egg whites and nuts...which he is highly allergic too). So for me, I welcome as much information as I can get on a label. I am 100% sure that if I wasn't in this situation with my child, that I would think it was ridiculous though.

Added tannins that have been derived from nut trees.

And let's face it Thomas et al, where there is wine, the nuts can't be too far away.

True.

I am not kidding about the tannins from nut trees. It is used in wine to increase tannin. Why it has to come from nut trees is beyond me. There's tea and there's, well, the grape as a source. Suppose the nut tree stuff is cheaper or maybe part of a trade agreement with some country that offers nut tree tannin for our--what?--what is it that America produces these days? I forget.

The first is a warning (to be determined by each winery) on allergens used in fining such as isinglass, egg whites, and milk products. The fact that all these pass through the wine without becoming part of it does not matter because governing legislation (Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004) talks about any product that COMES INTO CONTACT with an allergen being so labeled.

This requirement is neither as ridiculous nor as onerous as you seem to think it is. Firstly, the fact that fining agents are removed from the wine doesn't mean that they leave no traces of their presence in the wine. Do you know what the minimal concentration of e.g. casein needed to produce an allergic reaction is? There are substantiated reports of airline passengers going into anaphylactic shock when another passenger several rows away opened a bag of peanuts (enough protein was carried airborne from the bag to the allergy sufferer to induce his condition), hence the ban on peanuts now. Also, since there are also histamines in red wine, there could easily be a syngeristic interaction with an allergen.

Secondly, I imagine that producers will simply add another sentence or two to the "contains sulfites/alcohol will make you a mass murderer" warnings that are already required. They'll take the worst-case strategy and say that their wine may contain nut, milk, fish and diatom allergens so caveat imbibor. It'll cost a bit to reprint those labels, but the added cost in the long run will be next to nil.

That's the price we pay for living in a "zero risk" society...

Mark Lipton
(returns to juggling his five flaming chainsaws)

Hey, until sometime around 1980 wine filter pads contained asbestos. I can't imagine a label for that.

I have a son who is allergic to many, many things

Maria, I feel sorry for you as we had to cook around a lot of allergies with our four daughters as they were growing up One was allergic to wheat, corn, rice, eggs, and more. As a child I was allergic to pepper, turkey, rice, and GRAPES! Fortunately the kids and I grew out of most of them as our allergist said we could. Incidentally our allergist was my father.

I have a son who is allergic to many, many things

Maria, I feel sorry for you as we had to cook around a lot of allergies with our four daughters as they were growing up One was allergic to wheat, corn, rice, eggs, and more. As a child I was allergic to pepper, turkey, rice, and GRAPES! Fortunately the kids and I grew out of most of them as our allergist said we could. Incidentally our allergist was my father.

Yup, same here, Carl. I commonly tell people that I was allergic to anything that "walked, crawled or slithered" when I was a kid (a line shamelessly purloined from a Mad Magazine "Papillon" parody): I had allergies to corn, rice, oats, nuts, beans, peanuts, pineapple, strawberries, chocolate, cats, dogs, duck down. Spring and Fall pollens. After a decade of allergy shots (now thought to be next to useless) I outgrew them at age 16 or so. Then, at age 40, I had a sudden relapse that faded away after a year or two.

Mark Lipton

I have a son who is allergic to many, many things

Maria, I feel sorry for you as we had to cook around a lot of allergies with our four daughters as they were growing up One was allergic to wheat, corn, rice, eggs, and more. As a child I was allergic to pepper, turkey, rice, and GRAPES! Fortunately the kids and I grew out of most of them as our allergist said we could. Incidentally our allergist was my father.

So Carl,

have you changed your "sky is falling" position on the label listing potential allergens?

Pretty soon bottles of wine will come with a user's manual.

In the meantime, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Most of what will go on the label is boilerplate--it will be more an irritation than a burden. And small producers, especially European ones, rely on their U.S. importers for help with label requirements. It's not that big a deal. Yet.

So Carl, have you changed your "sky is falling" position on the label listing potential allergens?

So long as they don't discover that some people are allergic to grapes, I guess we'll survive.

Maria, I feel sorry for you as we had to cook around a lot of allergies with our four daughters as they were growing up One was allergic to wheat, corn, rice, eggs, and more. As a child I was allergic to pepper, turkey, rice, and GRAPES! Fortunately the kids and I grew out of most of them as our allergist said we could. Incidentally our allergist was my father.

Yup, same here, Carl. I commonly tell people that I was allergic to anything that "walked, crawled or slithered" when I was a kid (a line shamelessly purloined from a Mad Magazine "Papillon" parody): I had allergies to corn, rice, oats, nuts, beans, peanuts, pineapple, strawberries, chocolate, cats, dogs, duck down. Spring and Fall pollens. After a decade of allergy shots (now thought to be next to useless) I outgrew them at age 16 or so. Then, at age 40, I had a sudden relapse that faded away after a year or two.
Mark Lipton

Wow guys! That must have been so tough! You are so lucky Carl, that your Dad is an allergist. I am so happy to hear that you all have outgrown them. Mark - do you still have seasonal/animal allergies?

My son is allergic to eggs, dairy, wheat, peanuts, sesame seeds, all raw fruits and veggies (even bananas!), and lots of other things that I don't even know about. It is really tough...especially since he gets hives if any of those things even touch his skin! I have a daughter as well and fortunately, she is not allergic to anything. But mealtime around here is not fun at all.

Like you guys, I am hoping he outgrows his allergies (or at least the wheat one...poor kid can't even play with playdough because it has wheat in it!).

Luckily, he can have grape juice...since it's been pasturized. He is also ok with distilled white vineagar.

It's interesting to hear about others who had allergies when they were young...I thought it was something pretty recent...since a lot of kids I know are allergic to nuts/peanuts now. I didn't think anyone back in my day was allergic to anything...guess I just never heard about it.

Anyway, I hope the new labels don't cause too many problems for the wine companies.

Maria, I feel sorry for you as we had to cook around a lot of allergies with our four daughters as they were growing up One was allergic to wheat, corn, rice, eggs, and more. As a child I was allergic to pepper, turkey, rice, and GRAPES! Fortunately the kids and I grew out of most of them as our allergist said we could. Incidentally our allergist was my father.

Yup, same here, Carl. I commonly tell people that I was allergic to anything that "walked, crawled or slithered" when I was a kid (a line shamelessly purloined from a Mad Magazine "Papillon" parody): I had allergies to corn, rice, oats, nuts, beans, peanuts, pineapple, strawberries, chocolate, cats, dogs, duck down. Spring and Fall pollens. After a decade of allergy shots (now thought to be next to useless) I outgrew them at age 16 or so. Then, at age 40, I had a sudden relapse that faded away after a year or two.
Mark Lipton

Wow guys! That must have been so tough! You are so lucky Carl, that your Dad is an allergist. I am so happy to hear that you all have outgrown them. Mark - do you still have seasonal/animal allergies?

My son is allergic to eggs, dairy, wheat, peanuts, sesame seeds, all raw fruits and veggies (even bananas!), and lots of other things that I don't even know about. It is really tough...especially since he gets hives if any of those things even touch his skin! I have a daughter as well and fortunately, she is not allergic to anything. But mealtime around here is not fun at all.

Like you guys, I am hoping he outgrows his allergies (or at least the wheat one...poor kid can't even play with playdough because it has wheat in it!).

Luckily, he can have grape juice...since it's been pasturized. He is also ok with distilled white vineagar.

It's interesting to hear about others who had allergies when they were young...I thought it was something pretty recent...since a lot of kids I know are allergic to nuts/peanuts now. I didn't think anyone back in my day was allergic to anything...guess I just never heard about it.

Anyway, I hope the new labels don't cause too many problems for the wine companies.

OK Maria, time for me to pipe up.

Between the ages of fifteen and nineteen I went through allergy hell, and medical hell too. Massive problems with hives--volumes of tests and drugs over four years--to gain neither cure nor explanation.

The tests administered would have been easier to read by listing what I was supposedly NOT allergic to. Steroids (wrecking my organs), weekly shots (doing nothing), and a variety of "let's try this" gone absolutely nowhere.

I even took acupuncture, which actually worked briefly!

With a few minor recurrences from age twenty to thirty-five, it all went away, melted without a drug, an acupuncture needle, or a bank account going to the medical profession.

I am sure that stress played a role. First the stress of being a teen in a world where I didn't feel I belonged, then the stress of all the medicine and visits and lack of success, not to mention the stress that I had been warned how easily I could die from a case of the hives.

I'm not sure what I learned from it all, except that when it comes to allergies, there are a lot of non-answers floating the world. Plus, at thirty-five I began to eat more responsibly. I began to read labels and weed out the processed junk. I believe that is what worked.

When it comes to food, I'd rather the government limit over-processing first, then think about the result of serving the public pure and natural foods. Instead, the govt allows over-processing and then tries to remove itself from responsibility by forcing labels to "inform" the public.

As for wine, I don't see why a winemaker should be allowed or need to use nut tannins to give the wine what it can't offer on its own. Of course, I might not have felt that way had I kept my winery going

Wow...Thomas...how awful! I can't imagine the stress and suffering you went through. Hives (like a nettle rash for all the Brits) are really scary! I am so glad you were able to take control of the situation and are no longer suffering.

I do think that alot of the times they torture people with allergies. The First allergist that my son saw (he is only 21 months btw), would only test him if he had a reaction to something...so everytime he tried a new food, and my son would get hives, I would have to take him to the allergist for a skin test and blood tests, so he was getting blood drawn every 2 weeks...it was true torture for a 10 month old! They of course wanted to put him on all kinds of medication and steroids. I have refused all of it. I am proud to report neither of my children have had any medication in their lives. My son is doing really well, but it is certainly challenging finding things he can have and making sure he has the right amount of nutrients.

When it comes to food, I'd rather the government limit over-processing first, then think about the result of serving the public pure and natural foods. Instead, the govt allows over-processing and then tries to remove itself from responsibility by forcing labels to "inform" the public.

ITA 100%! I think things in the US are getting slightly better, because the public is wanting the more wholesome/organic alternatives...but we have a long way to go. We eat very healthy in my house...even more so now that I really have to make everything from scratch (try buying any baked good containing no wheat, eggs, or dairy!).

As for wine, I don't see why a winemaker should be allowed or need to use nut tannins to give the wine what it can't offer on its own.

I agree...makes no sense!

Thank you all for sharing your stories...it is so comforting knowing others understand and that there is hope that my son won't suffer his whole life. Thomas, I will certainly keep the stress factor in mind...I do think that plays a really big part in a lot of the reactions.

Maria,

You might be interested in knowing that one of my last break-outs, when I was about 30, was treated in Morristown hospital's emergency room. I lived back then first in Chester and then in Long Valley...worked for the Morristown Daily Record (tres briefly).

Anyway, hives can be life threatening if they attack the head and tongue. That's what that ana-something or other shock is all about with things like shell fish. Adrenaline fast.

I always carried antihistamine tabs with me--not over the counter stuff either. It is certain that removing chemistry and processed foods from my diet went a long way toward fixing things for me. Funny thing is that people often outgrow these kinds of allergies. Maybe the body adapts to whatever threat it used to perceive.

I'm right now going through an allergy madness with my standard poodle. He's off commercial dog food and getting better and better each week.

Maria,

You might be interested in knowing that one of my last break-outs, when I was about 30, was treated in Morristown hospital's emergency room. I lived back then first in Chester and then in Long Valley...worked for the Morristown Daily Record (tres briefly).

Wow Thomas...small world! I actually volunteered at Morristown Memorial when I was younger...that would be funny if we were there at the same time!

Anyway, hives can be life threatening if they attack the head and tongue. That's what that ana-something or other shock is all about with things like shell fish. Adrenaline fast.

Luckily, my son hasn't had an anaphylactic reaction, but he has only has trace amounts of anything he has been allergic too (and he has never had peanuts or shellfish).

I always carried antihistamine tabs with me--not over the counter stuff either. It is certain that removing chemistry and processed foods from my diet went a long way toward fixing things for me. Funny thing is that people often outgrow these kinds of allergies. Maybe the body adapts to whatever threat it used to perceive.

I have Epi-pens everywhere now. My son hasn't really had any processed foods (except for some Good Season's salad dressing...which of course he was allergic too). But I do think the processed foods take a toll on everyone's body.

I'm right now going through an allergy madness with my standard poodle. He's off commercial dog food and getting better and better each week.

Poor pup! Hope he continues to improve. So if you don't give him commerical food, do you make him beef and chicken...or is there a specialty food you can buy for him?

Maria,

We feed him lamb, beef, etc plus rice and vegetables, with garlic and flax seed oil. He eats better than we do...