In vino veritas? Not according to the British public

Nine out of every ten wine drinkers in the UK (90 per cent) want alcohol levels to be clearly displayed on the front label of bottles.

That’s according to the latest nationwide survey from Wineoption.org (wineoption.org; twitter.com/wineoption), the consumer group campaigning for radical change in the wine trade.

Of the 500 drinkers polled, 71 per cent believed the percentage of alcohol in wine should be clearly displayed in pubs and restaurants, just as alcohol levels are shown for draught beers.

The poll also saw 93 per cent of respondents slamming the use of meaningless and confusing jargon on wine labels, a finding that underpins WineOption.org’s campaign against condescension and snobbery in the wine trade.

“We find it astonishing that in today’s environment it is not compulsory to display the alcohol level clearly on the front label” says Simon Green, spokesperson for WineOption.org.

“The amount of alcohol in a bottle of wine not only reflects how quickly the drink ‘goes to your head’, but also its calorie content and taste. Suppliers, retailers, bars and restaurants must recognize the demand for clearly displayed information and must implement long-overdue change now,” he added.

According to the survey, consumers are crying out for a change in the way wine is displayed in supermarket aisles, with the poll revealing that 78 per cent of consumers are mystified by the way supermarkets display wine by country of origin and variety.

Wine drinkers want wines to be displayed by categories such as “light and refreshing” and “big and full bodied”. The survey shows they also want to know which wines are best for specific dishes and occasions.

Added Green: “How is the average drinker supposed to select a lower-alcohol wine on a work night, or a refreshing wine to accompany a Sunday picnic, if bottles are hidden within a vast atlas of the world, and if descriptions are replaced with jargon and clichés about gooseberries?”

WineOption.org campaigners have relaunched their website in response to public demand for greater honesty in the wine business. The new website combines news stories, features and opinion with humorous anecdotes, satirical cartoons and videos.

Said Green: “The support the site has received since we launched in the autumn has been astonishing. We’d like to raise a glass to everyone who’s joining in!”