Label changes could increase price of wine

ACAMPO—

It’s one of the simple pleasures, enjoying a glass of wine with Holiday dinner. But the simplicity is about to get more complicated because of new labeling suggestions.

The Federal Government is considering changing what is required to be stated on wine, and those beautiful colors and landscapes could be replaced with cold, hard facts.

Age is just a number, but the Government suggestions would distinguish the age of the vine the wine comes from; a vine that is 25 years old will be put in a different category than a vine that is 125 years old.

“The old the vine gets, the more intense the flavor becomes,” said J.C. Van Sdadean with Peltier Station in Acampo. “It will be nice for the consumers to know the value of the package they are buying. If it’s old vine or ancient vine, etc.”

Winemakers would also need to identify the region their wine grapes came from.

At Peltier Station, winemakers say wine drinkers know at least this much about their bottles, “People understand that alcohol is alcohol and if it’s too much, it’s not good for you. If it’s the right amount, it’s perfect for you, if it’s red wine, it’s great for the heart,” said Van Sdadean.

In addition to distinguishing how old the vines are, the Government proposals would add a nutrition label to each bottle. Winemakers told FOX40 adding a nutrition label would eat up valuable space on the bottle.

“Half of the label is government bar code and warning, and only the other half of the label tells you a little bit of a story,” said Van Sdadean.

More real estate, and more money; the price per bottle could go up because winemakers will have to pay for extra printing and testing to determine just how many calories are in each glass.

But on Thanksgiving, winemakers say it’s important to remember one thing: “At the end of the day, it’s not about what's on the bottle, it's about how good it tastes and the friends you are sharing it with,” said Van Sdadean.