Compliant Always
Get in touch

Selling beer, wine and spirits in the EU

In the EU, drinks above 1.2% alcohol show their alcoholic strength and are exempt from the general ingredients list and nutrition declaration. Wine has its own labelling rules under the wine market Regulation and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, and spirit drinks under Regulation (EU) 2019/787. Excise and licensing are national.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Alcohol strength
Shown on drinks above 1.2% by volume
Ingredients and nutrition
Exempt above 1.2% under the food labelling rules
Wine
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33
Spirit drinks
Regulation (EU) 2019/787
Excise and licences
Set by each member state

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Which category is it: beer, wine, a spirit drink or something else? Read more
  2. 2What has to be on the label, and which exemptions apply? Read more
  3. 3Does it use a protected name or geographical indication? Read more
  4. 4What does the packaging have to meet? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Ingredients and nutrition for wine

Wine and aromatised wine labels since 8 December 2023.

  • Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 made the nutrition declaration and the list of ingredients compulsory particulars for wine and other grapevine products, and for aromatised wine products.
  • The rules apply from 8 December 2023. Wine produced and labelled before that date under the old rules may stay on the market until stocks run out.
  • The nutrition declaration on the pack may be limited to the energy value, shown with the symbol 'E', with the full declaration given by electronic means identified on the package or label.
  • The ingredients list may also be given electronically, on condition that no user data is collected or tracked and it is not shown with sales or marketing information. Allergens still appear on the label itself, after the word 'contains'.
  • De-alcoholised grapevine products under 10% alcohol also carry a date of minimum durability; 'de-alcoholised' means no more than 0.5%, and 'partially de-alcoholised' above 0.5%.

How we help: Compliant Always sets your wine label and e-label beside the compulsory particulars, and keeps the ingredient and nutrition data behind them with each vintage. Ask about this

Food labelling for alcoholic drinks

How the general food labelling rules apply to drinks with alcohol.

  • Drinks containing more than 1.2% alcohol by volume show their actual alcoholic strength (Article 9).
  • Under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, alcoholic beverages containing more than 1.2% by volume of alcohol are exempt from the mandatory list of ingredients and nutrition declaration. Wine and aromatised wine products have their own rule (see below).
  • Under Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, the Commission said it will propose making the list of ingredients and nutrition declaration mandatory on labels of other alcoholic beverages.

How we help: Compliant Always sets your label beside the particulars and exemptions that apply to its category, and watches the sources for the change the Commission has announced. Ask about this

Wine and spirit drinks

The sector rules that sit on top of the food labelling rules.

  • Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33 sets a harmonised system of labelling and presentation for EU wines, and protects designations of origin, geographical indications and traditional terms.
  • The wine rules in Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 were last amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/2117.
  • Regulation (EU) 2019/787 sets the definitions, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the category, the protected name and the evidence behind each with the product. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Brand or producerThe label, the category and any protected name it uses.The label checked against the category rules, with the paperwork behind it.
Importer into the EUThe food information where the producer is not established in the EU.The producer's documents read and dated before the goods arrive.
Packaging supplierBottles, cans and closures that meet the packaging and food contact rules.Declarations collected once and shown to each customer that asks.

Member states

Excise duty, licences and some rules on sale are set by each member state, on top of the EU labelling and category rules.

Selling in more than one member state means meeting the EU text and the national additions of each.

Questions businesses ask

Do alcoholic drinks need an ingredients list in the EU?
Under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, drinks above 1.2% alcohol by volume are exempt from the mandatory ingredients list and nutrition declaration. Wine and spirit drinks also have their own sector rules.
Does the label have to show alcohol strength?
Yes, for drinks containing more than 1.2% alcohol by volume: the actual alcoholic strength by volume is one of the mandatory particulars in Article 9.
Is the EU changing alcohol labelling?
Under Europe's Beating Cancer Plan, the Commission said it will propose making the ingredients list and nutrition declaration mandatory on the labels of alcoholic beverages.
Which rules cover wine labels in the EU?
Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013, last amended by Regulation (EU) 2021/2117, and Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, which sets a harmonised system of labelling and presentation for EU wines.
Which rules cover spirit drinks in the EU?
Regulation (EU) 2019/787, which sets the definitions, presentation and labelling of spirit drinks, and protects their geographical indications.
Who sets excise duty on alcohol in the EU?
Each member state, along with licensing and some rules on sale. The EU sets the labelling and category rules that apply across member states.
Which packaging rules apply to bottles and cans?
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 on packaging and packaging waste, alongside mandatory deposit return systems, and the food contact rules for what touches the drink.
What did the drinks sectors commit to on labelling?
Spirits producers committed to give energy value on the label and ingredients off label, and brewers committed to list ingredients and energy values on beer bottles and cans, the Commission reports.
Does wine need an ingredients list in the EU?
Yes, since 8 December 2023. Regulation (EU) 2021/2117 made the list of ingredients and the nutrition declaration compulsory for wine and aromatised wine products. Wine labelled before that date may be sold until stocks run out.
Can a wine label use a QR code for ingredients in the EU?
Yes. The ingredients and the full nutrition declaration may be given electronically, identified on the label, if no user data is collected or tracked and no marketing is shown. The energy value and allergens stay on the label itself.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in the EU?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in the EU and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

Get in touch